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流行美语 第 64 课

2007-03-21来源:

今天李华和Michael 在讨论做生意的事。李华会学到两个常用语:to make a killing
和to break even..

M: Li Hua, what are you looking at on the Internet?
L: 噢,我想在网上买个做豆腐的机器。我和一个朋友想做了豆腐周末拿到农民集
市上去卖。你说有人会买吗?
M: Of course people would buy your tofu! You'd make a killing!
L: Make a killing? 做豆腐和杀人有什么关系?
M: No, I said you'd "make a killing". "To make a killing" means to earn a lot of money
quickly through some kind of lu.mp3tive business.
L: 唷,to make a killing 就是通过做生意赚了许多钱! Michael, 这么说,你认为
我们这个生意能做得成,是吗?我不知道美国人是不是爱吃豆腐呐。
M: Of course! A lot of people who don't eat meat, or who want to eat healthy foods eat
tofu. Also, there are a lot of Chinese in this part of town. I'm sure you'll make a killing.
L: 对,好多美国人现在健康意识很强,不吃肉,爱吃豆制品。Michael, 你说得没
错,这一带中国人也很多,肯定有人会买新鲜豆腐的。Michael, 你能不能再给我
举一个例子呀?
M: Well, for instance, my uncle Roger made a killing in real estate. A few years ago, he
bought a lot of land and then rich people started building houses in the area, and he
made a lot of money.
L: 你叔叔几年前买了好多地,然后有钱人在这些地上盖房子,所以他就通过房地
产生意赚了好多钱!他可真有远见呐!
M: You can also say to make a killing in the stock market, in the ins.mp3nce business or
even in the tofu business!
L: 噢,to make a killing in the stock market 就是通过买卖股票赚了好多钱,in the
ins.mp3nce business 就是保险业。可是,我想靠卖豆腐大概不会make a killing --赚不
了太多钱。
* *****
M: Don't worry about losing money, Li Hua. At the very least, you will break even.
L: 你说我至少会什么?break even?
M: "To break even" means to neither lose nor gain money. If you do some business and
are able to cover the costs of the business, but don't make a profit, you are breaking
even.
L: 噢,那就是既不赚钱,也不亏本。做豆腐的机器不是太贵,所以,你说得对,
要做到收支相抵,也就是break even, 应该不会有问题。
M: Even if you don't earn a lot of money, if you break even you lose nothing, plus you
get to enjoy lots of fresh tofu.
L: 唷,你倒想得好,不赚不赔没什么损失,还能吃好多新鲜豆腐!你不就是想不
出钱白吃豆腐嘛!对不对?
M: What? I don't care that much about tofu. Stop being silly and use this p.mp3se in a
sentence.
L: 嗯...有了。我和我的朋友Regina 上星期第一次去大西洋赌城玩。开始我们各自
出了50 美元,可是不到一小时全输光了。后来我们两人各出10 美元,合在一起,
结果终于把100 美元又赚了回来。所以,In the end, we broke even.
M: (Sarcastically) Wow. $50. Good thing you were able to break even, or you'd have to
sleep in a cardboard box on the sidewalk.
L: Michael, 别小看人哪!输了50 美元,我就得睡在马路上的纸箱里呀?哎,不
过,说实话,50 美元是不少钱,我本来就不该去赌钱。

今天李华学到两个常用语,一个是:to make a killing, 意思是做生意在短期内赚了
很多钱。另一个是:to break even, 意思是做生意没有亏本,也没有赚钱。