公共英语考试二级口语经典对话
L: You want to buy him a skiing video game? I think you're right on the money. Great idea!
LH: Right on the money? 什么意思?你让我付钱买礼物么?
L: Actually, when you say that something is right on the money, that means it is exactly right.
LH: 哦，right on the money就是“完全正确”的意思。你是说，我提出给Tom买滑雪游戏是个特别好的主意，对不对?
L: Exactly. Here is another example. When Erica went to visit Karen she wasn't sure which apartment number was hers. Luckily her guess was right on the money.
LH: 我明白了。Erica不肯定Karen家的门牌号码，可是她一猜就猜中了，这就叫right on the money.
L: Exactly! You're right on the money.
LH: 那可不!咱们去电器商场买游戏吧!对了，那家店在哪儿来着?是在14街上么?
L: Yup, you're right on the money. There is a big electronics store there.
LH: 那我们怎么去呢?
L: There is a metro station nearby, so I think that will be the most convenient way.
LH: 对，附近是有地铁。是地铁的哪条线来着?绿线么?
L: Yup, you're right on the money again. It's the green line.
L: Larry, 这种滑雪游戏好像是新上市的，会不会很贵啊?得50块钱吧?
LH: Wow Lihua, good guess! You're right on the money. The most popular skiing video game is $49.99.
L: 哈!我今天怎么猜什么都那么准啊! 那我再猜猜，你买这个游戏给Tom, 其实是想和他一起玩儿吧?
LH: Actually, Lihua, you're right on the money!
******
Larry和李华正在商场的电子游戏区选游戏。
LH: Larry， 这里至少有10种滑雪游戏!咱们买哪个啊?
L: Hmmm ... I don't know. Maybe we could ask a store employee to recommend one.
LH: 找店员问?他肯定给你推荐最贵的， 而且还不一定好!
L: I guess you're right. Since we don't have any idea which games are good, it's really just a crapshoot.
LH: A crapshoot? 什么意思?
L: A crapshoot is something that depends totally on luck.
LH: 哦，crapshoot就是完全靠运气的事情。
L: Exactly. For example, becoming a movie star is extremely competitive. Even if you're a good actor, it's still mostly a crapshoot.
LH: 对，想成为电影明星很难，即使你有表演天赋，这也基本上是撞大运的事儿。
L: You got it.
LH: Larry，这里的游戏都好贵啊，要不咱们去别的店看看，也许有便宜点的?
L: Maybe, but there isn't any way to know which store would be cheaper. It would really be just a crapshoot.
LH: 这倒也是。对了，Tom家的游戏机是什么牌子的啊?任天堂?索尼?还是X-Box?
L: Hmm ... I have no idea.
LH: 啊?你不知道牌子，那怎么买游戏啊。万一型号对不上，就没法玩儿啦。
L: Well, we will just have to guess. It will be a crapshoot, but he can always exchange it later.
LH: 那多麻烦。要不我们送给Tom一张购物券吧，让他自己随便买点什么。反正我们也不是很确定他会喜欢滑雪游戏。
L: Well, it's not a total crapshoot. We know he likes skiing and video games, so it's likely he will like this gift.
LH: 我说 Larry, 你对Tom的生日礼物可真上心啊! 我猜，等到给我买生日礼物的时候，你一定会花更多的心思!
L: Of course, Lihua. You're right on the money!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是right on the money, 表示完全正确。另一是crapshoot, 意思是全凭运气的事。
对话九
Larry和李华一起去看职业棒球赛。今天我们要学两个常用语：a drop in the bucket和a flash in the pan.
LH: Larry, 世界杯结束了，咱们该看棒球了吧?我估计，棒球比赛肯定没有世界杯那么紧张。
L: I agree. Baseball games are much slower, and each game isn't very important.
LH: 对。每个队一年要打162场比赛，所以输个一两场的没什么问题。不像世界杯，输一场比赛就被淘汰!
L: You're exactly right. Each game is just a drop in the bucket.
LH: A drop in the bucket? 这是什么意思?
L; You can say that something is just a drop in the bucket if it is only a very small or insignificant part of something else.
LH: 哦，a drop in the bucket就好比一桶水里的一个水滴，指无关紧要。我们中文里把这个叫沧海一粟。
L: Right! Here is another example. Joe donated $20 to help people in Haiti after the earthquake, even though $20 was just a drop in the bucket.
LH: 海地地震后，Joe给灾民捐了20美元，尽管这只是很小的一笔钱。
L: Exactly. So Lihua, you're going to support the Nationals, right? They've got a great new pitcher named Stephen Strasburg.
LH: 我听说这个新投手特别棒! 不过 Larry, the Nationals去年打得那么差，换个新投手真能管用么?
L: Yeah, he is probably just a drop in the bucket, but if the Nationals can get some more good players they might be better in a couple years.
LH: 这么说，我们买票的钱就可以被用来聘请优秀的棒球队员喽?