强人所难的tall order

Chris告诉同事Jason, 准备买辆新车。

Jason: Hey there Chris, what are you up to?

Chris: I'm just poring over some brochures about various car models.

J: Oh, so you're thinking about buying a new car?

C: Yeah, it looks that way. My wife has been bugging me about it. I thought we could probably survive without one, but with a baby on the way, maybe it is time to get a car.

J: So this would be your first automobile?

C: That's right. For quite a few years, I rode a bicycle to work. Then I got a motorbike.

Chris太太怀孕，所以不得不考虑买车。Chris说，my wife has been bugging me about it. 意思是我太太一直在软磨硬泡要说服我，to bug someone是没完没了烦某人的意思，比如说，Stop bugging me. 意思就是别烦我了。这是Chris的第一辆车，他以前都是骑自行车或是骑摩托车上班，但现在 with a baby on the way 眼看就要有孩子了，所以只好考虑买车。Jason表示理解。

J: Yeah, I think I can understand your wife's position. Asking her to ride on a motorcycle when she's pregnant is a tall order.

C: Oh...I don't let her ride with me. It's just too dangerous. She takes the bus to work, but it is sometimes difficult to get a seat and it's crowded and hot.

J: So it's time to buy your very first car! Wow, that's exciting!

C: Yes, but it's also a pretty big financial responsibility.

J: Yeah. I still remember my first car. It was an old clunker that my dad gave me when I turned 17. I drove it around for a couple of years until I scraped together enough money to buy a better secondhand car.

Jason说，让太太挺着大肚子坐Chris的摩托车确实有点强人所难，It's a tall order. tall order 意思是很难完成的任务或要求。Chris解释说，其实太太不坐他的摩托车上班，但是挤公交车也很辛苦，所以才必须买车。Jason说，他的第一辆车是17岁过生日时老爸送的，It was an old clunker. clunker是老破车的意思，开了几年后，攒够了钱才自己买了辆稍微像点儿样的secondhand car二手车。Chris说，

C: I'm having a hard time deciding which model is best for us.

J: Yeah, it is a tough call. Each one has its pros and cons. Are you looking for a sedan?

C: Yes, I'd like a Jeep, but my wife says we have to get a comfortable sedan for long drives home to see her relatives.

J: I'd advise you to listen to your wife. She will be sitting in the back taking care of the kids so whatever she prefers is probably the best choice.

Chris说，拿不定主意应该买什么型号的车。Jason承认，It's a tough call. tough call意思是很难做的决定。他还说，不同型号的车有各自的优缺点，pros and cons是指一件事情的正反面，pros 是优点，正面的，cons是缺点，负面的。Chris想买吉普车Jeep，但他太太坚持要买轿车sedan, 因为sedan开长途坐着更舒服些。

C: What do you think about this one? Here...take a look.

J: I like it. It's quite stylish. But...it's also pretty small.

C: That's OK. We are only a family of three.

J: This model has a 1.3 liter engine. With a small engine, you'll save a lot of money on gas.

C: That's one of the reasons I'm considering this one. It gets good gas mileage and overall has good value.

J: When I was young, having a car was all about power, prestige and fashion. But today, everything is about economy, value and savings.

C: The world has changed.

Chris看中了一款车，征求Jason的意思。Jason说，车外观还是挺有型的，但就是有点小。Chris觉得，小点没关系，因为他们就三口人，a family of three, 小点也够用了。Jason说，这款车引擎是1.3公升的，省油，是优点。Chris承认，这也是他看中这款车的原因之一，It gets good gas mileage and overall has good value. 意思是说这辆车油耗低，总体上说很划算。Jason大发感慨，说自己年轻那会儿买车就是为了马力、时尚，如今大家考虑的却都是实用和省钱。

J: Have you considered getting a secondhand car?

C: My wife rejected that idea. She says that you never know if the car dealer is unscrupulous. The car could be water damaged or could have been involved in an accident.

J: She makes some good points. Anyway, having a new car is a great experience.

C: I'm also trying to decide if I should take the three or fiveyear payment option.

J: If I can make a suggestion: go with a threeyear plan. The fiveyear might look easier, but in the end, the interest payments are not worth it.

Chris不准备买二手车，因为他太太担心碰上个缺德的二手车车行老板，把出过车祸的车买回家，上面所说的unscrupulous意思是没有道德操守的。Jason觉得，she makes some good points. 她说的很有道理。在贷款方面，Chris不知道应该三年还清还是五年还清，Jason建议他做三年的贷款，因为五年贷款每个月付的钱看上去虽然少些，但其实把交的利息都算进去，就不值了。

C: I'll go home and do the math, but you're probably right.

J: How about the color?

C: Blue is my lucky color, so I'll pick blue if possible. My wife says we should consider black because it doesn't look dirty so quickly.

J: Cool! Well, let me know when you decide. I'd love to check out your new car!

C: Sure, Jason. Thanks for the input.

Chris说，我回家算算I'll go home and do the math. Do the math是口语里很常用的一种说法，意思是算算清楚，特别是指明摆着的事情，比如：We cannot afford that house with our salaries. You do the math. 咱们的工资买不起那栋房，你自己算算吧。在颜色选择上，Chris说，蓝色是自己的幸运色，而太太觉得黑色经脏。Jason最后说，I'd love to check out your new car! 买了新车别忘了给我看看。

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（来源：VOA英语教学 编辑：丹妮）