VOA流行美語 Unit 172:clotheshorse和shell out

Larry和李華今天去逛街買衣服。Larry看到李華買了一大包衣服，簡直吃驚。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：clotheshorse和shell out。

LL: Wow, Li Hua! How many clothes do you need? You're a real clotheshorse, aren't you?

LH: 哎喲！這些衣服都在大減價，不買可惜耶！對了，你又在說我什麼啦？什麼是clotheshorse?

LL: A clotheshorse is someone who is concerned about fashion and likes to collect a lot of clothes.

LH: Clotheshorse就是指愛時髦，喜歡買很多衣服的人。我不覺得我是clotheshorse啊！我來美國唸書後，胖了很多，舊衣服已經穿不下了，所以我才需要買些新衣服嘛！

LL: I think that's just an excuse to go shopping! You don't look like you've gained weight to me.

LH: Larry，是真的，我沒有騙你，我真的胖了不少！

LL: I guess I'll take your word for it. Are you sure you're not a clotheshorse? Didn't you just go shopping a few weeks ago?

LH: 我幾個星期前去買衣服了？ 你弄錯了人吧。我已經有一年多沒有買衣服了！再說，我也不是什麼追求時髦的人，你怎麼能說我是個clotheshorse？

LL: I'm just teasing you. My mother is a true clotheshorse. She has a huge, walk-in closet and it is completely filled with clothes. She loves to buy clothes.

LH: 你媽媽這麼喜歡買衣服啊？難怪她總是打扮的很漂亮，而且她的衣服看來都很新。

LL: It's funny, but my sister didn't inherit my mother's tendencies. She's not a clotheshorse at all.

LH: 你妹妹不喜歡買衣服嗎？ 女孩子不喜歡買衣服，那可不多。

LL: My sister hates going shopping. She would be happy if she could wear the same t-shirt and jeans every day of the year.

LH: 真的？你妹妹寧可每天穿同樣的T恤和牛仔褲？看來，不是每個女人都是clotheshorse。

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LL: Hey, Li Hua, how much money did you shell out to buy clothes today?

LH: Shell out？那是什麼意思？

LL: To shell out money means to pay for something.

LH: 噢，to shell out money就是花錢的意思，你是問我今天花了多少錢買這些衣服？其實每件衣服都打了折扣，所以我沒花太多錢。

LL: I'm just curious how much you have to shell out to fill up that huge shopping bag with women's clothing.

LH: 你好奇？這可奇怪了，你怎麼會突然間對女人衣服的價錢感興趣？你也想買一些啊？

LL: No! I'm just curious, that's all. I've heard that women's clothes are more expensive than men's clothes.

LH: 你只是想知道女裝是不是比男裝貴。其實只要你懂得怎麼找減價的衣服，你並不需要花大筆錢買衣服啊！

LL: Next time I have to buy clothes, I'll ask you for help. I never bother to look for sales and I always end up shelling out more than I should.

LH: 沒問題！買衣服，找折扣品，我最在行了，我一定幫你！

LL: Well, while we're at the mall, why don't you help me find a good deal on a pair of jeans.

LH: 找牛仔褲？沒問題！你通常都花多少錢買一件牛仔褲？

LL: I usually shell out around $40.00.

LH: 40塊啊？我能幫你找到一件20塊的牛仔褲，怎麼樣？

LL: That's awesome!

今天李華學到兩個常用語。一個是clotheshorse，是形容一個講究穿着，喜歡買衣服的人。另一個常用語是shell out，也就是“付出”，尤其指付錢買東西的意思。