VOA流行美語 Unit 28: rip off
今天是星期六，Michael和李華到購物中心去買東西。李華喜歡買衣服，Michael喜歡看電腦, 所以他們決定各自先去買東西，然後中午在吃飯的地方碰頭。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：to rip off和straight answer。
L: 嗨， Michael, 在這兒！
M: Hi, Li Hua! Hey, what did you buy?
L: 今天我真高興，你看，買了那麼多衣服才花了我七十五美元。那 店要關門了，東西全都半價。Michael, 你買了什麼？
M: I bought a pair of tennis shoes. When I bought them, I thought it was a good deal, but later I saw the same pair at another store for much less. I got ripped off.
L: 你買了一雙網球鞋。讓我看看。挺好的嘛！Michael, 你剛才說的 最後一句話我沒有聽懂，什麼是got ripped off? 是不是上當受騙的 意思？
M: Yes, to be ripped off means to be cheated.
L: 你看，我還猜對了。Michael, 你為什麼不把買的網球鞋去退掉， 再到便宜的店去買呢？
M: I wanted to do that, but when I went back to the first store, I saw a sign that said "All Sales are Final". So, I guess there's nothing I can really do about it.
L: 喲，還不讓退貨，這可真倒黴。那你買鞋的時候怎麼沒看見不讓 退貨的牌子呢？
M: I was just too eager to buy these shoes. If you buy something and then find out that it is of poor quality, you can also say you were ripped off.
L: 噢，買了東西后發現質量很差也可以說to be riffed off。對了，我上 個月從網上買了一部DVD電影，可是我在看電影的時候好幾次都卡住 了，害得我連結尾都沒看上。
M: I guess I'm not the only one who got ripped off.
L: 買東西真是要小心。得了，我們去買飯吧！
(Michael和李華吃完飯以後)
L: 時間不早了，該回去了。搭地鐵去吧！
M: Sure! That was fun, Li Hua, but I have to stop spending so much money.
L: 我也不該花那麼多錢。嗨，Michael, 你不是申請去一個公司實習， 他們會付你一些工資的嗎？那他們有沒有決定要僱用你啊？
M: No, they just keep telling me that they will let me know soon. I wish the company would just give me a straight answer.
L: Straight answer? 是什麼意思啊？
M: Well, if you are looking for a straight answer, that means you want someone to give you a direct answer and tell you the truth.
L: 噢，straight answer就是直接了當，或者是實事求是的回答。
M: That's right. For instance, I could see that my last roommate was unhappy living in our apartment, I asked him why, but I could never get him to give me a straight answer.
L: 為什麼你以前同宿舍的人既不高興和你住在一起可是又不告訴你 真正的原因呢？後來他不是搬出去了嗎？
M: Yes, he did give me a straight answer after he moved out. It turned out he wanted to move in with his girlfriend.
L: 他搬出去以後才老實地告訴你他是要搬去和女朋友一起住。 我 還以為他不喜歡你把屋子弄得亂糟糟的呢。
M: Li Hua, I think you are the only one who is bothered by that. Well, this is our stop. Do you still want to come over to my messy apartment? Give me a straight answer.
L: 我才不信只有我一個人批評你把屋子弄得亂七八糟。不管你家亂 不亂，我當然得去呀，我的書還在你哪裡嘛！
今天李華學到兩個常用語，一個是：to rip off，意思是受騙，上當；另一個是：straight answer，意思是坦率，老實的回答。 這次[流行美語]就到此結束，我們下次再見。
