流行美语 第 28 课

今天是星期六，Michael 和李华到购物中心去买东西。李华喜欢买衣服，Michael
喜欢看电脑, 所以他们决定各自先去买东西，然后中午在吃饭的地方碰头。今天
李华会学到两个常用语：to rip¹ off 和straight answer。

L: 嗨，Michael, 在这儿！
M: Hi, Li Hua! Hey, what did you buy?
L: 今天我真高兴，你看，买了那么多衣服才花了我七十五美元。那 店要关门了，
东西全都半价。Michael, 你买了什么？
M: I bought a pair of tennis shoes. When I bought them, I thought it was a good deal,
but later I saw the same pair at another store for much less. I got ripped² off.
L: 你买了一双网球鞋。让我看看。挺好的嘛！Michael, 你刚才说的 最后一句话
我没有听懂，什么是got ripped off? 是不是上当受骗的 意思？
M: Yes, to be ripped off means³ to be cheated.
L: 你看，我还猜对了。Michael, 你为什么不把买的网球鞋去退掉，再到便宜的店
去买呢？
M: I wanted to do that, but when I went back to the first store, I saw a sign that said
"All Sales are Final". So, I guess there's nothing I can really do about it.
L: 哟，还不让退货，这可真倒霉。那你买鞋的时候怎么没看见不让 退货的牌子
呢？
M: I was just too eager to buy these shoes. If you buy something and then find out that
it is of poor quality, you can also say you were ripped off.
L: 噢，买了东西后发现质量很差也可以说to be riffed off。对了，我上 个月从网
上买了一部DVD 电影，可是我在看电影的时候好几次都卡住 了，害得我连结尾
都没看上。
M: I guess I'm not the only one who got ripped off.
L: 买东西真是要小心。得了，我们去买饭吧！
(Michael 和李华吃完饭以后)
L: 时间不早了，该回去了。搭地铁去吧！
M: Sure! That was fun, Li Hua, but I have to stop spending so much money.
L: 我也不该花那么多钱。嗨，Michael, 你不是申请去一个公司实习，他们会付你
一些工资的吗？那他们有没有决定要雇用你啊？
M: No, they just keep telling me that they will let me know soon. I wish the company
would just give me a straight answer.
L: Straight answer? 是什么意思啊？
M: Well, if you are looking for a straight answer, that means you want someone to give
you a direct⁴ answer and tell you the truth.
L: 噢，straight answer 就是直接了当，或者是实事求是的回答。
M: That's right. For instance⁵, I could see that my last roommate was unhappy living in
our apartment, I asked him why, but I could never get him to give me a straight answer.
L: 为什么你以前同宿舍的人既不高兴和你住在一起可是又不告诉你 真正的原因
呢？后来他不是搬出去了吗？
M: Yes, he did give me a straight answer after he moved out. It turned out he wanted to
move in with his girlfriend.
L: 他搬出去以后才老实地告诉你他是要搬去和女朋友一起住。我 还以为他不喜
欢你把屋子弄得乱糟糟的呢。
M: Li Hua, I think you are the only one who is bothered by that. Well, this is our stop.
Do you still want to come over to my messy⁶ apartment? Give me a straight answer.
L: 我才不信只有我一个人批评你把屋子弄得乱七八糟。不管你家乱 不乱，我当
然得去呀，我的书还在你哪里嘛！

今天李华学到两个常用语，一个是：to rip off，意思是受骗，上当；另一个是：straight
answer，意思是坦率，老实的回答。这次[流行美语]就到此结束，我们下次再见。

1 rip   

n.拉裂，破绽，激流，浪荡子；vt.撕裂，激昂地说，贬损；vi.裂开，仓促地冲过...

参考例句：

• He had seen the rip in the book.他看到了书里的裂缝。
• I tried not to rip the paper as I unwrapped it.我把纸打开的时候，尽量不把它撕破。

2 ripped   

adj. <美俚>喝醉的，受毒品麻醉的 动词rip的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He had ripped up the carpet, leaving only the bare boards. 他用力扯去了地毯，只剩下裸露的地板。
• I ripped my jeans on the fence. 我的牛仔裤在栅栏上划破了。

3 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

4 direct   

adj.直接的；直达的；v.指挥；知道；监督；管理

参考例句：

• This train is direct,you do not have to change.这辆火车是直达的，你不必换车。
• The army is under the king's direct command.军队由国王直接统帅。

5 instance   

n.例，例证，实例

参考例句：

• Can you quote me a recent instance?你能给我举一个最近的例子吗？
• He's a greedy boy,yesterday,for instance,he ate all our biscuits!他是个贪吃的孩子――比如，他昨天把我们的饼干都吃了！

6 messy   

adj.散乱的，污秽的，麻烦的

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She found herself in a messy spot.她发现自己陷入了窘境。