商務禮節美語第20期:Staycation 宅(2)

很久不見的好友Lisa, Karen和Gina一起吃飯。三個人都說，現在手頭很緊，彼此交換勤儉持家的經驗。

K: We've stopped going to the theater! We used to take the kids every Saturday, but with each ticket costing about 10 bucks, it adds up to a couple of hundred dollars a month! These days we just rent a movie and stay at home.

我們以後不去電影院了！我們過去常常會在每週六帶孩子去，但是現在電影票一張要10元，一個月下來，一家人看電影就要兩百塊！最近我們租碟在家看電影。

G: But you know, even though we can't do as many things as we used to, I feel like our family has grown closer since we've been spending more time together.

但是，你知道的，儘管我們不能像從前那樣去電影院看，但是現在在家看更增進了家人的感情。

Karen說，原來每星期六都要帶孩子去看電影，但是電影票一張十塊錢，10 bucks, buck is spelled b-u-c-k, buck 是口語裏提到美元時常用的詞。

一個月下來，一家人看電影就要兩百塊，上面用到的it adds up to是加在一起的意思，把這筆錢省了，一家人租影碟在家看。Gina說，雖然沒那麼多錢玩這玩那了，但是一家人經常在一起，our family has grown closer，感情反而更親密了。

L: That's true for us as well. We play board games at night with the kids and when we watch movies we do it as a family.

我們也是。我們晚上和孩子一起玩棋盤遊戲，一家人看電影也是很開心的。

K: You know the old saying: troubles can be a blessing in disguise.

你知道一個諺語：塞翁失馬，焉知非福。

L: I think it all depends on your attitude. If you stay positive, saving money can be a fun challenge. But being depressed about it doesn't help anything.

我想這個取決於你的態度。如果你保持積極，省錢也能變成一件開心的挑戰。萎靡不振，於事無補。

Lisa也有同感，因爲經濟衰退逼得大家不能花錢買娛樂，不得不回去陪孩子玩遊戲，一家人一起看電影，反而其樂融融。老話說，troubles can be a blessing in disguise，塞翁失馬，焉知非福。Lisa表示同意，說一切都取決於心態，如果心態是positive，積極的話，省錢也能變成一件開心的挑戰，萎靡不振doesn't help anything，於事無補。

G: Another thing that has really helped our family is instituting the thirty-day rule.

還有一個非常有助省錢的辦法就是採用三十天法則。

K: What's the thirty-day rule?

三十天原則是什麼？

G: Well, every time we think about buying something we don't really need, we wait thirty days and then ask ourselves if we still want it. A lot of times after thirty days, we can't even remember why we wanted it in the first place!

嗯，就是每次你想買什麼東西的時侯，必須等30天。30天過後，我們早就記不起來當初爲什麼想買了。

Gina說，爲省錢，她們家還採納了thirty-day rule，三十天原則，就是買一件東西之前，必須等30天，如果30天后還是想買的話，纔可以買。Gina說，a lot of times，很多時候，30天過後，她們早就記不起來當初爲什麼想買了。三個人省錢還有什麼高招嗎？我們下次繼續聽。