听力文摘:量体裁衣（在线收听）

Long ago, clothing was made by tailors or family members specifically 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 manufacturers sometimes use different standards, so it is always best to" try something on for size" in the shop's dressing 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。