美语三级跳 Go English：012B 开车: 中级课程

Phil想去拉斯维加斯玩儿，可是没有租到合适的车。所以他决定向自己的朋友Tom借敞篷车。

Professor: Winnie, if you had a nice convertible¹, would you lend it to a friend to go to Las Vegas?

可以借，不过条件是，带我一起去拉斯维加斯！

[Doorbell, door opening]

Tom: Well hello Phil. This is certainly a surprise. What are you doing at my apartment?

Phil: Oh ... no reason. I haven't seen you in a while, so I thought I would go see my very, very good friend Tom.

Tom: Oh really. Well something tells me that isn't the only reason. You never come by unless you want a favor.

Phil: What? Of course not! I came by just because I like you and wanted to say hello!

Tom: Come on Phil, you can't fool me. What do you want?

Professor: It sounds like Tom has given Phil lots of favors before.

可不是么，Phil以前一定经常麻烦Tom。这次，他虽然一直和Tom套近乎，但Tom似乎有点不为所动。

Phil: Well ... alright. I want to drive to Las Vegas this weekend. Would it be possible for me to borrow your car?

Tom: You want to borrow my car? But it's brand new! I've only made one payment².

Phil: I know, but I promise I'll be really careful.

Tom: I don't know ... Las Vegas is a pretty wild place. I don't want anything to happen to my car.

看来Tom不愿意把车借给Phil，因为他的车是新买的，而且，拉斯维加斯那种地方什么人都有，把自己的新车交给别人还真不放心呢！

Professor: Exactly. But do you know what Tom meant when he said he had only made one payment?

Tom说的payments就是每个月要还的买车贷款。 他说，自己才只还了一个月的钱。

Phil: Oh please? I'm a really good driver. I'll return it without a scratch.

Tom: You? A good driver? You don't even know how to parallel³ park!

Phil: Don't worry, I won't park it on the street. I'll park it in the hotel parking lot.

Tom: But people really like to party in Las Vegas. I'm worried someone who has been drinking and driving will hit my car and damage it.

Phil: Don't worry, I'll only drive during the day.

Tom担心有人drinking and driving - 酒后驾车，会撞坏自己的车，可却丝毫不担心车里的人 - Phil的安全，这算什么朋友！

Professor: Well, it's a brand new car. It probably has airbags and plenty of safety features.

那倒也是，新车都会配备airbags - 气囊，和其它的safety features - 安全设备。不过，professor Bowman, Tom说Phil不会parallel park，这是什么意思？

Professor: The word "parallel,", means extending⁴ in the same direction. So parallel parking is to park directly behind another car.

哦，parallel是“平行”的意思，所以parallel parking就是就在街上平行停车，或者叫“入库停车”。Phil不会parallel parking,所以他保证，只把Tom的车停在酒店停车场。

Tom: Alright Phil, I'll lend you my car but there are some rules.

Phil: Sure, what are they?

Tom: First, no speeding. If you get a ticket in a speed trap, I will never lend you my car again.

Phil: Of course not. I'll drive really slow.

Tom: Rule number two. No talking on your cell phone while you drive.

Phil: Of course, I promise I won't talk on my phone.

Tom: Rule number three. If you make any money gambling⁵, you give half to me.

Phil: Well, you drive a hard bargain, but it's a deal!

Tom最终还是同意借车了。不过，他要求Phil，不能超速；不能开车时打电话；而且如果在赌场里赢了钱，就要分一半给他!

Professor: Do you think that's a good deal?

我觉得，就象Phil说的，Tom "drives a hard bargain." 太能讨价还价了。

Professor: But I think it's a fair deal! Let's tune⁶ in next time to learn about Phil's trip to Vegas.

 

1 convertible   

adj.可改变的，可交换，同意义的；n.有活动摺篷的汽车

参考例句：

• The convertible sofa means that the apartment can sleep four.有了这张折叠沙发，公寓里可以睡下4个人。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了。

2 payment   

n.付款，支付，偿还，偿还，报应

参考例句：

• I gave ten pounds in payment for the goods I bought.我买那些东西付了10英镑。
• This last payment will wipe out your debt to me.这最后一笔付款将了结你欠我的债务。

3 parallel   

n.相似处；平行线；纬线；adj.平行的；类似的

参考例句：

• This is the parallel points in the characters of different men.这就是不同人物间个性上的类似之处。
• The growth of the two towns was almost parallel.这两个城镇的发展几乎相同。

4 extending   

v.（空间、时间等）延伸，延续( extend的现在分词 )；伸展；给予；延长

参考例句：

• We are extending the radio network. 我们正在扩大广播网。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A romance extending over several years was culminated. 一场数年之久的恋爱就此圆满告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

6 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。