Julia: Hello, can I speak to Mr. Smith? Smith: Yes, speaking. Julia: This is Julia speaking. I'd like to buy a stock. Smith: What stock do you want to buy and how many? Julia: I want to buy 1000 shares of Dubon. Smith: Let me get the asking price of the stock. Just a moment. Oh, now the asking price is $80 each share. By the way, what is the offering price? Julia: Let me see. The offering price is near or at $78. Smith: Then the difference between the asking price and the offering price is $2. It's hard to take place today. Julia: Do you mean that I have to buy at current price? Smith: You can decide by yourself. Julia: I heard that this stock would go up. Hmm, I will take it at current price. Smith: So, now I will buy in. Are you sure? Julia: Yes, please.

　　Notes：

　　1. 对话中Julia经人介绍，找到了股票经纪人史密斯先生。Julia说她想买股票，Smith问她，要买哪一支呢？要买多少呢？What stock do you want to buy and how many?

　　2. Julia说想买1000股的杜邦股票。Share这里的意思是“股，股份”，比如说，$2 of shares are not worth $2.75. 2美元的股份现在值2.75美元，看来是升值了。

　　3. Smith要先查一下现在的卖出价是多少，就是the asking price of the stock。相对的the offering price 就是买进价。现在Julia要买进的股票的卖出价是80美元每股，那Julia能承受的买进价是多少呢？

　　4. 大概在78美元左右。卖出价和买入价的价差是两美元，看来今天是无法成交了。那么只能现价买入了吗？Buy at certain price，意思是“以某种价格购买某物”。take place 这个词组表示“发生，举行”。

　　5. 买还是不买，就看Julia自己决定了。她觉得这支股票的价格会上涨，应该会赚一笔，所以还是决定以现价买入了。这样Smith就帮她买入了，就是buy in。

　　当然，随着网络的发展、证券软件的普及，现在许多股民已经是坐在家里的电脑前炒股了。只要去证券公司开个账号，给电脑装上证券公司的交易软件，就可以在“弹指之间”进行交易了。