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。Christ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 is spelled c-l-u-n-k-e-r, 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。买车还要考虑其他哪些因素呢?我们下次继续听。