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六级口语练习:强人所难的tall order
日期:2013-07-25 17:49

(单词翻译:单击)

Chris告诉同事Jason, 准备买辆新车。
Jason: Hey there Chris, what are you up to?
Chris: I'm just poring over some brochures about various car models.
J: Oh, so you're thinking about buying a new car?
C: Yeah, it looks that way. My wife has been bugging me about it. I thought we could probably survive without one, but with a baby on the way, maybe it is time to get a car.
J: So this would be your first automobile?
C: That's right. For quite a few years, I rode a bicycle to work. Then I got a motorbike.
Chris太太怀孕,所以不得不考虑买车。Chris说,my wife has been bugging me about it. 意思是我太太一直在软磨硬泡要说服我,to bug someone是没完没了烦某人的意思,比如说,Stop bugging me. 意思就是别烦我了。这是Chris的第一辆车,他以前都是骑自行车或是骑摩托车上班,但现在 with a baby on the way 眼看就要有孩子了,所以只好考虑买车。Jason表示理解。
J: Yeah, I think I can understand your wife's position. Asking her to ride on a motorcycle when she's pregnant is a tall order.
C: Oh...I don't let her ride with me. It's just too dangerous. She takes the bus to work, but it is sometimes difficult to get a seat and it's crowded and hot.
J: So it's time to buy your very first car! Wow, that's exciting!
C: Yes, but it's also a pretty big financial responsibility.
J: Yeah. I still remember my first car. It was an old clunker that my dad gave me when I turned 17. I drove it around for a couple of years until I scraped together enough money to buy a better secondhand car.
Jason说,让太太挺着大肚子坐Chris的摩托车确实有点强人所难,It's a tall order. tall order 意思是很难完成的任务或要求。Chris解释说,其实太太不坐他的摩托车上班,但是挤公交车也很辛苦,所以才必须买车。Jason说,他的第一辆车是17岁过生日时老爸送的,It was an old clunker. clunker是老破车的意思,开了几年后,攒够了钱才自己买了辆稍微像点儿样的secondhand car二手车。Chris说,
C: I'm having a hard time deciding which model is best for us.
J: Yeah, it is a tough call. Each one has its pros and cons. Are you looking for a sedan?
C: Yes, I'd like a Jeep, but my wife says we have to get a comfortable sedan for long drives home to see her relatives.
J: I'd advise you to listen to your wife. She will be sitting in the back taking care of the kids so whatever she prefers is probably the best choice.
Chris说,拿不定主意应该买什么型号的车。Jason承认,It's a tough call. tough call意思是很难做的决定。他还说,不同型号的车有各自的优缺点,pros and cons是指一件事情的正反面,pros 是优点,正面的,cons是缺点,负面的。Chris想买吉普车Jeep,但他太太坚持要买轿车sedan, 因为sedan开长途坐着更舒服些。
C: What do you think about this one? Here...take a look.
J: I like it. It's quite stylish. But...it's also pretty small.
C: That's OK. We are only a family of three.
J: This model has a 1.3 liter engine. With a small engine, you'll save a lot of money on gas.
C: That's one of the reasons I'm considering this one. It gets good gas mileage and overall has good value.
J: When I was young, having a car was all about power, prestige and fashion. But today, everything is about economy, value and savings.
C: The world has changed.
Chris看中了一款车,征求Jason的意思。Jason说,车外观还是挺有型的,但就是有点小。Chris觉得,小点没关系,因为他们就三口人,a family of three, 小点也够用了。Jason说,这款车引擎是1.3公升的,省油,是优点。Chris承认,这也是他看中这款车的原因之一,It gets good gas mileage and overall has good value. 意思是说这辆车油耗低,总体上说很划算。Jason大发感慨,说自己年轻那会儿买车就是为了马力、时尚,如今大家考虑的却都是实用和省钱。
J: Have you considered getting a secondhand car?
C: My wife rejected that idea. She says that you never know if the car dealer is unscrupulous. The car could be water damaged or could have been involved in an accident.
J: She makes some good points. Anyway, having a new car is a great experience.
C: I'm also trying to decide if I should take the three or fiveyear payment option.
J: If I can make a suggestion: go with a threeyear plan. The fiveyear might look easier, but in the end, the interest payments are not worth it.
Chris不准备买二手车,因为他太太担心碰上个缺德的二手车车行老板,把出过车祸的车买回家,上面所说的unscrupulous意思是没有道德操守的。Jason觉得,she makes some good points. 她说的很有道理。在贷款方面,Chris不知道应该三年还清还是五年还清,Jason建议他做三年的贷款,因为五年贷款每个月付的钱看上去虽然少些,但其实把交的利息都算进去,就不值了。
C: I'll go home and do the math, but you're probably right.
J: How about the color?
C: Blue is my lucky color, so I'll pick blue if possible. My wife says we should consider black because it doesn't look dirty so quickly.
J: Cool! Well, let me know when you decide. I'd love to check out your new car!
C: Sure, Jason. Thanks for the input.
Chris说,我回家算算I'll go home and do the math. Do the math是口语里很常用的一种说法,意思是算算清楚,特别是指明摆着的事情,比如:We cannot afford that house with our salaries. You do the math. 咱们的工资买不起那栋房,你自己算算吧。在颜色选择上,Chris说,蓝色是自己的幸运色,而太太觉得黑色经脏。Jason最后说,I'd love to check out your new car! 买了新车别忘了给我看看。

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重点单词
  • dealern. 商人,经销商,发牌者,毒品贩子
  • stylishadj. 现代风格的,流行的,潇洒的
  • survivevt. 比 ... 活得长,幸免于难,艰难度过 vi.
  • drivesn. 驱动器;驱动力;驱动程序(drive的复数形式)
  • prestigen. 威望,声望
  • overalladj. 全部的,全体的,一切在内的 adv. 总的来说
  • unscrupulousadj. 肆无忌惮的,不道德的
  • paymentn. 支付,付款,报偿,报应
  • checkn. 检查,支票,账单,制止,阻止物,检验标准,方格图案
  • optionn. 选择权,可选物,优先购买权 v. 给予选择