英語早間課堂:錢不是從樹上長出來的

Luming : I have been dying for a new laptop. Mine is a piece of junk.

我早就想買一臺新的筆記本電腦了。我的那臺是個垃圾貨。

Alice : You should not your money like this. Money doesn't grow on trees.

你不應該如此揮霍。錢又不是從樹上長出來的。

Luming : What? Money doesn't grow on trees, of course.

什么?當然錢是不會從樹上掉下來的呀。

Alice : "Money doesn't grow on trees."means "earning money is not easy". Moreover, you are staying at home and between job.

我說的意思是錢是來之不易。再說你現(xiàn)在失業(yè)了，呆在家中。

Luming : I'll work and make money soon.

我很快就有工作了，可以掙錢了。

陸明被搞暈的就是這句話——Money doesn't grow on trees. 這句話的意思是：樹不是在樹上長的，摘下來就可以花，而是辛辛苦苦一分一分掙來的。因此這句話的意思就是用來說明錢來之不易，掙錢不容易。告誡我們花錢要慎重，不要隨意揮霍。這句話多用來教育孩子。

我們再來看一個母子間的對話：

Richard: Mum, I want to buy a pair of new shoes.

媽媽，我想買一雙新鞋子。

Cathy: No, darling, money doesn't grow on trees, you know.

不行，寶貝，錢可不是從樹上長出來的。

附贈：學習筆記

1. Dying for 渴望，切望

Eg. The busy employee was dying for a vacation. 忙碌的雇員渴望有個假期。

Eg. I am dying for something to drink right now. 我現(xiàn)在渴望能有些東西可以喝。

2. junk 垃圾, 廢舊雜物

Eg. She likes to pick up some interesting junk in junk shops. 她喜歡在舊貨店買些有趣的舊貨。

Eg. It is folly to buy such a junk at $100. 花一百美元買這樣的舊貨是愚蠢的。

3. a piece of junk 一堆廢物

Eg. My car turned out to be a piece of junk. 我的車變成一堆廢物了。

Eg. 200 bucks for a piece of junk like that? That's a rip-off! 200塊錢買了個破電視?你被人宰了吧!

Eg. All you came up with was this piece of junk? 而你給我們的就是這堆垃圾?

3. make money 掙錢，賺錢

Eg. If you want to make money, buy cheap and sell dear. 要想賺錢就得賤買貴賣。