CRI实用英语课堂 Unit 58 How to Use a Credit Card 使用信用卡

Part 1 Tina's Money Woes  Tina的金钱危机 

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1 

Jason: Whoa! That's a lot of bags! Let me help you.
Tina: Thanks. Macy's had a sale I couldn't miss out on.
Jason: So this is how you're spending your days now that you're unemployed 1. Any luck finding a new job?
Tina: None. I even went to a fortuneteller to find out what's wrong.
Jason: Let me guess...he told you to buy a new outfit 2?
Tina: No, he said my nose is too flat, so bosses don't think I'm trustworthy.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Tina在疯狂的购物，虽然她现在还没有找到工作，不过她好像一点也不着急。标题Tina's Money Woes当中的woe这个词，经常用它的复述形式，表示“灾难，悲痛的事”。Tina's Money Woes就可以翻译成“Tina的金钱危机”或者“Tina的金钱烦恼”。Tina正在Macy百货购物，大家都知道了，Macy，梅西百货，是美国最著名的百货公司，总店在纽约的第三十四街与第六、七大道之间。

2. Macy百货正在大减价，Tina当然不能错过这次机会了，have a sale 或者be on sale都表示“商品促销，大减价”。miss out on sth就表示“错失了…，错过了…”。也可以单用miss out，表示“失去获得利益或者获得乐趣的机会”，比如说，If I don't go to the party, I feel I'm missing out. 要是不去参加派对的话，我一定觉得损失很大。

3. 原来这就是Tina消磨失业日子的方法。unemployed就是“失业的，没有工作的”。Jason还问Tina新工作找得怎么样了。luck在这里表示“好运，幸运”，比如说，I hope this charm 3 will bring you luck. 希望这个护身符能给你带来好运气。Any luck with the job? 找工作的事运气好吗？就是在问“ 工作的事情怎样了？”

4. Tina的新工作没有什么进展，她甚至去问过算命先生到底是哪里出了问题。fortuneteller就是指那种“会算命、会看相的人”。那我们从这个词就可以推断出tell one's fortune就是“给某人算命”的意思。比如说，At the fair a gypsy told me my fortune. 有个吉卜赛人在游乐场给我算了命。看来Tina还挺迷信的。

5. Jason开玩笑地说，难道这个算命的让你去买一身新衣服？因为他看到Tina在大肆购物。outfit指“一套衣服”，特别是那种用于特殊场合的成套衣服。比如说，She bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding. 她为女儿买了一套婚礼新装。算命的说Tina的鼻子太塌了，老板会觉得她不可靠。trustworthy，就是指“值得信任的，可靠的”。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 2 

Jason: You actually believe in fortunetellers?
Tina: Of course. Anyway, I'm seeing my plastic surgeon, Doctor Dave, on Friday.
Jason: This is, like, your third operation in the last few months. How do you pay for it all?
Tina: Where there's a credit card, there's a way.
Jason: But credit cards still have to be paid off. And with no job...
Tina: You sound like my big sister. Once I get a job, I'll pay them off.
Jason: Credit cards are really dangerous. They offer you really low introductory interest rates.
Tina: I know. I love that! I've got one at zero percent and two at seven!
Jason: But, those will go up. Most credit card rates are around fifteen to eighteen percent.
Tina: So I'll have to pay a little more in the long run.
Jason: Try a lot more. Most of your monthly bills are paying off interest and not what you bought.
Tina: But they're so easy to use. C'mon, dinner at the mall, my treat!

讲解：

1. Jason不敢相信Tina居然会相信算命的说的话。Tina说当然了，宁可信其有，不可信其无嘛，所以她决定星期五就找整形医生，Doctor Dave，戴维医生。plastic surgeon， 就是指“整形医生”。Jason说这应该是Tina这几个月来的第三次手术，她哪来的钱付账啊？

2. Jason是这样说的，This is, like, your third operation in the last few months.这里面的like 可不是动词，而是一个语气助词，经常被现在的年轻人用来在说话的时候加强语气使用，其实并没有什么实际的意义。pay for it all表示“付清所有的帐”。

3. Tina可不担心，她说，Where there's a credit card, there's a way.大家听到这句话一定会觉得耳熟，没错，这句话就是从Where there's a will, there's a way. 有志者事竟成。这句话变化而来的。Tina在这里玩了一个文字游戏。她故意把这个英文谚语Where there's a will, there's a way.当中的will说成了credit card。她是在说，只要有信用卡，什么事情都能办到。我们用一个对话来作例子，---How did you ever manage to read the whole book in one day? ---Where there's a will, there's a way. ---在一天内看完一整本书，你是怎么做到的？---有志者事竟成。Jason说，即使可以刷卡，可是到最后还是要还清的，而且Tina现在也没有工作，该怎么办呢？

4. pay off 就是“偿还，付清”的意思。Tina觉得Jason很罗嗦，就跟她的大姐似的，总是唠叨她。只要Tina一找到工作，就会想办法付清的。Jason继续说，用信用卡还是挺危险的，一开始收的利率很低。introductory 的意思是“开始的，初步的”，比如我们可以说introductory chapter绪论篇。The dean 4 made a few introductory remarks before the lecture. 系主任在讲课前讲了几句开场白。

5. Tina说她当然知道了，觉得这样很好，她就有一张零利率的和两张利率百分之七的。虽然信用卡的起始利率很低，但是利率后来都会变高。But, those will go up. those就是指“interest rates”。大部分信用卡的利率是百分之十五到十八之间。Tina觉得这没什么，最后大不了多付一点利息嘛。in the long run就是指“到头来，终究，结果，长期看来”。

6. Jason说，可不止一点吧。Try a lot more. 这里try...就是“我看（实际情况）是…”的意思。因为Tina说她只要多付“一点点”a little more，于是Jason顺着这句话，要Tina看清现实，其实她要支付的利息是“多很多”a lot more。所以当对方说的话有自欺欺人的倾向，你就可以用try这个单词，后面接上实际情况，告诉他面对现实吧。举个例子，---It's going to take a long time to finish this building. ---Yeah, try ten years. ---要完成这栋大楼需要很长的时间。---是呀，我看得十年吧。

7. Jason告诉Tina，你每月要付的账单几乎都是利息，而不是你买的东西。但是Tina说刷卡刷的真的很爽，很顺手。

8. 看来Jason是无法说服Tina了，最后还被她拉去吃午餐，Tina说她请客，当然又是刷卡了。my treat 的意思就是“我请客”。

Dialogue Script 3  对话原文 3 

Tina: Oh, that makes me so mad! I could just scream!
Jason: I've never actually seen a salesperson 5 cut up someone's credit card before.
Tina: Well, that's the fourth time it's happened to me this year.
Jason: Four cards? How many do you have anyway?
Tina: Just five. Oh, that dress would look great on me.
Jason: Don't you think it's time you stopped your compulsive buying?
Tina: No, I think it's time to break in my last card. Live a little!
Jason: Five cards. You must be up to your ears in debt! Can't your parents help you out?
Tina: They're taking care of the eight other cards I ran up during college.
Jason: Girl, you're going to be paying off credit cards till the day you die!
Tina: Everything will be fine. Once I get my nose done...
Jason: ...you can get a job and start paying.
Tina: And buy a new wardrobe to show off my new nose!
Jason: You're hopeless!

讲解：

1. 对话中，Tina的信用卡被店员剪掉了，因为她的卡已经刷爆了。这让Tina很生气，真想大喊大叫。Jason以前还真没有见过谁的卡被剪掉呢。

2. 不过这已经是Tina今年第四次被剪卡了。Jason很吃惊，被剪了四张卡了，那么Tina到底有几张卡呢？Tina说只有5张而已。这时她又看见了一条裙子，觉得自己穿上一定会很好看。

3. Jason劝Tina说，你不觉得应该控制一下你的购买冲动了吗？compulsive的意思是“冲动的，无法控制的”，那么compulsive buying就是“冲动购买欲望”的意思。

4. Tina觉得没有必要停止购物阿，还有最后一张卡可以刷，I think it's time to break in my last card. break in 在这里表示“开始使用某物”。

5. Tina的理由是，Live a little!就是“尽情享乐”的意思。Live a little!和Live it up!的意思一样，都是要人“及时行乐”，我们还可以潇洒一点说，“人生得意需尽欢”。当某人对于眼前的事物畏首畏尾，迟迟不敢行动的时候，你就可以用这句话来鼓励他，要他勇于尝试。我们用一个对话来作例子，---I don't think I want to go on this roller coaster ride! ---Aw, c'mon, live a little! ---我并不想去玩云霄飞车！---哦，别这样，人生苦短，及时行乐。这句话呢也可以用来劝说别人花钱买东西。比如说，---I really shouldn't buy all three dresses. They cost too much. ---Sarah, you just need to learn to live a little. ---我真的不该三件都买，太贵了。---Sarah，你就是应该学习享受人生。

6. Jason还是在为Tina担心，Five cards. You must be up to your ears in debt!五张卡，你铁定债台高筑了！be up to one's ears /elbows/eyes in sth表示“某人陷于...之中”。up to one's ears 是指某人非常忙碌，深陷于某事之中，比如说工作太忙，要事缠身；或者是债务缠身，都可以用这个短语来表示。你还可以把ears换成elbows或eyes都是指“埋头于...深陷于...”的意思。我们还是用对话来作例子，---Why don't you ever call me any more? ---I never have time. I'm up to my ears in work. ---你为什么连电话都不给我打了？---我没时间，工作太忙。还有，---Carol has been receiving many phone calls lately. ---She's up to her elbows in suitors. ---Carol最近接到了好多电话。---她的追求者太多了。

7. 难道Tina的父母不能帮她还一些债务吗？看来是不行了，因为他们正在帮Tina还大学时刷的其他八张卡呢。这里run up就表示“积累庞大的消费金额”。Jason为她担心，估计Tina这辈子得一直还信用卡的钱了！

8. 但是Tina一点都不担心，Everything will be fine. 船到桥头自然直。只要把鼻子整好就好了。get one's nose done 是指“某人去做鼻子整形手术”，也可以说have one's nose done。如果要表示其他部位的整形手术，就把nose换成相应部位的就行了。这里还有一个更简单的说法，就是整形的器官加上job这个词，比如“鼻子整形手术”我们就可以说nose job。

9. 等Tina把鼻子整好了，就可以找到工作赚钱还债，还要买一整柜的新衣服来秀她的新鼻子。这里的a new wardrobe是指“一柜的新衣服”，而不是“一个新的衣橱”，大家要注意了。

10. show off 就是“炫耀，展示”的意思，带点贬义在里面。Jason不知道说什么好了，她说Tina已经无药可救了。You're hopeless!

Dialogue Script 4  对话原文 4 

Clerk: How did you want to pay?
Tina: Here's my card.
Clerk: I'll just run this through. (after a minute) Um, do you have another card? You've exceeded your limit on this one.
Tina: No, that's my last one. Oh my gosh, what can I do? I can't pay you.
Clerk: No cash? We'll give you a time extension to pay. Have you thought of asking the bank for a loan?
Tina: A loan? That's a great idea. I'll go to the bank right away.
（An hour later）
Rep: So, Ms. Lee. You'd like to apply for one of our loans.
Tina: I'd even take two if you could swing that.
Rep: Um, I'm afraid not. You listed here that you're unemployed.
Tina: Yes. But I'm looking.
Rep: Hmm, your current credit cards are all at their limits. I'm afraid we can't approve your loan.
Tina: But, if I had a job...
Rep: We would certainly reconsider your application. Good day.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Tina做完了鼻子的整形手术，在柜台用信用卡付帐。run the card through 就是指“刷卡”。但是Tina的这张卡已经超出额度了，exceed the limit。limit就是指“信用卡的额度”。

2. 可是这是Tina的最后一张卡了，她没办法付钱了，身上又没有带现金。这时她可是真的发慌了。店员只好说我们会给你一段时间延期付款。extension 就是指“延期，延长时间”。

3. 店员还提醒Tina可以考虑向银行贷款，这下可是一语惊醒梦中人，Tina觉得这是一个好主意，马上就去银行贷款。银行职员问她是不是要申请一份贷款，Tina还开玩笑地说，I'd even take two if you could swing that. 如果你能通融的话，我还想申请两份呢。

4. swing这个词在这里表示“获得或者实现某事物”，特别指通过不正当的手段达到目的。比如说，Can you swing it for me so that I get the job? 你能走后门替我谋到那份工作吗？She managed to swing an interview with the President. 她设法采访到了总统。

5. 这当然是不可能的了。银行职员注意到Tina在申请单上写的是目前失业，而且目前所有信用卡的额度都满了，恐怕无法核准Tina的贷款。如果Tina重新找到工作的话，他们还可能考虑重新审核Tina的申请。

Part 2 Tina's New Job Tina的新工作

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1 

Jason: Hello, I'm looking for Tina Lee. She's just started working here.
Tina: Jason, it's me!
Jason: Tina? I came to take you out to lunch to celebrate your new job, but...
Tina: (Takes off bear head) Hey, I get free meals.
Jason: But you've got an MBA. You can do so much better than this.
Tina: No one wanted me. I put out twenty resumes 6 and had ten interviews. This was my last resort. It's kinda fun, don't you think?
Jason: I guess so, but a dancing bear?
Tina: Hey, they hired me. They didn't care about my looks since I wear the costume.
Jason: You've gotten your nose, eyes, and mouth done. What's wrong with your looks?
Tina: The fortuneteller says my ears stick out too far. People think I'm nosey.
Jason: I have a staple 7 gun. I can staple them to your head.
Tina: You're not making this any easier.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Tina终于在游乐场找到了一份工作，这天Jason来Tina新的工作地点找她吃午饭。他问一只会跳舞的熊有没有看见Tina，谁知这只会跳舞的熊就是Tina扮的。这很让Jason吃惊。

2. Tina在这里工作午餐是免费的。但是Jason不明白，Tina有MBA学位，她完全可以找到更好的工作，为什么会来扮演一只会跳舞的熊呢？You can do so much better than this. 你完全可以做得更好。这句话是用来鼓励别人，让人对自己更有信心，明白自己的能力其实比所表现的更好，千万不要妄自菲薄，如果对方表现实在太差，你也可以用这句话来表示对他的失望。比如说，---I'm really disappointed, Tom. You can do so much better than this. ---Who cares! School sucks! ---Tom，我真的很失望，你在学校的表现不应该这么差。---管他呢！学校烂透了！

3. 为什么Tina会到游乐场来工作呢，因为没有人要用她，她递了20份简历出去，面试了10次，这是最后一条路了，不过这还是挺好玩的。但是Jason总觉得Tina干这份工作太屈才了。但是Tina觉得没什么，不管怎么说，因为穿着跳舞熊的服装，所以没有人会在意她的容貌了。

4. Jason就不明白了，Tina的鼻子，眼睛和嘴巴都已经整过形了，外表还会有什么不好吗？原来算命的告诉Tina有一对招风耳，别人会觉得她好管闲事。nosey的意思就是“好管闲事的，过分好奇的”，通常是作贬义词，比如说，I've always found her unbearably 8 nosey. 我发觉她总爱管闲事让人受不了。

5. Jason开玩笑说，他有订书机，可以帮Tina把那一对招风耳订在头上，就不会支出来了。staple gun就是“订书机”，还可以说stapler。Tina说，You're not making this any easier. 你说这些也没有用，也于事无补。当别人的建议或协助无法解决任何问题，你也可以用这句话来回应，告诉他不但于事无补，反而可能越帮越忙。我们来举例子，---Is our project finished yet? ---Nope. And you're not making it any easier by sitting there on your butt 9. ---我们的案子好了没？---没有，你光坐在那里也帮不上什么忙。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 2 

Tina: Besides, this job is just temporary.
Jason: Until you get out of debt hill?
Tina: Nope! Until I fly home to China for the holidays! My friends will be shocked when they see the new me!
Jason: Hold on, where's the money for the flight going to come from?
Tina: I don't have to pay. I've got mileage 10 for like four free flights.
Jason: Does your mom work for the airlines?
Tina: Nope. I racked up all the miles by buying things with my credit card.
Jason: I pity the guy who marries you and get your financial problems. You really are hopeless.

讲解：

1. Tina说这份工作只是暂时的，不是长久之计。Jason问是不是要做到还清全部债款为止呢？当然不是了，Tina要做到能飞回中国过节为止。她在中国的朋友看见一个焕然一新的Tina，一定会下一跳的。

2. 当然了，她整张脸已经整形了，肯定认不出来了。Jason说，等等，先别得意，飞回中国的机票钱从哪里来呢。原来Tina根本不用付钱，因为她所积攒的里程数大概可以免费飞四趟吧。

3. mileage 就是指“里程，里数”，比如我们可以说a used car with a low/high mileage，意思是“行驶里数少/多的旧车”。Jason不明白，难道Tina的妈妈在航空公司工作，所以她能够得到这样的优惠？其实不是，实际上这些里程数都是Tina用信用卡消费累积的。

4. 这时的Jason已经无话可说了，他说很同情那个会娶你，还要解决你财物问题的男人，Tina真的是没救了。pity 在这里作动词，表示“同情某人，怜悯某人”。比如说，Pity the poor sailors at the sea in this storm! 可怜可怜在这场暴风雨中还在海上航行的那些水手吧。看来信用卡这个东西使用不当还是很危险的，会让你背上沉重的债务包袱，所以还是小心使用为好。

Part 3 Some Words about Credit Card 信用卡小词典 

信用卡相关用语：

issuing bank 发卡银行
annual fee 年费
credit line/limit信用额度
interest rate 利率
monthly statement 月结单
balance transfer 信用卡余额代偿
available credit line /limit 可用信用额度
APR=annual percentage rate 年利率
activate a card 开卡
reward program 积点回馈
point 红利积点
cash advance 预借现金

信用卡的种类：

credit card 信用卡
affinity card 认同卡
platinum card白金卡
student card 学生卡
preferred card/gold card 金卡
value card 储值卡
classic card 普卡
co-branded card 联名卡
supplementary card 附属卡
debit card 转账卡
ATM card 金融卡
charge card 签帐卡
cash advance card 现金卡
corporate card 商务卡、公司卡