听力文摘:量体裁衣

Long ago, clothing was made by tailors or family members specifically¹ for a certain person, exactly in their size to fit them.

很久以前，衣服都是由裁缝或家庭成员量身定做的，因此会刚好合身。

In today's world, most clothing we buy is ready made, so we need to look for our exact size on the label.

现在，大多数服装买的都是现成的，所以需要确定我们的身量和标签上的号码是否一致。

However, different clothing manufacturers² sometimes use different standards, so it is always best to" try something on for size" in the shop's dressing³ room to be sure it is the correct fit.

然而，不同的服装制造商使用不同的标准，所以我们最好在服装店里的更衣室“穿上试试，看看是不是合适”。

In the same way, we now use this expression to refer to anything-not only clothing-that we want to be sure is right for our needs.

同样，我们现在可以把这个习语用在其它的场合—不仅可以指服装—还可以指判断其它任何东西是否符合我们的需要。

You can even say you want to try a relationship on for size!

你甚至可以说：“我想先看看我们合不合适再说！”

It means you want to go out with someone a few times before you decide if you should get serious with that person.

这意味着，你打算和别人约会几次，然后再决定是否和他（她）认真谈。

1 specifically   

adv.明确地，具体地；特别地，特意

参考例句：

• The book was written specifically for children.这本书是特地为儿童编写的。
• I told you specifically not to do that.我明确地告诉你不要那样做。

2 manufacturers   

制造商，制造厂( manufacturer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The manufacturers in some countries dumped their surplus commodities abroad. 一些国家的制造商向国外倾销过剩产品。
• Colour TV has been more aggressively promoted as more manufacturers have joined the competition. 由于更多的厂商参与竞争，推销彩色电视机的宣传更为激烈了。

3 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。