VOA流行美語 Unit 176:set of wheels和the pits

今天是星期一，Larry和李華約好上完課一塊兒吃午飯。Larry告訴李華他週末做了些什麼事。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：set of wheels和the pits。

LL: Bob gave me a ride in his new set of wheels on Saturday. That car is so awesome. It rides like a dream!

LH: 你說Bob讓你坐他新的什麼？Set of wheels？你是在說Bob的新車吧？

LL: Yeah. "Set of wheels" or just "wheels" is a slang term for car. Or you can just say wheels. Bob's new wheels are really cool.

LH: 噢，所以set of wheels或者wheels都可以用來指汽車。對了，Bob有沒有告訴你，他花了多少錢買那輛新車？

LL: He didn't say and I thought it would be rude to ask; but I know that a car like that costs at least $35,000.

LH: 那樣的車至少要三萬五千美元？那可真是一大筆錢哪！

LL: I suppose it's worth it if you have that much money to spend. For people like us, who are still studying, it seems like a lot of money.

LH: 是啊，像我們這種窮學生，對這麼貴的車，可是想都不敢想。不過，Bob有一份好工作，錢賺的多，所以才能買這麼貴的車。

LL: Just imagine, in a few years, you and I will be able to afford wheels like that.

LH: 嗯，就算以後我能賺這麼多錢，我大概也不會用來買那樣的車。

LL: Why not? I'd buy a set of wheels like that if I had enough money.

LH: 我認爲你不必花那麼多錢就能買輛不錯的汽車，而且你還可以把剩下的錢買別的東西，像是買房子啊！

LL: That's true. I guess it depends on your priorities. If it's really important to you to have a fancy set of wheels, then it seems worth it.

LH: 每個人的優先考慮都不一樣，如果有一輛豪華車對你來說是重要的，那就值得。我呀，寧可把錢存起來，或用在其他東西上。

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LL: Bob got into an accident and ruined his new car. Isn't that the pits?

LH: 啊！Bob撞車啦！好可怕， 那他受傷了嗎？

LL: He had minor infuries, but he'll be okay.

LH: 噢，受了輕傷，那倒還算好。Larry，你剛纔說the pits，那是什麼意思？

LL: If something or someplace is "the pits" it means it is the worst situation or place imaginable.

LH: 噢，the pits，是指最糟糕，最差勁的意思。就是啊，Bob那麼貴的新車就這樣撞爛了，真是太糟糕了！還好他受的傷並不嚴重。

LL: I visited him yesterday and he's kind of depressed. Fortunately, his insurance will pay for a new car.

LH: 你昨天去看他啦？他情緒低是可以想象的。不過，保險公司會出錢幫他買新車，那太好了！那Bob什麼時候可以拿到新車？

LL: He has to special order another car like his and it will take several months. Until then, he won't have a car to drive.

LH: 他爲什麼要定做一輛和他一樣的車呢？這不但要等上好幾個月，而且幾個月沒有車開。That's the pits! 要是我，換一輛車不就行了嗎？

LL: I know. His injuries won't allow him to walk very well and now he doesn't have a car to drive either. That really IS the pits.

LH: 真可憐。Larry，我們可以帶Bob去吃晚飯，讓他開心一點啊！我們可以去學校附近那家新餐館。

LL: No, I tried that place last week and it's really the pits. Let's take him somewhere a bit nicer.

LH: 你說那家餐館很差勁。好吧，那我們就讓Bob自己決定上哪兒吃飯嘍！

今天李華學到兩個常用語。第一個是set of wheels，就是指汽車，你也可以說wheels。另一個常用語是the pits，是指最糟糕，最差勁的意思。