Part 1 Tina's Money Woes Tina的金錢危機
Dialogue Script 1 對話原文 1
Jason: Whoa! That's a lot of bags! Let me help you.
Tina: Thanks. Macy's had a sale I couldn't miss out on.
Jason: So this is how you're spending your days now that you're unemployed. Any luck finding a new job?
Tina: None. I even went to a fortuneteller to find out what's wrong.
Jason: Let me guess...he told you to buy a new outfit?
Tina: No, he said my nose is too flat, so bosses don't think I'm trustworthy.
講解:
1. 對話中,Tina在瘋狂的購物,雖然她現在還沒有找到工作,不過她好像一點也不著急。標題Tina's Money Woes當中的woe這個詞,經常用它的復述形式,表示“災難,悲痛的事”。Tina's Money Woes就可以翻譯成“Tina的金錢危機”或者“Tina的金錢煩惱”。Tina正在Macy百貨購物,大家都知道了,Macy,梅西百貨,是美國最著名的百貨公司,總店在紐約的第三十四街與第六、七大道之間。
2. Macy百貨正在大減價,Tina當然不能錯過這次機會了,have a sale 或者be on sale都表示“商品促銷,大減價”。miss out on sth就表示“錯失了…,錯過了…”。也可以單用miss out,表示“失去獲得利益或者獲得樂趣的機會”,比如說,If I don't go to the party, I feel I'm missing out. 要是不去參加派對的話,我一定覺得損失很大。
3. 原來這就是Tina消磨失業日子的方法。unemployed就是“失業的,沒有工作的”。Jason還問Tina新工作找得怎么樣了。luck在這里表示“好運,幸運”,比如說,I hope this charm will bring you luck. 希望這個護身符能給你帶來好運氣。Any luck with the job? 找工作的事運氣好嗎?就是在問“ 工作的事情怎樣了?”
4. Tina的新工作沒有什么進展,她甚至去問過算命先生到底是哪里出了問題。fortuneteller就是指那種“會算命、會看相的人”。那我們從這個詞就可以推斷出tell one's fortune就是“給某人算命”的意思。比如說,At the fair a gypsy told me my fortune. 有個吉卜賽人在游樂場給我算了命。看來Tina還挺迷信的。
5. Jason開玩笑地說,難道這個算命的讓你去買一身新衣服?因為他看到Tina在大肆購物。outfit指“一套衣服”,特別是那種用于特殊場合的成套衣服。比如說,She bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding. 她為女兒買了一套婚禮新裝。算命的說Tina的鼻子太塌了,老板會覺得她不可靠。trustworthy,就是指“值得信任的,可靠的”。
Dialogue Script 2 對話原文 2
Jason: You actually believe in fortunetellers?
Tina: Of course. Anyway, I'm seeing my plastic surgeon, Doctor Dave, on Friday.
Jason: This is, like, your third operation in the last few months. How do you pay for it all?
Tina: Where there's a credit card, there's a way.
Jason: But credit cards still have to be paid off. And with no job...
Tina: You sound like my big sister. Once I get a job, I'll pay them off.
Jason: Credit cards are really dangerous. They offer you really low introductory interest rates.
Tina: I know. I love that! I've got one at zero percent and two at seven!
Jason: But, those will go up. Most credit card rates are around fifteen to eighteen percent.
Tina: So I'll have to pay a little more in the long run.
Jason: Try a lot more. Most of your monthly bills are paying off interest and not what you bought.
Tina: But they're so easy to use. C'mon, dinner at the mall, my treat!
講解:
1. Jason不敢相信Tina居然會相信算命的說的話。Tina說當然了,寧可信其有,不可信其無嘛,所以她決定星期五就找整形醫生,Doctor Dave,戴維醫生。plastic surgeon, 就是指“整形醫生”。Jason說這應該是Tina這幾個月來的第三次手術,她哪來的錢付賬啊?
2. Jason是這樣說的,This is, like, your third operation in the last few months.這里面的like 可不是動詞,而是一個語氣助詞,經常被現在的年輕人用來在說話的時候加強語氣使用,其實并沒有什么實際的意義。pay for it all表示“付清所有的帳”。
3. Tina可不擔心,她說,Where there's a credit card, there's a way.大家聽到這句話一定會覺得耳熟,沒錯,這句話就是從Where there's a will, there's a way. 有志者事竟成。這句話變化而來的。Tina在這里玩了一個文字游戲。她故意把這個英文諺語Where there's a will, there's a way.當中的will說成了credit card。她是在說,只要有信用卡,什么事情都能辦到。我們用一個對話來作例子,---How did you ever manage to read the whole book in one day? ---Where there's a will, there's a way. ---在一天內看完一整本書,你是怎么做到的?---有志者事竟成。Jason說,即使可以刷卡,可是到最后還是要還清的,而且Tina現在也沒有工作,該怎么辦呢?
4. pay off 就是“償還,付清”的意思。Tina覺得Jason很羅嗦,就跟她的大姐似的,總是嘮叨她。只要Tina一找到工作,就會想辦法付清的。Jason繼續說,用信用卡還是挺危險的,一開始收的利率很低。introductory 的意思是“開始的,初步的”,比如我們可以說introductory chapter緒論篇。The dean made a few introductory remarks before the lecture. 系主任在講課前講了幾句開場白。
5. Tina說她當然知道了,覺得這樣很好,她就有一張零利率的和兩張利率百分之七的。雖然信用卡的起始利率很低,但是利率后來都會變高。But, those will go up. those就是指“interest rates”。大部分信用卡的利率是百分之十五到十八之間。Tina覺得這沒什么,最后大不了多付一點利息嘛。in the long run就是指“到頭來,終究,結果,長期看來”。
6. Jason說,可不止一點吧。Try a lot more. 這里try...就是“我看(實際情況)是…”的意思。因為Tina說她只要多付“一點點”a little more,于是Jason順著這句話,要Tina看清現實,其實她要支付的利息是“多很多”a lot more。所以當對方說的話有自欺欺人的傾向,你就可以用try這個單詞,后面接上實際情況,告訴他面對現實吧。舉個例子,---It's going to take a long time to finish this building. ---Yeah, try ten years. ---要完成這棟大樓需要很長的時間。---是呀,我看得十年吧。
7. Jason告訴Tina,你每月要付的賬單幾乎都是利息,而不是你買的東西。但是Tina說刷卡刷的真的很爽,很順手。
8. 看來Jason是無法說服Tina了,最后還被她拉去吃午餐,Tina說她請客,當然又是刷卡了。my treat 的意思就是“我請客”。
Dialogue Script 3 對話原文 3
Tina: Oh, that makes me so mad! I could just scream!
Jason: I've never actually seen a salesperson cut up someone's credit card before.
Tina: Well, that's the fourth time it's happened to me this year.
Jason: Four cards? How many do you have anyway?
Tina: Just five. Oh, that dress would look great on me.
Jason: Don't you think it's time you stopped your compulsive buying?
Tina: No, I think it's time to break in my last card. Live a little!
Jason: Five cards. You must be up to your ears in debt! Can't your parents help you out?
Tina: They're taking care of the eight other cards I ran up during college.
Jason: Girl, you're going to be paying off credit cards till the day you die!
Tina: Everything will be fine. Once I get my nose done...
Jason: ...you can get a job and start paying.
Tina: And buy a new wardrobe to show off my new nose!
Jason: You're hopeless!
講解:
1. 對話中,Tina的信用卡被店員剪掉了,因為她的卡已經刷爆了。這讓Tina很生氣,真想大喊大叫。Jason以前還真沒有見過誰的卡被剪掉呢。
2. 不過這已經是Tina今年第四次被剪卡了。Jason很吃驚,被剪了四張卡了,那么Tina到底有幾張卡呢?Tina說只有5張而已。這時她又看見了一條裙子,覺得自己穿上一定會很好看。
3. Jason勸Tina說,你不覺得應該控制一下你的購買沖動了嗎?compulsive的意思是“沖動的,無法控制的”,那么compulsive buying就是“沖動購買欲望”的意思。
4. Tina覺得沒有必要停止購物阿,還有最后一張卡可以刷,I think it's time to break in my last card. break in 在這里表示“開始使用某物”。
5. Tina的理由是,Live a little!就是“盡情享樂”的意思。Live a little!和Live it up!的意思一樣,都是要人“及時行樂”,我們還可以瀟灑一點說,“人生得意需盡歡”。當某人對于眼前的事物畏首畏尾,遲遲不敢行動的時候,你就可以用這句話來鼓勵他,要他勇于嘗試。我們用一個對話來作例子,---I don't think I want to go on this roller coaster ride! ---Aw, c'mon, live a little! ---我并不想去玩云霄飛車!---哦,別這樣,人生苦短,及時行樂。這句話呢也可以用來勸說別人花錢買東西。比如說,---I really shouldn't buy all three dresses. They cost too much. ---Sarah, you just need to learn to live a little. ---我真的不該三件都買,太貴了。---Sarah,你就是應該學習享受人生。
6. Jason還是在為Tina擔心,Five cards. You must be up to your ears in debt!五張卡,你鐵定債臺高筑了!be up to one's ears /elbows/eyes in sth表示“某人陷于...之中”。up to one's ears 是指某人非常忙碌,深陷于某事之中,比如說工作太忙,要事纏身;或者是債務纏身,都可以用這個短語來表示。你還可以把ears換成elbows或eyes都是指“埋頭于...深陷于...”的意思。我們還是用對話來作例子,---Why don't you ever call me any more? ---I never have time. I'm up to my ears in work. ---你為什么連電話都不給我打了?---我沒時間,工作太忙。還有,---Carol has been receiving many phone calls lately. ---She's up to her elbows in suitors. ---Carol最近接到了好多電話。---她的追求者太多了。
7. 難道Tina的父母不能幫她還一些債務嗎?看來是不行了,因為他們正在幫Tina還大學時刷的其他八張卡呢。這里run up就表示“積累龐大的消費金額”。Jason為她擔心,估計Tina這輩子得一直還信用卡的錢了!
8. 但是Tina一點都不擔心,Everything will be fine. 船到橋頭自然直。只要把鼻子整好就好了。get one's nose done 是指“某人去做鼻子整形手術”,也可以說have one's nose done。如果要表示其他部位的整形手術,就把nose換成相應部位的就行了。這里還有一個更簡單的說法,就是整形的器官加上job這個詞,比如“鼻子整形手術”我們就可以說nose job。
9. 等Tina把鼻子整好了,就可以找到工作賺錢還債,還要買一整柜的新衣服來秀她的新鼻子。這里的a new wardrobe是指“一柜的新衣服”,而不是“一個新的衣櫥”,大家要注意了。
10. show off 就是“炫耀,展示”的意思,帶點貶義在里面。Jason不知道說什么好了,她說Tina已經無藥可救了。You're hopeless!