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2024.05.17 14:09
第四部 第五课: piece of junk , cheap
- 今天李华到 Michael 家裡借用他的电脑，李华会学到了两个新词：piece of junk 和 cheap。
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- Ok, Li Hua, let me see if I can find that webpage for you.
- 哇！你的电脑上网啊真够慢的，不知道是哪儿出问题了。
- Actually, it's not the Internet connection, it is my computer. Its an old piece of junk and it is very very slow.
- 啊？它是一片什麼啊？你的电脑出什麼问题啦？
- I said it's a "piece of junk". Piece, p-i-e-c-e; of junk. j-u-n-k. A piece of junk is something that is old and broken, or just doesn't work well.
- 哦～，我想起来了，junk 就是你要丢掉的废物，像是旧车胎或破烂的自行车。
- That's right. In fact, I'd say my car is a piece of junk too. It's ten years old, it doesn't start half the time, and pieces are always falling off of it.
- 你的车，才不是一堆破烂呢，你啊，倒是应该好好保养它．我叔叔在中国有辆用了二十多年的旧车，现在还不是走得好好的。
- Well, some older cars are more simple in design, and easier to fix. It』s hard to find parts for my car, and it isn't really worth the cost to fix it.
- 嗯，那倒是．现在好些东西啊，再过几年就变成废物了，就好像我那 「随身听」 一样。
- Your walk-man is a piece of junk? I've had a Sony walk-man for ten years, and it still works well!
- 唉！我的那一台可不行了喔，现在啊一动也不动．有时候还把我的录音带给弄坏了，我真是应该买个新的了。
- Yes, you probably should. If it damages your tapes, it's not worth using.
- 唉！别管我的啦．哎，你的电脑该怎麼办吶？為什麼不去买个新的来呢？像你这样的学生啊，可得有台好电脑才行啊。
- I might. Hey, wait a minute! What would I do with my old piece of junk computer? Maybe give it to a certain friend of mine?
- 嘿嘿．．，我可没那麼说啦，不过要是还能用的话，我倒是很乐於拿走，也许我还可以用它来做功课啊。
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- 哎，Michael, 现在你不想换电脑了是不是？
- Well, I could, but I am also too cheap to spend money to buy a new one.
- 哎，等等，你说你是便宜的？我以為你只能说东西是便宜的，你是不是说你太穷了啊？
- No no, that's not what I mean, even though that is true. When I say that a person is cheap, that means that they always try to avoid spending money, or always buy the least expensive thing they can find.
- 哦～，原来说一个人cheap 就是说他很抠啊．嘿！那我还真得说你是真够 cheap 的了。Michael 啊，你啊就是那种在餐馆裡為了省一两块钱只叫杯白水来当饮料的人。
- What? You are calling me cheap!
- 怎麼了？ 这句话冒犯你了啊？
- Oh, sorry. I should have told you, it is not very nice to call a person cheap. It also means that someone is not generous, or doesn't understand quality.
- 哦～，原来 cheap 还有爱捡便宜的意思，难怪你不喜欢被人说 cheap 喔。
- Anyway, I could say you are cheap, because you always use old things that other people give you. Like your bicycle, or that watch you have.
- 可是，单单因為我不肯花钱，并不表示我就 cheap 啊，我只是个穷学生嘛。
- Yeah, I shouldn't say you are cheap, that's not very nice. My roommate is really cheap, though. Nobody likes to go out to eat with him.
- 真的吗？他怎麼啦？
- Well, if three or four of us order a pizza together, he always adds up exactly how much each person owes. He counts every cent!
- 哇，那他也真是够呛的，算那麼清楚啊。
- And he also never gives a full tip to restaurant waiters. He always gives them a little bit less than he should.
- 他还不肯给服务员该给的小费啊？我想啊我从这傢伙身上瞭解到 cheap 的含义了。
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- 今天李华从 Michael 那儿学到了两个新词． piece of junk 就是指「没用的废物」； cheap 在这裡指「小气、不肯花钱」。
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