英语博客：ESL Podcast 826 – Shopping for a Used Car

 　　Mario: Do you want to go with me to test drive a car I’m thinking of buying?

 

　　Danica: Sure. Which dealership¹ are we going to?

 

　　Mario: I’m not buying a used car from a dealership. I’m buying it from a private party. Dealerships rip you off.

 

　　Danica: Are you sure about that? My sister bought a certified² used car from a dealership and she even got a one-year warranty³. She’s very happy with it.

 

　　Mario: Dealerships jack⁴ up the price. Buying from a private party means getting a better deal.

 

　　Danica: If you say so. What kind of car is it, and how much is the owner asking for it?

 

　　Mario: It’s a McQ Racer and the owner is asking $12,000, $3,000 below blue book value.

 

　　Danica: That is a good price. In fact, that’s too good a price. Doesn’t that raise some red flags?

 

　　Mario: Like what?

 

　　Danica: Well, the car could be have been totaled and is now considered salvage⁵. Its odometer could have been rolled back. It could have major mechanical problems...

 

　　Mario: You can be skeptical⁶, but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth. If this guy wants to sell his car for much less than its value, who am I to ask questions?

 

　　Danica: You’ll do a title search and ask to see the pink slip before you buy it, right?

 

　　Mario: I think you’d better stay here. With you along, I see this great deal going up in smoke!

 

　　Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 dealership   

n.商品特许经销处

参考例句：

• The car dealership has a large inventory of used cars. 这家汽车经销商拥有数量庞大的二手车。
• A key to this effort is the experience in the dealership. 达到这个成果的关键是销售的体验。

2 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

3 warranty   

n.担保书，证书，保单

参考例句：

• This warranty is good for one year after the date of the purchase of the product.本保证书自购置此产品之日起有效期为一年。
• As your guarantor,we have signed a warranty to the bank.作为你们的担保人，我们已经向银行开出了担保书。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

6 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。