英语PK台 第516期:量体买衣,衣裤鞋码

 　　Dialogue 1

　　Jingjing: Hey, Mark. Is that a new shirt?

　　京晶：嗨，马克，那是一件新衬衣吗？

　　Mark: This old thing? I've had it for years.

　　马克：这件旧衣服吗？我都穿了好几年了。

　　Jingjing: I don't think I've seen it before.

　　京晶：我觉得以前没见你穿过呢。

　　Mark: Well, I'm kind of a clothes horse—at least I used to be.

　　马克：我差不多是个活衣柜（爱屯衣服的人），至少我过去是那样的。

　　Jingjing: Now you could go for a year or more without buying any new clothes, right?

　　京晶：那现在你能一年多都不需要再买新衣服了吧？

　　Mark: Exactly. All I've bought in over a year were socks.

　　马克：没错。我这一年多买的差不多全是袜子。

　　Jingjing: Is it easy to find your size here in China?

　　京晶：你穿的尺码在中国好找吗？

　　Mark: I'm pretty sure they only make one or two sizes.

　　马克：我非常肯定它们只有一两个尺寸。

　　Jingjing: Not just for socks, silly! I meant, can you find sizes for shirts and trousers?

　　京晶：是不是傻？我说的不光是袜子啦！我是说，你能不能找到合适你尺寸的衬衣和裤子？

　　Mark: Oh, that's pretty easy. Some of my foreign friends have trouble, though.

　　马克：喔，那还挺容易的。不过我有的外国朋友们这方面就有麻烦了。

　　Jingjing: What's the trouble?

　　京晶：遇到了什么问题呢？

　　Mark: Some of my friends are heavyset, or quite tall, or both big and tall.

　　马克：我有些朋友体格魁伟，或者太高，或者又高又大。

　　Jingjing: Big and tall folks should try the Silk Market.

　　京晶：又高又大的人们应该试试去秀水街买衣服

　　Mark: That's what I keep hearing. I'll recommend it to them.

　　马克：我总听人们这么说，那我跟他们推荐一下吧。

　　New words: 习语短语：

　　This old thing? I've had it for years.

　　这件旧的？我都穿了好久了

　　(This is a common stock expression, which someone uses after being flattered¹ about something they're wearing.)

　　clothes horse (someone who has a large collection of clothes)

　　原本指用来晾晒衣服的晾衣架；现在多喻指爱时髦，喜欢买很多衣服的人，可译为“活衣架”。有人说“女人的衣橱是永远塞不满的。”

　　go for (a year) 持续……时间 (last for, i.e. I can go for three days without food.)

　　silly 傻的 (shortened form of silly guy)

　　big and tall folks 高大魁梧的家伙 (people who have larger than average bodies) (A big and tall shop is a retailer² who specializes in larger clothing sizes.)

　　Dialogue 2

　　Jingjing and Mark talk later in the same day.

　　这天晚些时候，马克和京晶又聊起来了

　　Jingjing: I was wondering, are the sizes much different in the US?

　　京晶：我在想，在美国，这些衣服的尺寸有很大的不同吗？

　　Mark: Well, they use small, medium, large and extra-large for most casual clothes.

　　马克：是这样的，他们用small（小）, medium（中）, large（大） and extra-large（加大）来标记大多数休闲类服装。

　　Jingjing: That's the same as in China.

　　京晶：这跟中国是一样的。

　　Mark: Yes, but you have to watch out. A medium in one brand can be as big as an extra-large in another.

　　马克：是的，但是你还得小心。一个牌子的中号可能跟另一个牌子的加大号一样大。

　　Jingjing: I guess it makes sense to try stuff on first.

　　京晶：所以我想，首先把衣服穿上身试是很有必要的。

　　Mark: Definitely. I've gotten some pretty good deals on clothes that were labelled with the wrong size.

　　马克：那是必须的。我曾经买过不少物美价廉的的好衣服，但是码标错了。

　　Jingjing: Hmm. Do they ever use exact measurements?

　　京晶：那，他们会使用精确的尺寸量度吗？

　　Mark: Suit jackets and blazers are measured by bust³. That's done in inches. Actually, it's the same with trousers, for the waist and inseam.

　　马克：西装外套和休闲外套都用胸围来量，使用英寸来标记。事实上，长裤也一样，用腰围和裤长来标记。

　　Jingjing: What about shoes?

　　京晶：那鞋子呢？

　　Mark: A shoe salesperson⁴ will know the European sizes. It's best to use those, because American sizes are just slightly different from Chinese sizes. So, it's better to tell them 38, 40, 42, and so on.

　　马克：卖鞋的售货员知道欧码，最好是用它们，因为美码和中国码还略微有不同。所以最好跟他们说38码，40码，42码，等等。

　　Jingjing: Go by European sizes for shoes—got it. Hey, how about women's clothes?

　　京晶：买鞋用欧码，知道了。那女士服装呢？

　　Mark: Well, for something semi-formal or formal, there are numbered sizes, usually from 6-12.

　　马克：对于半正装或正装来说，有数字码号，从6到12

　　Jingjing: I usually just try everything on before deciding.

　　京晶：我通常做决定之前都试个遍。

　　Mark: I just eyeball it, and am usually right about the size, even when buying for other people.

　　马克：我仅靠目测，而且我通常都对，给别人买东西也一样。

　　New words: 习语短语：

　　try stuff on 试穿衣服 (test-fit clothing items in the store before buying them)

　　bust 胸围 (measurement around the chest, for fitting jackets)

　　waist 腰围 (measurement around the waist, for fitting trousers)

　　inseam 裤长 (measurement of the length of a person's leg, for fitting trousers)

　　go by (European sizes) 用欧码来丈量 (use European sizes as a reference)

　　eyeball (it) 目测 (take a look and estimate the shape and size of something)

1 flattered   

过份夸奖的； 高兴的，感到荣幸的

参考例句：

• At the testimonial dinner everyone flattered him shamelessly. 在纪念筵席上大家都厚颜无耻地奉承他。
• They flattered themselves that they would win. 他们自信一定会赢。

2 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

3 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

4 salesperson   

n.售货员，营业员，店员

参考例句：

• A salesperson works in a shop.售货员在商店工作。
• Vanessa is a salesperson in a woman's wear department.凡妮莎是女装部的售货员。