迷你对话学地道口语第893期:敲竹杠之地

 A: I need his help. But I don’t know how to ask him.

我需要他的帮助，但是可不知道怎么开口。

B: When you talk to him, be sure to pick the right place and the right mood.

跟他说话的时候，一定要找个合适的场合，还要等他心情好的时候。

A: I though I would treat him to a dinner in a good restaurant, but most of the restaurant nearby are clip¹ joints², you know?

我想可以在高档饭店里请他吃个晚餐，可你知道附近的饭店都是高消费的地方。

B: It’s not the time to pinch pennies. It’s time for you to splurge a bit.

这可不是你该节俭的时候，该花钱的时候还是要花。

clip joint³

1. 解词释义

Clip joint是指“黑店”“高消费的场所” “敲竹杠场所（指酒吧间、商店、夜总会等）”或“高价商店或饭店”。

2. 拓展范例

e.g. A bottle of local beer costs ten dollars at that clip joint.

本地的啤酒在那黑店里卖到十元一瓶。

e.g. Henry clinked off angrily and got drunk at a clip joint.

亨利生气地跑开之后在酒吧间里喝得烂醉。

e.g. The woman said angrily that the store was a clip joint.

那女人生气地说这商店是专门敲顾客竹杠的地方。

1. right mood：心情好

e.g. If I'm in the right mood, I can find the classical music enjoyable.

如果是我心血来潮时，有些古典音乐会使我很陶醉的。

e.g. Will you be in the right mood this Sunday evening?

这个星期日晚上你有这个心情吗？

2. treat him to a dinner：请某人吃晚餐

e.g. One day a woman wrote to her doctor to treat him to a dinner at a clip joint.

一天，一个女人给医生写信给她的医生，请他到一家高价酒店共进晚餐。

e.g. I met with him at the bus stop and together because John would treat me to dinner at a restaurant.

我在公共汽车站跟他碰头，因为John请我在一家酒店吃晚餐。

3. pinch pennies：精打细算

e.g. A lot of working women in this country are single and have children and have to pinch their pennies to make ends meet.

许多在职的美国妇女都是单身并有孩子，生活常常捉襟见肘。

e.g. We'll have to spend money when necessary. Don't try to pinch pennies all the time.

该花钱时我们还是得花。别总是精打细算。

4. splurge：挥霍金钱，无节制地花钱

语法用法： ~ (sth) (on sth)

典型范例：She won 100 and then splurged it all on new clothes.

她赢了100英镑, 都挥霍在买新衣服上了。

1 clip   

n.夹子，别针，弹夹，片断；vt.夹住，修剪

参考例句：

• May I clip out the report on my performance?我能把报道我的文章剪下来吗？
• She fastened the papers together with a paper clip.她用曲别针把文件别在一起。

2 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。