CRI实用英语课堂 Unit 43 At a Movie Rental Store II 在美国租影碟（下）

Part 1 Ken 1 is Working at Movie Time  Ken在电影时光的工作

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1 

Susan: Hi! I wanted to check and see if you had Babe.
Ken: Part one or two?
Susan: One. I was wondering if you could hold it for me until tonight.
Ken: Sure. We're expecting it in today. I'll hold it for you until eleven P.M. Should I call when it comes in?
Susan: Thanks. My name is Susan. My phone number is 3560-4409.
Ken: Great. Call you later.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Susan打电话来问现在店里是否还有电影Babe的带子出租。Babe是以一只名叫“宝贝”的猪为主角的系列电影，第一集的英文片名是Babe，拍摄于1995年，中文的译名是《我不笨，所以我有话说》；第二集是Babe: Pig in the City 《我很乖，因为我要出国》，拍摄于1998年。

2. 所以Ken问Susan是要租第一集还是第二集，Part one or two? Susan说是第一集，她想请Ken帮她保留到今晚。I was wondering if...，这个表达方式的意思是“我在想可不可以…”，在客气的询问的时候使用。hold something for someone，表示“替某人保留某物”，可不是替某人拿着某物。

3. Ken回答说没有问题，因为今天会有人来还这部片子。We're expecting it in today. 也可以说成We're expecting it to come in today. Ken会帮Susan把这部片子留到晚上十一点，并且片子回来之后，Ken还会给 Susan打电话。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 2 

Ken: Ms Lily White?
Lily: Yes, speaking.
Ken: This is Ken from Movietime. You have an overdue 2 video.
Lily: Oh, yeah. Sorry, I've been so busy...
Ken: We'd appreciate it if you could come in and pay the late fee.
Lily: Sure. No problem.
Ken: It's one of our top videos, so we really need it back. Thanks.

讲解：  

1. 对话中Ken打电话给Lily，催她交租影碟的过期费用。Ken打电话过去，Ms Lily White?是Lily White小姐吗？Lily接电话的时候说，Yes, speaking. 我是，请说。这句话看起来简单，不过蕴含了无穷的变化，电话那头的人说May I speak to ... please? ，这时要回答简单的一句 “我就是”，可千万别受中文的影响，一定要说成“This is ... speaking.”如果你还想偷懒，就可以学对话里的人说，Yes, speaking. 我是，请说。

2. Ken告诉Lily，她有一盒录影带过期了。overdue的意思就是“逾期的，过期的”。Lily在电话里道歉，说最近太忙了。Ken打断了她，请她过来交逾期的费用。Lily满口答应说没问题。Ken又解释说，It's one of our top videos, so we really need it back. 这是我们最受欢迎的录影带之一，所以我们急着拿回来。消费者租电影看，一般都是以“卖座影片”a big hit为首选。

3. 如果是打破票房纪录的影片，break box office records那就更美了。而录影带店里也常有自己的“排行榜”，chart，也是消费者租片的重要参考之一。比如说，---Is this movie any good? ---Our chart says it's one of our top ten rentals 4. ---这部片子好看吗？---我们的排行榜上显示，这部片子是出租的前十名。再比如，---Are there any good movies out? ---Garfield was a big hit in theaters. ---新片有什么好看的吗？---《加菲猫》当时在影院很卖座。

Part 2 Ken's Got a Bad Day. Ken糟糕的一天 

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1 

Ken: Hi! What can I do for you? 
Lily: I need to pay my late fee.
Ken: Could I have your membership 5 card, please?
Lily: How much is it?
Ken: You rented Star Wars --- two months ago! You owe 29.5 yuan! And here it shows that we called you seven times to remind you.
Lily: You know, with the economy and all...what do you say we just forget about forget about it?

讲解：

1. 对话中，Lily来到Movietime交逾期的费用，不过好像进行的并不顺利。late fee是指所需缴纳的“逾期费用，过期费用”，比如说，---You have a late fee on your last rental 3. ---Really? I thought I brought it back early. ---你得交上次租的片子的逾期费。---真的吗？我还以为我早就还了呢。

2. 有的时候“deadline”最后期限到了，但是片子还没有看，就要开始盘算是晚还划算呢，还是再租一次划算。比如说，---This video's already late. I'll keep it one more day, watch it, and then pay the late fees. ---Yep, that would be cheaper than renting it twice. ---这盒录影带已经过期了。我会多租一天付逾期费来看。---那会比再租一次便宜。

3. 当然有时候租了一部好片子，朋友们知道了可能会来向借，但是如果因为这样片子过期的话，是谁的责任可要事先讲明，比如说，---C'mon, Ann. I really want to see this film. ---OK, I'll lend it to you, but you have to pay the fees if it's late. ---别这样，Ann，我真的很想看这部片子。---好吧，我就借给你，但是如果过期了，你得交过期费。

4. Ken先看了看Lily的会员卡，Lily问得交多少逾期费。由于Lily租的是Star Wars《星球大战》这样的热门影片，而且是两个月前租的，过期费应该是很多了，一共29块5毛钱。电脑记录上显示电影时光的店员打过7次电话去提醒Lily。

5. Lily还在找借口，You know, with the economy and all...你也知道经济啊什么的最近的状况。all that表示“…之类”。相信大家都学过...and so on，在举例子的时候表示“…等等”的意思，而在口语中也有一个因为偷懒而不想把全部例子都举出来的好用短语，就是...and all that，意思就和...and things like that. 一样。比如说，---You want me to send you more money? ---Books and all that cost money. Maybe I should just get a job. ---你要我再给你寄些钱？---买书之类的东西都要花钱。也许我干脆去找个工作算了。Lily劝Ken就当没有这回事，what do you say...?这个表达方式可以用来询问某人的意见。比如说，What do you say we go out for a drink? 我们出去喝一杯如何？

6. forget about sb or sth 表示“忘掉或不再想某人某物，不把某人某物放在心上”，比如说，Let's forget about our differences. 咱们不要把彼此的分歧放在心上。Try to forget all about him. 别再想他了。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 2  

Ken: I'm sorry, ma'am. No bargaining on late fees.
Lily: The video store near my house wouldn't charge me.
Ken: Out company policy is different. If it's late, you pay the late fee.
Lily: That's lame 6. It's not like I'm not returning it. And I give you lots of business!
Ken: We do appreciate your business, but we must consider the other customers, too. You'll have to pay in full.

讲解：

1. 在上一段对话中，Lily想让Ken就当没有这回事，别收她的逾期费用。但是Ken却不买帐，还是让Lily如数缴纳过期费用。bargaining 这里是动名词，表示“讨价还价”。

2. Lily还在狡辩，她说她家附近的录影带店就不会收她的逾期费用。charge这个词可以作动词，也可以作名词。在对话中作为动词，表示“收费，收钱”。比如说，---How much do you charge per movie? ---New releases 7 are eight yuan, and all others are six yuan. ---一部电影你们收费多少？---新片是8元，其他都是6元。

3. 而charge 作名词用时，也有“费用”的意思，比如说，cover charge就是指“入场最低消费”，比如说，---What's the cover charge for this bar? ---Thirty yuan. That includes one free drink. ---这家酒吧的入场最低消费是多少？---三十元。那还包括一杯免费的饮料。be in charge，也是charge作为名词的时候常见的用法，意思是“主事，负责”，比如说，---Who's in charge here? ---That would be Mr. Andrews. ---这里谁负责？---安德鲁先生。

4. Ken解释说，公司的政策不一样，收费当然会不一样，这不是不交费的理由。在电影时光，片子过期了就一定要交逾期费，没有例外。Lily觉得这个政策很烂，That's lame. 这里lame是一个俚语，表示“蹩脚的，烂的，糟糕的”，比如说，That was a lame excuse. 这个理由很蹩脚，叫人无法相信。

5. Lily说她又不是不还，只是晚了一点，而且她还是Movietime的大主顾。It's not like...这个句型后面接一个完整的句子表达“又不是…”的意思，使用的情景是当你不同意对方所说的话，借着It's not like...作开头语，表达自己的想法。比如说，---I can't believe there's no basketball on TV tonight. ---It's not like it's the end of the world. You watched games every night this week. ---真不敢相信今晚电视上没有篮球比赛。---这又不是世界末日，你这个星期每晚都在看篮球。

6. Ken说虽然他很感谢Lily的惠顾，但是也得考虑其他顾客的利益，Lily还是要付全额的逾期费用，in full 这个词组表示“全面地，全部地”，比如说，Please write your name in full. 请写出你的全名。

Dialogue Script 3  对话原文 3

Lily: Well, the video had a problem! That's your fault.
Ken: If it had problem, you should've brought it in or called. Then we would have taken responsibility. But we have no record of any such call.
Lily: Then I'll rent my movies somewhere else!
Ken: It's up to you, ma'am. But I'll have to cancel your card and deny you future rental service if you don't pay.
Lily: Fine!

讲解：

1. 对话中Lily还在为不交逾期费用找借口，她说，Movietime租给她的录影带有问题，不是她的错。Ken说如果录影带有问题，Lily应该带过来换或者打电话来说明情况，可是Lily并没有打电话来，这就不是Movietime的责任了。

2. Ken说的话都是虚拟语气的句子。Lily看这个借口也行不通，就使出了最后一道杀手锏，说以后不到Movietime来租录影带了，要去别的地方了。可是Ken还是不为所动，说，It's up to you. 您请便。这是一个大家很熟悉的短语了。

3. 如果Lily还是不付钱的话，Ken就要停掉她的会员卡，以后这里也不提供您租片的服务。deny sb sth，这个短语表示“拒不给与某人某物”，比如说，He denies himself nothing. 他对自己极为放纵。She was mad at being denied the opportunity to see her father. 因为不准她见父亲，她非常生气。

4. Lily的态度也很强硬，她说Fine! 就是“无所谓”的意思。