美語情景對話 第688期:Tight Budget 預算緊張

Kara: So, planning this next trip coming up, we need to start thinking of how much money we need to save, how much money we're going to spend on flight and hotel, and how much we're gonna have to tell the other girls to bring.

卡拉：爲了計劃即將來臨的旅行，我們要開始考慮我們需要存多少錢了，我們要考慮機票錢和住宿費用，還有其他女孩要帶多少錢。

Lupe: Yeah, I actually meant to ask you about that just because it seems that I don't bring enough money, so this year I'm really trying to save more money. Make sure I have enough for everything. Starting with the flight, how much do you think we're gonna pay for flights this year and when do you think we should book to get the best price?

盧佩：對，我正想問你旅行費用呢，我之前帶的錢都不太夠，所以今年我要多準備些錢。確保我在旅行中有足夠的錢花。我們先說機票錢吧，你認爲我們今年的機票錢會花多少錢？你覺得什麼時候能訂到最優惠的機票？

Kara: Well, flights right now are running about two hundred dollars per person round trip and that includes taxes and everything, but of course the closer it gets to the date of when we're gonna go the less seats are available so they're priced higher. So, I think it's best to book at least two months before we leave and we're gonna be paying probably around two hundred dollars.

卡拉：現在訂的話，往返機票費用大概是每個人200美元，這是含稅價格，離出發日期越近，餘位就越少，所以價格也會越高。所以我覺得我們最好在出發前兩個月訂機票，這樣的話我們每個人的機票費用大概是200美元。

Lupe: Sounds good. I think I'll have the money ready by then. So what do you think we're gonna do about hotel this year? There are gonna be six girls going so I'm thinking we can afford something a little bit more expensive this year, maybe get a nicer room, try new hotels.

盧佩：聽起來不錯。我認爲到時候我能把錢準備好。那你認爲今年酒店要怎麼辦？這次一共有6個女孩，所以我覺得我們今年可以負擔得起稍貴一些的酒店，我們可以找間好點的房間，可以試試新的酒店。

Kara: Yeah, that's true. It's being split between the six of us. We normally budget between a hundred and a hundred and seventy-five dollars per person and that's for three nights. So I think it will be around that range: a hundred, about a hundred and fifty, give or so a little bit.

卡拉：對，沒錯。我們今年是六個人分攤費用。按入住三個晚上來說，一般我們的預算是每個人100美元至175美元。我認爲今年的預算大概在100美元至150美元左右。

Lupe: I think the hardest part about saving money for this trip is because of how much shopping we do, so I think I really need to save the extra money for that because I know we like to spend a lot of money on shopping and also eating out. We've been wanting to do nicer restaurants so how much do you plan on bringing this year?

盧佩：我覺得最難的就是爲旅行存錢，因爲不能確定我們會在購物上花多少錢，所以我想今年準備出備用的錢，因爲我們會花很多錢買東西和外出用餐。我們一直想去好一點的餐廳吃飯，你今年的預算是多少錢？

Kara: Well, it's hard to say really. We also have to take into account cabs and the gambling we want to do. My normal rule of thumb when I go to Las Vegas is to at least bring a hundred dollars per day, but that doesn't include my money for shopping, so normally to gamble a little bit with, for cabs, and for entrance fees, and shopping is extra on top of that. But that's another problem I've always noticed. People never have change for the cabs. We need to tell everybody to bring one dollar bills and five dollar bills so that they can pay the cabs.

卡拉：現在很難說。我們還要考慮打車錢和花在賭博上的錢。以我的經驗來看，我在拉斯維加斯時每天至少需要100美元，不過這並不包括花在購物上的錢，這筆錢包括了用來賭博的錢、打車錢、門票錢，但是不包括購物費用。我還注意到了一個問題。在打車的時候人們通常都沒有零錢。我們要跟其他人說，讓她們準備一美元紙幣和五美元紙幣，用來付打車錢。

Lupe: Not only for cabs, but you know in Vegas we're constantly having to tips everybody: the people that carry our bags in, the cab drivers, and even bouncers at the doors for the night clubs when we go dancing, so we definitely need to let everybody to know to be prepared and always have a lot of cash on them — exact change to.

盧佩：不僅要付打車錢，我們在拉斯維加斯有很多地方需要付小費：幫我們拿行李的行李員，出租車司機，甚至是我們去跳舞的那家夜店門口的保鏢，我們肯定要讓大家都準備好零錢，而且身上要確保有現金。

Kara: Yeah, or else we end up footing the bill.

卡拉：對，不然我們最後會爲沒有準備買單的。

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重點講解：
1. take into account 考慮到；把…計算在內；
例句：The children didn't take into account the result of what they had done.
孩子們沒有想到他們所作所爲的結果。
2. rule of thumb （根據實際經驗的）粗略估算；經驗之談；
例句：As a rule of thumb, a cup of filter coffee contains about 80mg of caffeine.
憑經驗估計，一杯過濾咖啡約含80毫克咖啡因。
3. on top of 另外；加之；除…之外（還）；
例句：On top of that, I've got one extra bit of good news I think you might want to hear.
除此之外，我還有一個你想要聽到的好消息。
4. or else 否則的話；要不然；
例句：Make sure you are strapped in very well, or else you will fall out.
一定要繫好安全帶，否則會摔出去。
5. end up (in) sth./doing sth. 最終；結果；到頭來；
例句：We talked so long,I end up missing class.
我們談了好久，把課都給誤了。
6. foot the bill 付賬；買單；
例句：Who'll foot the bill for your stupid behaviour?
誰來爲你的荒唐行爲承擔後果?