(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
Many people believe that "money makes the world go around." Others believe that "money buys happiness."
I do not agree with either idea.
But I do admit that money can make people do strange things. Let me tell you about a person I once knew who liked to play card games for money -- he liked to gamble...
A man shuffles cards before he deals a poker game
My friend Bob had a problem because he liked to gamble "at all costs" -- he would play at any time and at any price. To take part in a card game such as poker, my friend would have to "ante up" -- he would have to pay a small amount of money at the beginning of the game.
Bob always played with "cold, hard cash" -- only coins and dollar bills. Sometimes my friend would "clean up" -- he would win a lot of money on one card game. He liked to tell me that one day he would "break the bank." What a feeling it must be to win all of the money at a gambling table!
Other times my friend would simply "break even" -- he neither won nor lost money. But sometimes Bob would "lose his shirt" -- he would lose all the money he had. He "took a beating" at the gambling table. When this happened, my friend would have to "go in the hole" -- he would go into debt and owe people money.
Recently, Bob turned to crime after losing all his money. In his job, he "kept the books" for a small business -- he supervised the records of money earned and spent by the company. Although my friend was usually honest, he decided to "cook the books" -- he illegally changed the financial records of the company. This permitted him to "make a fast buck" -- my friend made some quick, easy money dishonestly.
I never thought Bob would have "sticky fingers" -- he did not seem like a thief who would steal money. But, some people will do anything for love of money.
Bob used the money he stole from his company to gamble again. This time, he "cashed in" -- he made a lot of money. Quickly he was "back on his feet" -- he had returned to good financial health. His company, however, ended up "in the red" -- it lost more money than it earned. The company was no longer profitable.
It did not take long before my friend's dishonesty was discovered. The company investigated and charged him with stealing. Bob tried to "pass the buck" -- he tried to blame someone else for the deficit. His lie did not work, however. He ended up in jail.
Today, I would "bet my bottom dollar" that my friend will never gamble again -- I would bet all I have that he learned his lesson about gambling.
Words and Their Stories, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.
译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.shuffle v. 洗牌；推诿，推卸；拖曳，慢吞吞地走；搅乱
There are various ways of shuffling and dealing the cards.
有各种不同的洗牌和发牌方法。
2.buck n. （美）钱，元；
That would probably cost you about fifty bucks.
那可能会花费你大约五十美元。
3.deficit n. 赤字；不足额
They're ready to cut the federal budget deficit for the next fiscal year.
他们已准备好在下一个财政年度削减联邦预算赤字。
内容解析
1.at all costs 无论如何，不惜任何代价
We are determined to defend our motherland at all costs.
我们决心不惜任何代价保卫祖国。
The women's volleyball team put up a desperate fight to win the world championship at all costs.
女子排球队为赢得世界冠军而不惜一切代价，殊死拼搏。
2.ante up 预下，预付，先押注；(勉强地)付(款)；捐(款)：
How much did they each ante up?
他们每人先下了多少钱作赌注？
When will your younger sister ante up?
你妹妹什么时候付款呀?
3.break even 不赚不赔；并列起跑；打成平手
Taylor's business just managed to break even last month.
上月泰勒的生意不赔不赚。
Whatever you make, you have to sell a certain amount to break even.
不管你做什么，你都要卖出一定数额才能达到收支相抵。
4.cook the books 做假帐
Let's hope he didn't cook the books of the company.
咱们祈祷他没有篡改公司的账本吧。
5.cash in 兑现；收到……货款
You may cash in this cheque at all times and all places.
你可以随时随地把这张支票兑成现金。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故。
许多人相信金钱可以让整个世界转动。其他人则认为金钱可以买到幸福。我不赞同其中任何一个观点。但是，我确实承认，金钱能让人做出荒诞的事情。让我告诉你我曾经认识的一个人的故事。他喜欢玩纸牌游戏来赢钱。他喜欢赌博。
我的朋友存在一个问题，因为他喜欢不惜一切代价(at all costs)来赌博。他不惜在任何事件，以任何价格来赌。为了参加一个纸牌游戏，例如扑克牌，我的朋友必须预付资金(ante up)。他必须在游戏开始前先支付少量资金。
鲍勃通常用硬币来赌。有时他也会赚钱(clean up)，可以在一场纸牌游戏中赢很多钱。他经常告诉我，总有一天，他会把庄家的钱全赢过来(break the bank)。把赌桌上所有的钱都英国来应该是什么样的感觉哦！
其他时候我的朋友一般收支相抵(break even)，不赔不赚。但是有时，他会输的分文不剩(lose his shirt)。他在赌桌上受了打击(took a beating)。这种情况发生时，我的朋友会负债累累(go in the hole)，欠别人很多钱。
最近，输掉所有钱之后，鲍勃开始走上犯罪的道路。他的工作是为一个小公司做帐。他监督者该公司的收支状况。尽管通常情况下我的朋友很诚实，但是这次，他决定造假账(cook the books)。他非法更改了该公司的财务记录。这让我的朋友投机赚了钱(fast buck)，也就是以不诚实的手段很轻易地赚到了钱。
我从来都不认为鲍勃有小偷习惯(have sticky fingers)。他看上去不像是会投钱的贼。但是，有的人为了钱会不惜一切代价。
鲍勃用他从公司偷来的钱再去赌。这次，他捞到了好处(cashed in)，赚了很多钱。很快，他又恢复了原来的状况(back on his feet)，也就是恢复了良好的财政状况。然而，他的公司亏空了(in the red)，赔的比赚的多。公司不再盈利。
不久，朋友的步伐行为被发现。公司经过调查，指控他盗窃。
鲍勃企图推卸责任，试图指责是其他人造成了赤字。然而，他的谎话并未奏效，最终入狱。今天，我敢打赌(bet my bottom dollar)，我的朋友肯定不会再赌博。我敢打赌，他一定从赌博中得到了教训。
这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故，作者是吉尔·莫斯，我是Faith Lapidus。
