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2025.10.05 19:40
第八部 第一课: racket , That does it!
- 今天 Larry 和李华在学校的书店裡买书．李华会学到两个常用语： racket 和 That does it!
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- 嘿～，Larry，你不是想买下个学期的课本吗？那还不趁我们在书店赶紧买啦？
- I want to buy them, but these prices are ridiculous! The textbook business is such a racket!
- 你想买书，可是又嫌这些书太贵了呀？你还说这个出版课本的行业怎麼啦？甚麼是 a racket?
- That's right. I said the textbook business is a racket. A "racket" is an unfair criminal business that makes lots of money, like gambling or extortion.
- 哦～，racket 这个词在这裡是指「牟取暴利」，就好比像赌博啊、诈骗一样的非法行為．哦， Larry，那你的意思是这些课本定价过高，就好像是敲诈勒索，有那麼严重吗？
- Absolutely! Look at this! This history book costs $90! The publishers know we have no choice but to buy the book, so (the) prices are really high. What a racket!
- 哎哟，还真是的哎．这本歷史书要卖九十美元，是够贵的．那些出版商啊明明知道我们没别的办法，只能买这些书，所以把价钱啊定这麼高．真的是像敲诈勒索呢．那， Larry，你觉得还有甚麼是 racket 呢？
- I think that cable TV is a racket. There's only one company in town; they are always raising prices, and all the channels worth watching cost extra. It's a racket!
- 对哎！我们这儿啊，只有一家提供有线电视的公司．他们啊老是涨价．可是 Larry，看不看电视啊问题不大．你知道吗 - 有的医院啊还趁人之危，敲诈勒索孕妇呢！
- Really? What do you mean exactly?
- 比方说啊，我听说有的医院让孕妇做一些不必要的检查，收的钱还非常多呢，那些孕妇不懂，就只能听医生的．这真是和诈骗一样。
- Wow, now that's a real racket.
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- Oh man, look at this! $85 for a book of old essays on U.S. Politics? That does it! I'm buying my textbooks online.
- 这本美国政治论文集要卖 85 美元啊？你刚刚说 - "That does it"? 这是甚麼意思？
- Well, when someone says "That does it", he means that he is so upset that he is no longer willing to accept something.
- 哦～，"That does it" 就是说一个人对某件事非常生气，以致到了寧可放弃的地步了．哎，那不就相当於我们中文所说的「得了，算了吧」？Larry，你是说这些课本要价太高，所以你乾脆不在这儿买，你要到因特网 (internet) 上去买啦？
- That's right! If a situation gets so bad that you cannot stand it, you can yell "that does it!", and then do something about the problem.
- 嗯～，要是你实在觉得忍无可忍了，你就可以大声的说： That does it! 哎～，Larry，我啊好像明白这个用法囉，可是你能不能再给我举个例子呢？
- Well, for example, if an employee always comes to work late, one day the boss might say "You're late again? That does it! You're fired!"
- 啊～，这就是我对我表妹说的嘛．她啊每天上班都迟到．我对她说啊，你总有一天老闆会觉得忍无可忍．你的老闆会说：「得了，你今后啊别来上班了」．原来啊在英文裡就可以说："That does it! You're fired!"
- Now you know how to use "That does it!" Why don't you give me an example.
- 有了，Larry，有一天啊你在照镜子的时候你就会对自己说： "That does it! 我啊一定要减肥了！"
- That does it, Li Hua! I told you to stop making fun of my weight.
- 嘿～，别生气嘛，Larry，我是跟你开玩笑的啦！而且啊我发现你最近好像瘦了喔．你是不是在吃甚麼减肥食品啊？
- A special diet? No way! All those diet books and special foods are a racket. I just decided to exercise regularly and eat less junk food.
- 这话我同意，那些减肥书和减肥食品啊都很贵喔，主要啊是為了骗钱，其实啊最重要的就是要锻练身体，少吃零食． Good for you, Larry!
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- 今天李华从 Larry 那儿学到了两个常用语，一个是： racket，意思是「价格太高，就像敲诈勒索一样」．另一个用语是： That does it!，中文裡可以说「得了，不干了！」。
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