当商场里人潮涌动时,高兴的不仅仅是商家,小偷也乐坏了,可以说是“窃”机无限。所以年终购物时千万得多留一个心眼,搞不好站在你旁边对着你笑的那个人,此时正把手伸进你的口袋里。
发音：美式发音+澳式发音 语速：160词/分钟 使用方法：精听+角色扮演
Heidi: How was your morning?
Dave: Don’t ask. I had the Customer from Hell.
Heidi: Oh, that sucks.
Dave: Yeah, I thought she was never going to leave. ①She really put a dampener on my day.
Heidi: Don’t worry about it. This time of year, it’s 1)bound to happen. Everyone is 2)tense. Just put it out of your mind because we have some serious Christmas shopping to do.
Dave: Yeah, about that, we have to make it quick. I can’t leave the store for too long. ②I’ve left a couple of juniors to hold down the 3)fort.
Heidi: They’ll be fine. OK, so what’s on your list? I’ve got to get some 4)perfume for mum, something for dad—I’m thinking a new coffee machine—and I have no idea what to get my brothers.
Dave: I thought you were getting them tickets to that concert next year?
Heidi: Yeah, I was going to, but it’s sold out already.
Dave: ③Bummer.
Heidi: I know. ④So, I’m back at square one. Maybe they’d like an X-station game?
Dave: It’s called an X-box, and I’m pretty sure they have all the latest games. But we can still check out the store. It’s just over there…whoa, look at the crowds. The place is 5)packed.
Heidi: Well, what do you expect? Christmas is two days away. And kids love their video games.
Dave: OK, let’s quickly 6)pop upstairs then we can come back. I want to get my mum a voucher to her favourite clothes shop.
Heidi: A voucher? That’s so 7)impersonal.
Dave: Would you rather I picked out a dress for her?
Heidi: You make a good point.
Dave: Wait up, I might need to go to an ATM, I’m not sure I have enough cash on me. Shit.
Heidi: What?
Dave: My wallet. It was in my pocket. It’s gone.
Heidi: This is not the time for practical jokes, Dave. Are you serious?
Dave: Deadly. Crap. ⑤Well, there goes Christmas.
Heidi: It’s OK, we’ll go to the bank and cancel your cards and then go and report it to the police.
Shopper: Excuse me, sir. Sorry. Hi, I saw what just happened. I was sitting over there and saw a guy 8)slip your wallet out of your pocket and 9)bolt.
Dave: Did you get a good look at him?
海蒂:你上午过得怎样?
戴夫:别问了。我碰到个简直像是地狱来的顾客。
海蒂:噢,那可真糟糕。
戴夫:是啊,我觉得她像是要永远纠缠下去的样子。我一整天的兴致都让她给破坏了。
海蒂:别烦心了。每年这个时候难免会发生这些事的。每个人神经都绷得紧紧的。忘了它吧,因为我们今天还有重要的圣诞购物行动呢。
戴夫:是啊,关于这个,我们得速战速决。我不能离开店里太久。现在只有一帮新手在那儿看店。
海蒂:他们应付得来的。行,你的购物单上有什么?我要给妈妈买香水,还有爸爸的礼物——我在考虑买一台咖啡机——但我还没想到给我那些兄弟买些什么。
戴夫:我以为你要送他们明年演唱会的票。
海蒂:是的,我本来打算买的,可是票已经卖光了。
戴夫:唉!
海蒂:我知道。所以,我又回到了原点。或许他们会喜欢X-station 系列游戏?
戴夫:是叫X-box,而且我很肯定他们已经有最新款的游戏了。不过我们还是在店里再找找看吧。就在那……哇,看那人群,那儿挤满了人。
海蒂:当然了,你还希望怎样?还有两天就是圣诞节了。而小孩子最喜欢电子游戏了。
戴夫:好的,那我们先赶快到楼上看看,然后我们再折回来。我想帮我妈弄一张她最喜欢的服装店的购物优惠券。
海蒂:一张购物优惠券?这可太没人情
味了。
戴夫:那你觉得我直接帮她选套衣服更好?
海蒂:这主意不错。
戴夫:等等,我可能得先去自动柜员机提个款,我今天可能没带足现金。天啊!
海蒂:怎么了?
戴夫:我的钱包。刚刚还在我的口袋里,这会儿不见了。
海蒂:这可不是开玩笑的时候,戴夫。你说的是真的吗?
戴夫:千真万确。糟透了。得,这个圣诞节完了。
海蒂:没事的。我们先去银行,冻结你的银行卡账户,然后再到警察局报案。
购物者:打扰一下,先生。不好意思。嗨,我目睹了刚刚发生的那一切。我就坐在那儿,看到一个小伙子从你的口袋里偷走了钱包,然后拔腿就跑。
戴夫:你有看清楚他的样子吗?
Smart Sentences
① He really put a dampener on my day. 我一整天的兴致都让他给破坏了。
put a dampener on sth.: attempt to stop sth. being as successful as it should be(使人扫兴)。例如:
The cold weather really put a dampener on our celebration last night.
寒冷的天气确实让我们昨晚的庆祝活动有些扫兴。
② I’ve left a couple of juniors to hold down the fort. 现在只有一帮新手在那儿看店。
hold down the fort: look after things for sb. when she/he is not available(代为处理事务)。例如:
My business partner will hold down the fort for me when I’m on vacation.
在我度假期间,我的合作伙伴代替我处理一切事务。
③ Bummer. 唉!
bummer: used after hearing an unpleasant and annoying news(在听到不愉快或恼人的消息后用)。例如:
—Pam called and she can’t come tonight.
帕姆来电话了,她今晚不能来。
—Bummer.
唉。
④ So, I’m back at square one. 所以,我又回到了原点。
back at square one: have to deal with sth. from the beginning because previous effort failed(前功尽弃,回到起点)。例如:
The sales data can’t be recovered. So we are back at square one.
销售数据无法恢复,所以我们回到了起点。
⑤ Well, there goes Christmas. 得,这个圣诞节完了。
there goes sth.: used to indicate that sth. has been ruined(表明某事被弄糟/破坏)。例如:
—Honey, there will be a storm tomorrow.
亲爱的,明天会有一场暴风雨。
—Great, there goes the picnic.
得,野餐计划泡汤了。