流行口語 第163課

Larry 和李华正在纽约苏活区吃午饭．两个人聊起了自己的暑期工作．今天李华会学到两个常用语： bang for the buck¹ 和 number crunchers。
LL: Did I tell you that my boss has decided³ to advertise his business online? He says newspaper advertisements are too expensive and believes the Internet will reach more people.
LH: 你老板的主意很好啊．在因特网上登广告当然比在报纸上登广告要便宜，而且啊看到的人还会多很多呢。
LL: Yes it does. He figures that for a fraction of the cost, he will get more bang for his buck!
LH: 花一点点钱就能怎么啦？ More bang for his buck？那是什么意思呀？
LL: More bang for your buck... Bang for the buck is when someone gets more value for the money they put into something. "Buck" is another way of saying dollars or money.
LH: 我懂了！ Bang for the buck就是“花最少钱取得最大效果”．也就是成本低，收效高，很合算的意思啦．就像我们现在吃的自助餐啊，每个人只要 4 美元，就可以吃到各式各样的菜色，还有可口的点心，像冰淇淋、蛋糕等等。
LL: That's right Li Hua, by paying less and eating more you are getting more bang for your buck.
LH: 这么说来啊，昨天我到艾尔加油站去加油，也是很合算的喔． I got more bang for my buck!
LL: How's that?
LH: 那个加油站啊昨天在大促销啊！一加仑的汽油只要 1 块 5 美元呢！
LL: US$1.50 a gallon! That's incredible! Prices at most stations now are as high as $2.70 a gallon. You definitely got more bang for your buck!
LH：没错，有的加油站啊都快要三美元一加仑了．你好像没有听说过艾尔加油站哦．我明天啊带你去， so that you can get more bang for you buck too!
LL：That sounds good!
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LH: 吔，对了，Larry，你还没说你老板决定在哪个网站上登广告啊？
LL: He says he would like to put his advertisement on the Website for the New York Times. Of course, that really depends on what his number cruncher says about the idea.
LH: 嗯～．你老板想把广告登在纽约时报的网站上．疑？不过，什么是 number cruncher？那是什么意思啊？
LL: A number cruncher is someone who is good with numbers, like an accountant.
LH: 吔～，等等等等． Number 就是数字； cruncher 这个词呢来自 crunch²，就是在嘴巴里咀嚼，那 crunch 后面加上 e,  r, 就成了咀嚼的人．咀嚼数字的人 ...？喔～，我知道了， a number cruncher 就是啊会摆弄数字的人，也就是像会计师那样会算帐的人．你的老板啊一定很信任公司的会计。
LL: Who happens to be his wife.
LH：原来你们公司的会计就是你老板的太太呀？
LL：When he and his wife first started their business he was in charge of the finances. That didn't last long. When they found themselves $10,000 in debt they knew something had to change.
LH: 公司开办时，你老板管帐，结果一下就亏了一万美元呀！所以后来啊才让他太太来管帐的啊。
LL: Yes. In six months, she helped turn the business around and now they are making as much as $10,000 a month in profit.
LH: 哟～，你老板的太太真厉害吔．她不但扭转了亏损，现在一个月就能够盈利一万美元哪！我可是最怕数字的。
LL：I am not a number cruncher either. She's a real number cruncher。
 
　　今天李华学到了两个常用语．第一个是： bang for the buck，意思是“花最少钱得到最大的效果”，也就是“合算，划算”的意思．另一个常用语是： number cruncher，这是指“对数字很在行、很能算计的人”。

 

1 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

2 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。