2012年ESL之日常生活 23 Donating to a Thrift Store

 

Donating to a Thrift¹ Store 

Scott: That’s the last bag. Help me put these into the truck. I want to get these to the thrift store before they stop taking donations for the day. 

Nancy: Hold on! That bag has curtains in it. 

Scott: I know they do. Those old curtains have been sitting around in the closet for 10 years. It’s time to let them go. 

Nancy: But what about this bag? These are the children’s old baby clothes. You can’t just toss these! They have such sentimental² value. 

Scott: You’ve kept a lot of the children’s old clothes already, but we still have bags and bags of them in the attic³. 

Nancy: Yes, but they’re so cute. 

Scott: It’s time to put aside sentiment and do some spring cleaning. After all, we’re donating them to a good cause. Families visiting the thrift store can buy them for their own children. We get a tax deduction⁴ and our items get a new life. It’s a win-win for everybody. 

Nancy: I don’t know about that. What?! You’re not getting rid of those chairs, are you? They still have a lot of life in them. 

Scott: Our garage is so full of old furniture that we don’t use. I’m putting my foot down. These have to go. 

Nancy: But not those... 

Scott: Yes, those and those and those. This is my punishment for marrying a pack rat! 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 thrift   

adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约

参考例句：

• He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。
• His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。

2 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

3 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

4 deduction   

n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎

参考例句：

• No deduction in pay is made for absence due to illness.因病请假不扣工资。
• His deduction led him to the correct conclusion.他的推断使他得出正确的结论。