商務禮節美語第241期:Buying a Car 買車(上)

Chris告訴同事Jason, 準備買輛新車。

Jason: Hey there Chris, what are you up to?

Chris: I'm just poring 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 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?

C: That's right. For quite a few years, I rode a bicycle to work. Then I got a motorbike.

Chris太太懷孕，所以不得不考慮買車。Chris說，my wife has been bugging me about it. 意思是我太太一直在軟磨硬泡要說服我，to bug someone是沒完沒了煩某人的意思，比如說，Stop bugging me. 意思就是別煩我了。這是Chris的第一輛車，他以前都是騎自行車或是騎摩托車上班，但現在 with a baby on the way 眼看就要有孩子了，所以只好考慮買車。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 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說，讓太太挺着大肚子坐Chris的摩托車確實有點強人所難，It's a tall order. tall order 意思是很難完成的任務或要求。Christ解釋說，其實太太不坐他的摩托車上班，但是擠公交車也很辛苦，所以才必須買車。Jason說，他的第一輛車是 17歲過生日時老爸送的，It was an old clunker. clunker is spelled c-l-u-n-k-e-r, clunker, clunker 是老破車的意思，開了幾年後，攢夠了錢才自己買了輛稍微像點兒樣的 secondhand car 二手車。Chris 說，

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 and cons. 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說，拿不定主意應該買什麼型號的車。Jason承認，It's a tough call. tough call意思是很難做的決定。他還說，不同型號的車有各自的優缺點，pros and cons 是指一件事情的正反面，pros 是優點，正面的，cons 是缺點，負面的。Chris想買吉普車Jeep，但他太太堅持要買轎車sedan, 因爲sedan開長途坐着更舒服些。買車還要考慮其他哪些因素呢？我們下次繼續聽。