礼节美语 Business Etiquette 215: Buying a Car (1)
英语课
Chris告诉同事Jason, 准备买辆新车。
Jason: Hey there Chris, what are you up to?
Chris: I'm just poring 1 over some brochures about various car models.
J: Oh, so you're thinking about buying a new car?
C: Yeah, it looks that way. My wife has been bugging 3 me about it. I thought we could probably survive without one, but with a baby on the way, maybe it is time to get a car.
J: So this would be your first automobile 4?
C: That's right. For quite a few years, I rode a bicycle to work. Then I got a motorbike.
Chris太太怀孕，所以不得不考虑买车。Chris说，my wife has been bugging me about it. 意思是我太太一直在软磨硬泡要说服我，to bug 2 someone是没完没了烦某人的意思，比如说，Stop bugging me. 意思就是别烦我了。这是Chris的第一辆车，他以前都是骑自行车或是骑摩托车上班，但现在 with a baby on the way 眼看就要有孩子了，所以只好考虑买车。Jason表示理解。
J: Yeah, I think I can understand your wife's position. Asking her to ride on a motorcycle when she's pregnant 5 is a tall order.
C: Oh...I don't let her ride with me. It's just too dangerous. She takes the bus to work, but it is sometimes difficult to get a seat and it's crowded and hot.
J: So it's time to buy your very first car! Wow, that's exciting!
C: Yes, but it's also a pretty big financial responsibility.
J: Yeah. I still remember my first car. It was an old clunker that my dad gave me when I turned 17. I drove it around for a couple of years until I scraped together enough money to buy a better secondhand car.
Jason说，让太太挺着大肚子坐Chris的摩托车确实有点强人所难，It's a tall order. tall order 意思是很难完成的任务或要求。Christ解释说，其实太太不坐他的摩托车上班，但是挤公交车也很辛苦，所以才必须买车。Jason说，他的第一辆车是17岁过生日时老爸送的，It was an old clunker. clunker is spelled c-l-u-n-k-e-r, clunker, clunker 是老破车的意思，开了几年后，攒够了钱才自己买了辆稍微像点儿样的 secondhand car 二手车。Chris 说，
C: I'm having a hard time deciding which model is best for us.
J: Yeah, it is a tough call. Each one has its pros 6 and cons 7. Are you looking for a sedan?
C: Yes, I'd like a Jeep, but my wife says we have to get a comfortable sedan for long drives home to see her relatives.
J: I'd advise you to listen to your wife. She will be sitting in the back taking care of the kids so whatever she prefers is probably the best choice.
Chris说，拿不定主意应该买什么型号的车。Jason承认，It's a tough call. tough call意思是很难做的决定。他还说，不同型号的车有各自的优缺点，pros and cons 是指一件事情的正反面，pros 是优点，正面的，cons 是缺点，负面的。Chris想买吉普车Jeep，但他太太坚持要买轿车sedan, 因为sedan开长途坐着更舒服些。买车还要考虑其他哪些因素呢？我们下次继续听。
1 poring
细看（pore的现在分词形式）
- He spent hours poring over the statistics. 他花了数小时钻研这些统计数据。
- To plan, we spend several poring over the travel brochures. 为了做好计划，我们花了好几个夜晚来研究旅游手册。
2 bug
n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器
- There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
- The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。
3 bugging
[法] 窃听
- Okay, then let's get the show on the road and I'll stop bugging you. 好，那么让我们开始动起来，我将不再惹你生气。 来自辞典例句
- Go fly a kite and stop bugging me. 走开，别烦我。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
4 automobile
n.汽车，机动车
- He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
- The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
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