流行美語第258課
流行美語第258課
李華告訴Larry說，她想多賺點錢，買機票回中國探親。李華今天要學兩個常用語：bread和nest egg.
LH: Larry, 我想回中國看看我父母。I need to make some more bread.
LL: You need to make more bread? I know you aren't a baker, Li Hua, so you must have learned that bread is slang for money.
LH: 沒錯。那天我聽一個朋友說，他要跟父母借點錢，因為he was short on bread，缺錢花了。
LL: Well, Li Hua, how about you? Can you borrow some bread from your parents for a plane ticket home?
LH: 去中國的機票可貴了，我父母可出不起機票錢。要想回家，我唯一的辦法就是再出去兼一份差。
LL: Well, with the Christmas holidays coming up, there will be many opportunities for you to earn some bread.
LH: 是啊，快過節了，很多商店都需要人手，找份活兒應該不難。
LL: I wouldn't think so, but if you do have trouble, I can always loan you some bread.
LH: 謝謝你，Larry. 但是不到迫不得已，我還是希望自己想辦法。
LL: Okay, I understand. So, Li Hua, have you thought about where you might want to work?
LH: 我想到百貨商店去打工，雖然那裏的工作沒太大的意思，但是I'd really only be doing it for the bread.
LL: I think a department store is a good choice for you. Who knows? You may even be able to pay for your plane ticket to China and save a little bread.
LH: 我也是這麼希望的。我教中文的工資實在是不多，總覺得錢不夠花。
LL: Well, I am very lucky to have my job at the architect's office. Right now, I am bringing in a good amount of bread.
LH: 你的錢都花在什麼地方呢？
LL: Well, I spend a lot on monthly expenses, but I also try to save some bread every month and, if possible, invest it.
LH: 投資？看來你還挺有經濟頭腦的，Larry.
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LL: Saving is important, Li Hua. I am trying to build a nest egg so that I can buy a house some day.
LH: 你要建一個窩裏的蛋？(開玩笑地說)那你什麼時候變成小鳥啊？
LL: (Laughs) No, no, Li Hua. A "Nest Egg" is a term for money put away in reserve for some special purpose - like getting married, buying a house, or retiring.
LH: 窩裏的蛋怎麼會指為結婚買房子存的錢呢？
LL: Well, as I understand it, a "nest egg" was originally a fake egg placed in a nest to attract birds to lay more eggs. By putting aside money as a nest egg, you hope it will grow and make more money.
LH: 噢，我明白了，窩裏的蛋原來指的是假蛋，放在那裏騙家禽多生蛋的，用來指錢，就好像是中文裏說的錢生錢的意思，放在銀行定期存款裏就是個辦法。
LL: Yes, my parents have done this. But, they have also invested some of their nest egg in the stock market.
LH: 投資股市可有風險，我就聽說過很多老年人投資股市，結果賠得一乾二淨。
LL: It can be, but my parents aren't investing in the stock market on their own. They have an investment company that is helping them manage their nest egg.
LH: 那就好，等我開始在百貨商店打工了，I hope I'll have a nest egg, too.
LL: Well, I am building a nest egg to someday buy a house - What about you, Li Hua? What is your nest egg for?
LH: 我先得存點錢應急，萬一哪天車壞了或是生一場大病，手裏有錢心裏就踏實多了。
LL: That's a good plan. My older brother wants to build a nest egg for his children.
LH: Wait a minute, Larry. 你哥哥不是沒孩子嗎？
LL: You are right, Li Hua, but he has recently gotten married, and he and his wife want to have children. They will need to have a big nest egg for that!
LH: 是啊，養孩子真的需要很多錢，特別是大學學費，做父母的確實需要提前做好準備。
LL: Yes, they won't just need a chicken-sized nest egg - they'll need an ostrich-sized nest egg!
今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是bread, 指錢。另一個是nest egg, 是存下來的錢。
