Donny在北京学汉语,他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词,就会来请教他。今天是Jimmy要问的:抠门。
Donny: Nice suit, Jimmy! You clean up nicely.
Jimmy: 怎么样?我收拾收拾也挺帅吧!
Donny: You’re going to a business dinner?
JIMMY: 对,我和一个朋友想作生意,要和投资人谈谈。可我那朋友特抠门,上次见投资人时去的麦当劳,还AA制! 对了,抠门怎么说?He’s cheap?
Donny: Yes, you could say that. You could also say he’s a cheapskate. c-h-e-a-p-s-k-a-t-e, cheapskate.
JIMMY: Cheapskate,抠门的人。My friend was such a cheapskate!
Donny:Yeah! I can’t believe that investor’s still interested in working with you after your partner was being so tightfisted!
JIMMY: 哎? 你说 tightfisted? tight是“紧”的意思,fist是拳头,所以tightfisted就是手紧,舍不得花钱喽?
Donny: Correct.
JIMMY: 还好,My tightfisted partner changed his mind. 我那吝啬的朋友想通了,今天,我们要请投资人吃顿大餐!
Donny: That’s nice. But don’t act like spendthrifts. Spendthrift is spelled s-p-e-n-d-t-h-r-i-f-t. It refers to people who spend money like crazy.
JIMMY: 哦! spendthrift 指花钱无度,大手大脚的人。我原来有个室友,He was totally a spendthrift! 他女朋友多得数不过来,每个都向他要特贵的礼物。
Donny: That’s a textbook case of a spendthrift attracting gold diggers!
JIMMY: Gold digger?
Donny: Yes. It refers to a woman whose primary interest in a relationship is material benefits.
JIMMY: 哦,那就是拜金女呗!
Donny: That’s right! Let’s see what you’ve learned today!
JIMMY: 第一,抠门可以说 tightfisted, 小气鬼则是 cheapskate
第二,大手大脚花钱的人是 spendthrift
第三,拜金女是 gold digger.