Donny: Hey,楊琳!我們晚上要去吃飯,do you want to come along?
Yanglin: 哎,我想去!可就是……沒錢!
Donny: Hmm? Didn't you just get a new job?
Yanglin: 別提了,我是典型的月光族。每次一發(fā)工資,繳繳房租,再跟朋友吃吃飯,再到商場買買東西……錢就不知不覺用完啦!話說,這月光族用英語怎么說?
Donny: hmm,月光族可以說live from paycheck to paycheck。
Yanglin: live from paycheck to paycheck?
Donny: 對,paycheck就是支票。在美國,很多工資是由支票的形式發(fā)給你的。所以 live from paycheck to paycheck, 就是形容盼著下一張工資單過日子。
Yanglin: 這么說來,我可真是live from paycheck to paycheck!典型的月光族!不過這個月,我去夏威夷花了好大一筆錢,所以就更沒閑錢了。這種開銷特別大的旅行啊什么的,用英語怎么說呢?
Donny: You can say: My vacation in Hawaii broke the bank.
YL: 我懂了,break the bank就是形容某件東西特別貴。比如上星期,我想買LV的包,男朋友就跟我說,We can't afford this purse, it will break the bank.(我們買不起這個包,實在太貴了。)
Donny: 對!你還可以說,this purse will max out my credit card. 也是特別貴的意思。
YL: 這個說法形象!Max out somebody's credit card, 刷爆信用卡!Did you ever max out your credit card?
Donny: Me? I would never do that! Now let's see what you've learned today!
Yanglin: 第一,月光族的生活方式叫l(wèi)ive from paycheck to paycheck;第二,非常昂貴可以說break the bank;第三,刷爆信用卡,叫max out somebody's credit card.