現在線上人數 106人
2024.12.09 21:43
第八部 第一課: racket , That does it!
- 今天 Larry 和李華在學校的書店裡買書．李華會學到兩個常用語： racket 和 That does it!
- ………………………………………………………………………………
- 嘿～，Larry，你不是想買下個學期的課本嗎？那還不趁我們在書店趕緊買啦？
- I want to buy them, but these prices are ridiculous! The textbook business is such a racket!
- 你想買書，可是又嫌這些書太貴了呀？你還說這個出版課本的行業怎麼啦？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 這個詞在這裡是指「牟取暴利」，就好比像賭博啊、詐騙一樣的非法行為．哦， Larry，那你的意思是這些課本定價過高，就好像是敲詐勒索，有那麼嚴重嗎？
- 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!
- 哎喲，還真是的哎．這本歷史書要賣九十美元，是夠貴的．那些出版商啊明明知道我們沒別的辦法，只能買這些書，所以把價錢啊定這麼高．真的是像敲詐勒索呢．那， Larry，你覺得還有甚麼是 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!
- 對哎！我們這兒啊，只有一家提供有線電視的公司．他們啊老是漲價．可是 Larry，看不看電視啊問題不大．你知道嗎 - 有的醫院啊還趁人之危，敲詐勒索孕婦呢！
- Really? What do you mean exactly?
- 比方說啊，我聽說有的醫院讓孕婦做一些不必要的檢查，收的錢還非常多呢，那些孕婦不懂，就只能聽醫生的．這真是和詐騙一樣。
- Wow, now that's a real racket.
- ………………………………………………………………………………
- 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.
- 這本美國政治論文集要賣 85 美元啊？你剛剛說 - "That does it"? 這是甚麼意思？
- 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" 就是說一個人對某件事非常生氣，以致到了寧可放棄的地步了．哎，那不就相當於我們中文所說的「得了，算了吧」？Larry，你是說這些課本要價太高，所以你乾脆不在這兒買，你要到因特網 (internet) 上去買啦？
- 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～，要是你實在覺得忍無可忍了，你就可以大聲的說： That does it! 哎～，Larry，我啊好像明白這個用法囉，可是你能不能再給我舉個例子呢？
- 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～，這就是我對我表妹說的嘛．她啊每天上班都遲到．我對她說啊，你總有一天老闆會覺得忍無可忍．你的老闆會說：「得了，你今後啊別來上班了」．原來啊在英文裡就可以說："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，有一天啊你在照鏡子的時候你就會對自己說： "That does it! 我啊一定要減肥了！"
- That does it, Li Hua! I told you to stop making fun of my weight.
- 嘿～，別生氣嘛，Larry，我是跟你開玩笑的啦！而且啊我發現你最近好像瘦了喔．你是不是在吃甚麼減肥食品啊？
- 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.
- 這話我同意，那些減肥書和減肥食品啊都很貴喔，主要啊是為了騙錢，其實啊最重要的就是要鍛練身體，少吃零食． Good for you, Larry!
- ………………………………………………………………………………
- 今天李華從 Larry 那兒學到了兩個常用語，一個是： racket，意思是「價格太高，就像敲詐勒索一樣」．另一個用語是： That does it!，中文裡可以說「得了，不幹了！」。
回上一層