Part 3 Free and Clear
2013-04-08
Danielle 和Anthony都因为适度理财而平安地度过大学四年,然而他们可怜的同学Jane却因为自己的铺张浪费而成为了名副其实的“穷光蛋”。
(Two friends are talking soon after graduating from university.)
Danielle: Well done, Ant!
Anthony: Well done, Dani! We survived! Phew! We did it!We made it through four years of university unharmed!
Danielle: Well not totally unharmed. I have a small loan to pay off but nothing too 1)drastic.
Anthony: ①Same here! ②But we are pretty much out of the woods and in the clear!
Danielle: Yeah, and what tough years those have been!
Anthony: University is supposed to be the time of your life!
Danielle: Certainly wasnt like that.
Anthony: Yeah, whod have thought!
Danielle: Everyone who hasnt been yet I guess!
Anthony: I never knew university was going to be so much like real life!
Danielle: Well I felt pretty grown up, like I had a job and real responsibilities to take care of.
Anthony: Yeah its not the big party that everyone claims it is!
Danielle: It could be, but at your 2)peril!
Anthony: It worked out having a mature attitude.
Danielle: ③Yeah some of our peers got themselves into a right pickle!
Anthony: Yeah, do you remember Jane?!
Danielle: Oh God, she was a nightmare!
Anthony: She didnt budget at all.
Danielle: I think she thought she was on holiday!
Anthony: I hardly saw her in class, but I always saw her out partying.
Danielle: I bet she didnt have much freedom whilst she was living at home!
Anthony: ④I guess if your parents had you on a 3)leash that can happen.
Danielle: ⑤She was let loose at university.
Anthony: Yeah, she went crazy with her credit card though.
Danielle: ⑥She really splashed out and lived for the moment.
Anthony: I heard that she spent most of her loan on a trip round Europe.
Danielle: Loads of students go on a trip somewhere, but many dont actually have the money!
Anthony: There is nothing wrong with having fun!
Danielle: Of course not! It is a time for doing silly things!
Anthony: But that fun doesnt have to haunt you for the rest of your life!
Danielle: Usually the best things in life are for free!
Anthony: Jane will be paying the price of her 4)extravagance for years to come!
Danielle: I think she ended up finally getting a job in the last few months.
Anthony: But it was too late.
Danielle: Yeah it was; she had spent way above her means.
Anthony: I was really harsh on myself. I had two jobs.
Danielle: I didnt know you had another one apart from the bookstore on campus. Where else did you work at?
Anthony: You know the 5)deli that you always went to each Monday?
Danielle: Yeah.
Anthony: Who do you think made your sandwich?!
Danielle: No way! It was you!
Anthony: Yeah! I also worked at that deli part time!
Danielle: I never knew!
Anthony: ⑦Those jobs really helped keep any debt at bay. I didnt go out partying nearly half as much as my friends!
Danielle: Yeah but how did you feel about that at the time?
Anthony: I dont think I missed out on that much at all. I just kept thinking about the future!
Danielle: I guess no debt means no burden.
Anthony: Exactly!
Smart Sentences
① Same here! 我也是!
same here: used to suggest you feel the same way about sth.(用以表示你与对方有同样的感受)。例如:
——I hate going shopping with my girlfriend.
我讨厌与女朋友一起去购物。
——Same here.
我也是。
② But we are pretty much out of the woods and in the clear! 但是我们完全脱离了困境!
out of the woods: get out of difficulties or problems(脱离困境)。例如:
Greece is not out of the woods yet in regard to its economical problems.
希腊还没有摆脱经济困境。
③ Yeah some of our peers got themselves into a right pickle! 对,然而我们的一些同学让自己身处困境。
in a right pickle: in a difficult and awkward situation(处境困难)。例如:
The child abuse scandal has put the BBC into a right pickle.
BBC的儿童性侵丑闻让其陷入困境。
④ I guess if your parents had you on a leash that can happen. 我想如果你父母要管束你的话也会是那样的。
on a leash: under control or restraint(束缚, 控制)。例如:
As long as your wife has your wallet, you are on a leash.
只要你妻子管着你的钱包,你就受她控制。
⑤ She was let loose at university. 上大学后她便放任自由了。
let loose: give sb. complete freedom(放任)。例如:
Only when I went to university was I let loose on what I could read.
我只有在上了大学后,才能自由地看自己想看的书。
⑥ She really splashed out and lived for the moment. 她真的乱花钱,得过且过。
splash out: spend money on sth. even though its costly or unnecessary(乱花钱)。例如:
I used to splash out on everything, food, entertainment, clothes, travel…
我以前什么事情花钱都很大手大脚,吃的,玩的,穿的,还有旅行……
live for the moment: live only for the pleasure of the present time without planning for the future(得过且过,过一天算一天)。例如:
You need to make plans for your future. You cannot just live for the moment!
你得为自己的未来好好打算,不能得过且过。
⑦ Those jobs really helped keep any debt at bay. 那些工作真的能让我避免欠债。
keep sb./sth. at bay: prevent sb./sth. from happening(阻止,防止,控制)。例如:
Its believed that the new technology can keep shoplifting at bay.
人们相信,新的技术可以防止商店失窃。