VOA流行美语Unit28:ripoff

今天是星期六，Michael和李华到购物中心去买东西。李华喜欢买衣服，Michael喜欢看电脑, 所以他们决定各自先去买东西，然后中午在吃饭的地方碰头。今天李华会学到两个常用语：to rip off和straight answer。

L: 嗨， Michael, 在这儿！

M: Hi, Li Hua! Hey, what did you buy?

L: 今天我真高兴，你看，买了那么多衣服才花了我七十五美元。那 店要关门了，东西全都半价。Michael, 你买了什么？

M: I bought a pair of tennis shoes. When I bought them, I thought it was a good deal, but later I saw the same pair at another store for much less. I got ripped off.

L: 你买了一双网球鞋。让我看看。挺好的嘛！Michael, 你刚才说的 最后一句话我没有听懂，什么是got ripped off? 是不是上当受骗的 意思？

M: Yes, to be ripped off means to be cheated.

L: 你看，我还猜对了。Michael, 你为什么不把买的网球鞋去退掉， 再到便宜的店去买呢？

M: I wanted to do that, but when I went back to the first store, I saw a sign that said "All Sales are Final". So, I guess there's nothing I can really do about it.

L: 哟，还不让退货，这可真倒霉。那你买鞋的时候怎么没看见不让 退货的牌子呢？

M: I was just too eager to buy these shoes. If you buy something and then find out that it is of poor quality, you can also say you were ripped off.

L: 噢，买了东西后发现质量很差也可以说to be riffed off。对了，我上 个月从网上买了一部DVD电影，可是我在看电影的时候好几次都卡住 了，害得我连结尾都没看上。

M: I guess I'm not the only one who got ripped off.

L: 买东西真是要小心。得了，我们去买饭吧！

(Michael和李华吃完饭以后)

L: 时间不早了，该回去了。搭地铁去吧！

M: Sure! That was fun, Li Hua, but I have to stop spending so much money.

L: 我也不该花那么多钱。嗨，Michael, 你不是申请去一个公司实习， 他们会付你一些工资的吗？那他们有没有决定要雇用你啊？

M: No, they just keep telling me that they will let me know soon. I wish the company would just give me a straight answer.

L: Straight answer? 是什么意思啊？

M: Well, if you are looking for a straight answer, that means you want someone to give you a direct answer and tell you the truth.

L: 噢，straight answer就是直接了当，或者是实事求是的回答。

M: That's right. For instance, I could see that my last roommate was unhappy living in our apartment, I asked him why, but I could never get him to give me a straight answer.

L: 为什么你以前同宿舍的人既不高兴和你住在一起可是又不告诉你 真正的原因呢？后来他不是搬出去了吗？

M: Yes, he did give me a straight answer after he moved out. It turned out he wanted to move in with his girlfriend.

L: 他搬出去以后才老实地告诉你他是要搬去和女朋友一起住。 我 还以为他不喜欢你把屋子弄得乱糟糟的呢。

M: Li Hua, I think you are the only one who is bothered by that. Well, this is our stop. Do you still want to come over to my messy apartment? Give me a straight answer.

L: 我才不信只有我一个人批评你把屋子弄得乱七八糟。不管你家乱 不乱，我当然得去呀，我的书还在你哪里嘛！

今天李华学到两个常用语，一个是：to rip off，意思是受骗，上当；另一个是：straight answer，意思是坦率，老实的回答。 这次[流行美语]就到此结束，我们下次再见。