The english we speak(BBC教學)第81期:Quids in 賺錢

Rob: Hi! I'm Rob. And this is Helen!

羅布：大家好！我是羅布，這是海倫！

Helen: Hello.

海倫：大家好。

Rob: Now come on Helen, we've no time to waste. This jumble sale has nearly finished and we haven't got any bargains yet.

羅布：海倫，快點，我們沒有時間可以浪費了。舊貨義賣活動馬上就要結束了，我們還沒買到便宜貨呢。

Helen: Yes, all I've bought is an old teddy bear and a hat with a hole in it. A jumble sale is a great place to pick up some second-hand goods but make sure they are things you want! So what are you looking for Rob?

海倫：對，我只買了一隻舊的泰迪熊，一個有洞的帽子。舊貨義賣真是個買二手貨品的好地方，但是要確保那是你需要的東西！羅布，你在找什麼？

Rob: Some antique pots and vases. Then I can sell it to someone else and I'll be quids in!

羅布：一些古董花盆和花瓶。然後我可以把它們賣給其他人，這樣我就會賺很多錢！

Helen: What? Quids in? What a strange saying.

海倫：什麼？進錢？好奇怪的說法。

Rob: It means I'll be in profit - or I will have made or saved some money through some kind of financial transaction.

羅布：意思是我會賺錢，或者說是我會通過某種金融交易來賺到錢。

Helen: I like the sound of that. But did you say squids in - like the creature in the sea - a squid?

海倫：我喜歡這個聲音。但是你剛剛說魷魚，就是海里的那個生物嗎，魷魚？

Rob: No Helen, the word is quids - it's a slang word for pounds. A quid is ￡1. You might hear people talking about it like this:

羅布：不是的，海倫，那個單詞是quids，是英鎊的俚語說法。1quid就是1英鎊。你可能會聽到人們這麼說：

I'm broke so can you lend me a quid to buy a cup of tea - please?

我沒錢了，你能借我一英鎊買杯咖啡嗎？

Come on ladies, who wants these lovely strawberries? Only two quid a box.

歡迎女士們，誰想要這些可愛的草莓？一箱只要2英鎊。

Rob: So a quid is a pound and if I am quids in it means I will have made some extra pounds sterling.

羅布：那是一英鎊的意思，如果我投進英鎊，意思就是我會得到更多的英鎊。

Helen: Ah! Why didn't you say? Quids in means you could be rich!

海倫：啊！你爲什麼沒說？那是你可能會變得富有的意思！

Rob: Possibly. Let's hear some other people who are hoping to be quids in:

羅布：可能。我們來聽聽其他想賺錢的人的用法：

If we complete this deal, we'll be quids in!

如果我們完成這筆交易，我們會賺很多錢！

With such a good exchange rate you'll be quids in when you go abroad on holiday.

現在匯率這麼好，你出國度假時會大賺一筆的。

I paid ￡50 for it but sold it for ￡60 so I'm quids in!

我花50英鎊買了這個，然後用60英鎊的價格賣了出去，所以我賺了個差價！

Helen: OK Rob, if we're going to be quids in today we need to get buying things.

海倫：好的，羅布，如果今天我們想賺錢，那我們就需要買一些東西。

Rob: Did I say 'we'? Anyway, look at this old vase - it's only ￡10. I could clean it up and sell it for ￡20.

羅布：我有說過我們嗎？不管怎麼樣，看看這些古董花瓶，只要10英鎊。我可以把它清理乾淨然後用20英鎊的價格賣出去。

Helen: Sounds fantastic. We really would be quids in then. Come on then let's buy it.

海倫：聽起來真棒。然後我們就能賺到錢了。來吧，我們買了吧。

Rob: Right OK, I've got my bargain for today, let's go home.

羅布：好的。今天我買到了便宜貨，我們回家吧。

Helen: Rob watch that step!

海倫：羅布，小心臺階！

Rob: Whoa! Oh no, my vase - it's broken.

羅布：啊！噢不，我的花瓶，碎了。

Helen: Oh! Do you think you'll be able to get ￡20 for it now?

海倫：哦！你認爲現在你還能賺到那20英鎊嗎？

Rob: No, I won't even get a penny.

羅布：不能，我一便士也賺不到了。

Helen: Rob won't be making a profit on selling his old vase now it's broken. He'll be quids out!

海倫：羅布現在不能通過賣掉古董花瓶掙錢了，因爲花瓶碎了。他損失了錢財！

Rob: Sorry, what did you say?

羅布：抱歉，你剛剛說什麼？

Helen: Is there such an expression as being quids out?

海倫：有沒有像quids out這種表達？

Rob: No there isn't! But there is an expression about being out of pocket.

羅布：沒有！但是有賠錢這種說法。

Helen: Hmm, I think we'll leave that for another day. Come on Rob I'll buy you a drink to cheer you up.

海倫：嗯，我想我們在另一期節目中再探討這個短語吧。羅布，來吧，我給你買杯飲料，讓你振作一下。

Rob: Thanks Helen. See you next time on The English We Speak. Bye.

羅布：謝謝你，海倫。下期我們說的英語節目再見。再見。

Helen: Bye!

海倫：再見！

重點講解：
1. second-hand
二手的；用過的；舊的；
eg. Buying a second-hand car can be a risky business.
買二手車可能有風險。
eg. I got this book by chance at a second - hand bookshop.
我趕巧在一家舊書店裏買到這本書。
2. be quids in
手頭餘下很多錢；賺了更多的錢；
eg. Still, we were quids in, we didn't care!
不過我們還有不少錢，纔不在乎呢！
eg. Having sold the film and TV rights to his new best seller he's absolutely quids in.
他售出了最新暢銷小說的電影和電視版權，現在就等坐收厚利了。
3. clean up
清理，清除（污染物）；把……弄乾淨；
eg. You should always clean up the room.
你應該經常清理房間。
eg. Let me clean up the broken glass before someone walks on it.
我來把碎玻璃掃掉，以免有人踩到。
4. out of pocket
缺錢；賠錢；
eg. ey were well out of pocket — they had spent far more in Hollywood than he had earned.
他們非常缺錢——他們在好萊塢的花費已經遠遠超出了他的收入。
eg. Statements with errors could still be going out, but customers who notify us will not be left out of pocket.
存在錯誤的結算單仍有可能發送出去，但告知我們的客戶將不會遭受損失。
5. cheer up
（使）高興起來；（使）振作起來；
eg. I wrote that song just to cheer myself up.
我寫那首歌是給我自己打氣的。
eg. Cheer up, better times may be ahead.
打起精神來，好日子也許還在後頭呢。