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CRI English Unit 55:How to Use a Credit Card使用信用卡

2008-06-26来源:和谐英语

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Part 1 Tina's Money Woes  Tina的金钱危机 

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 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.

讲解:

1. 对话中,Tina在疯狂的购物,虽然她现在还没有找到工作,不过她好像一点也不着急。标题Tina's Money Woes当中的woe这个词,经常用它的复述形式,表示“灾难,悲痛的事”。Tina's Money Woes就可以翻译成“Tina的金钱危机”或者“Tina的金钱烦恼”。Tina正在Macy百货购物,大家都知道了,Macy,梅西百货,是美国最著名的百货公司,总店在纽约的第三十四街与第六、七大道之间。

2. Macy百货正在大减价,Tina当然不能错过这次机会了,have a sale 或者be on sale都表示“商品促销,大减价”。miss out on sth就表示“错失了…,错过了…”。也可以单用miss out,表示“失去获得利益或者获得乐趣的机会”,比如说,If I don't go to the party, I feel I'm missing out. 要是不去参加派对的话,我一定觉得损失很大。

3. 原来这就是Tina消磨失业日子的方法。unemployed就是“失业的,没有工作的”。Jason还问Tina新工作找得怎么样了。luck在这里表示“好运,幸运”,比如说,I hope this champ3 will bring you luck. 希望这个护身符能给你带来好运气。Any luck with the job? 找工作的事运气好吗?就是在问“ 工作的事情怎样了?”

4. Tina的新工作没有什么进展,她甚至去问过算命先生到底是哪里出了问题。fortuneteller就是指那种“会算命、会看相的人”。那我们从这个词就可以推断出tell one's fortune就是“给某人算命”的意思。比如说,At the fair a gypsy told me my fortune. 有个吉卜赛人在游乐场给我算了命。看来Tina还挺迷信的。

5. Jason开玩笑地说,难道这个算命的让你去买一身新衣服?因为他看到Tina在大肆购物。outfit指“一套衣服”,特别是那种用于特殊场合的成套衣服。比如说,She bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding. 她为女儿买了一套婚礼新装。算命的说Tina的鼻子太塌了,老板会觉得她不可靠。trustworthy,就是指“值得信任的,可靠的”。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 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!

讲解:

1. Jason不敢相信Tina居然会相信算命的说的话。Tina说当然了,宁可信其有,不可信其无嘛,所以她决定星期五就找整形医生,Doctor Dave,戴维医生。plastic surgeon, 就是指“整形医生”。Jason说这应该是Tina这几个月来的第三次手术,她哪来的钱付账啊?

2. Jason是这样说的,This is, like, your third operation in the last few months.这里面的like 可不是动词,而是一个语气助词,经常被现在的年轻人用来在说话的时候加强语气使用,其实并没有什么实际的意义。pay for it all表示“付清所有的帐”。

3. Tina可不担心,她说,Where there's a credit card, there's a way.大家听到这句话一定会觉得耳熟,没错,这句话就是从Where there's a will, there's a way. 有志者事竟成。这句话变化而来的。Tina在这里玩了一个文字游戏。她故意把这个英文谚语Where there's a will, there's a way.当中的will说成了credit card。她是在说,只要有信用卡,什么事情都能办到。我们用一个对话来作例子,---How did you ever manage to read the whole book in one day? ---Where there's a will, there's a way. ---在一天内看完一整本书,你是怎么做到的?---有志者事竟成。Jason说,即使可以刷卡,可是到最后还是要还清的,而且Tina现在也没有工作,该怎么办呢?

4. pay off 就是“偿还,付清”的意思。Tina觉得Jason很罗嗦,就跟她的大姐似的,总是唠叨她。只要Tina一找到工作,就会想办法付清的。Jason继续说,用信用卡还是挺危险的,一开始收的利率很低。introductory 的意思是“开始的,初步的”,比如我们可以说introductory chapter绪论篇。The dean made a few introductory remarks before the lecture. 系主任在讲课前讲了几句开场白。

5. Tina说她当然知道了,觉得这样很好,她就有一张零利率的和两张利率百分之七的。虽然信用卡的起始利率很低,但是利率后来都会变高。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间。Tina觉得这没什么,最后大不了多付一点利息嘛。in the long run就是指“到头来,终究,结果,长期看来”。

6. Jason说,可不止一点吧。Try a lot more. 这里try...就是“我看(实际情况)是…”的意思。因为Tina说她只要多付“一点点”a little more,于是Jason顺着这句话,要Tina看清现实,其实她要支付的利息是“多很多”a lot more。所以当对方说的话有自欺欺人的倾向,你就可以用try这个单词,后面接上实际情况,告诉他面对现实吧。举个例子,---It's going to take a long time to finish this building. ---Yeah, try ten years. ---要完成这栋大楼需要很长的时间。---是呀,我看得十年吧。

7. Jason告诉Tina,你每月要付的账单几乎都是利息,而不是你买的东西。但是Tina说刷卡刷的真的很爽,很顺手。

8. 看来Jason是无法说服Tina了,最后还被她拉去吃午餐,Tina说她请客,当然又是刷卡了。my treat 的意思就是“我请客”。


Dialogue Script 3  对话原文 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!

讲解:

1. 对话中,Tina的信用卡被店员剪掉了,因为她的卡已经刷爆了。这让Tina很生气,真想大喊大叫。Jason以前还真没有见过谁的卡被剪掉呢。

2. 不过这已经是Tina今年第四次被剪卡了。Jason很吃惊,被剪了四张卡了,那么Tina到底有几张卡呢?Tina说只有5张而已。这时她又看见了一条裙子,觉得自己穿上一定会很好看。

3. Jason劝Tina说,你不觉得应该控制一下你的购买冲动了吗?compulsive的意思是“冲动的,无法控制的”,那么compulsive buying就是“冲动购买欲望”的意思。

4. Tina觉得没有必要停止购物阿,还有最后一张卡可以刷,I think it's time to break in my last card. break in 在这里表示“开始使用某物”。

5. Tina的理由是,Live a little!就是“尽情享乐”的意思。Live a little!和Live it up!的意思一样,都是要人“及时行乐”,我们还可以潇洒一点说,“人生得意需尽欢”。当某人对于眼前的事物畏首畏尾,迟迟不敢行动的时候,你就可以用这句话来鼓励他,要他勇于尝试。我们用一个对话来作例子,---I don't think I want to go on this roller coaster ride! ---Aw, c'mon, live a little! ---我并不想去玩云霄飞车!---哦,别这样,人生苦短,及时行乐。这句话呢也可以用来劝说别人花钱买东西。比如说,---I really shouldn't buy all three dresses. They cost too much. ---Sarah, you just need to learn to live a little. ---我真的不该三件都买,太贵了。---Sarah,你就是应该学习享受人生。

6. Jason还是在为Tina担心,Five cards. You must be up to your ears in debt!五张卡,你铁定债台高筑了!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,比如说工作太忙,要事缠身;或者是债务缠身,都可以用这个短语来表示。你还可以把ears换成elbows或eyes都是指“埋头于...深陷于...”的意思。我们还是用对话来作例子,---Why don't you ever call me any more? ---I never have time. I'm up to my ears in work. ---你为什么连电话都不给我打了?---我没时间,工作太忙。还有,---Carol has been receiving many phone calls lately. ---She's up to her elbows in suitors. ---Carol最近接到了好多电话。---她的追求者太多了。

7. 难道Tina的父母不能帮她还一些债务吗?看来是不行了,因为他们正在帮Tina还大学时刷的其他八张卡呢。这里run up就表示“积累庞大的消费金额”。Jason为她担心,估计Tina这辈子得一直还信用卡的钱了!

8. 但是Tina一点都不担心,Everything will be fine. 船到桥头自然直。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术”,也可以说have one's nose done。如果要表示其他部位的整形手术,就把nose换成相应部位的就行了。这里还有一个更简单的说法,就是整形的器官加上job这个词,比如“鼻子整形手术”我们就可以说nose job。

9. 等Tina把鼻子整好了,就可以找到工作赚钱还债,还要买一整柜的新衣服来秀她的新鼻子。这里的a new wardrobe是指“一柜的新衣服”,而不是“一个新的衣橱”,大家要注意了。

10. show off 就是“炫耀,展示”的意思,带点贬义在里面。Jason不知道说什么好了,她说Tina已经无药可救了。You're hopeless!