PETS二级考试语法复习精讲（89）
发布时间：2010/12/3 20:33:20 来源：城市学习网 编辑：admin
I haggled him down to $25.
Danielle: I like your new anorak, it looks really expensive, where did you get it - in that upscale sports shop in the mall?
Russell: Well thanks, but no I didn't. I got it in the market.
Danielle: How much did you pay for it?
Russell: Not as much as the man asked for. He wanted $45.
Danielle: That would have been a bit steep, it's almost the shop price.
Russell: I know, but I haggled him down to $25, so I reckon I've got a bit of a bargain.
丹尼利：我喜欢你这件连帽夹克，看来很昂贵，在哪里买的？是不是购物中心那家高级运动用品店？
罗素：谢谢你的欣赏，不过，这件夹克不是在那运动用品店买的，而是在市场里。
丹尼利：你花了多少钱买？
罗素：没有那人开价那么多。他要四十五元。
丹尼利：那未免太贵了，几乎等于商店价钱。
罗素：我知道。但我跟他杀价，降到二十五元。我想想，算是买到便宜货。
罗素说，他跟小贩讲价，把夹克的价钱杀到二十五元：I haggled him down to $25 for the anorak.Haggle即'讲价'，常用于haggle somebody/something down的句式，I haggled the price down即'我把价钱杀了下去'.这个haggle是及物动词（transitive verb）。但haggle也常作不及物动词（intransitive verb），即其后不直接用受词（object），常见说法是haggle with somebody over something，例如：I haggled with him over （the price of ）the anorak, finally getting it for $25.Haggle的一个同义词是dicker，也是不及物动词，例如：（1） I hate to dicker（我不喜欢讲价）。（2） I dickered with him over the refrigerator, trying to beat down the price（我和他讲价，要他降低电冰箱的售价）。Beat down有'杀价'的意思。The price the vendor asked was $45, but I beat it/him down to $25即'那小贩开价四十五元，但我把价钱杀到二十五元'.'价钱太高了'的英文俗语说法是The price is a bit（或pretty）steep/stiff.Steep的原意是'陡峭'，stiff则是'僵硬'，上述用法无非引申原意。最后谈谈upscale一字。这个字是指'适合高消费阶层的'或'价高质优的'，反义词是downscale，等于英式英文的upmarket、downmarket，例如：（1） The publisher has decided to launch an upmarket fashion magazine（出版社决定出版一本高消费阶层的时装杂志）。（2） The shop moved downmarket（那家商店转攻低价市场）。 [NextPage] I've got it on thirty days' free trial.
Alistair: Why are you talking to your computer? Is it lonely?
David: No, don't be silly, I'm trying out some new speech recognition software.
Alistair: How does it work?
David: Well I just speak what I want to say into the microphone and my words appear on the screen. It's magic!
Alistair: It must be very expensive.
David: It's not cheap but I haven't actually paid anything yet.
Alistair: How come?
David: I've got it on thirty days' free trial. If I'm not satisfied with it, I can return it free of charge as long as I do so within 30 days.
阿利斯泰：你为什么跟计算机说话？怕它寂莫吗？
戴维：不是，别胡说。我在试验一种新的声音辨识软件。
阿利斯泰：那是怎样操作的？
戴维：我只须把要说的话向着麦克风说，那些话就会在屏幕上出现，简直是魔术！
阿利斯泰：那一定很昂贵。
戴维：是不便宜。但我至今还未付过一毛钱。
阿利斯泰：为什么？
戴维：我有三十天的免费试用期。假如不满意，可以免费退还，但不能超过三十天。
戴维在试用声音辨识软件，说I'm trying out some speech recognition software.Software是不可数名词（uncountable noun），所以不可说a speech recognition software，只可说some（或a piece of）speech recognition software.Try out是'测试'或'试用'，例如：We decided to try her out to see if she could handle the job（我们决定试用她，看她能不能应付这份工作）。买东西先试用，那 '试用'可用on trial来说，试用期则是trial period，例如：（1） They let me have the camera on trial for two weeks（他们给我试用照相机两个星期）。（2） I found the camera unsatisfactory and sent it back at the end of the trial period（我不满意那照相机，在试用期满，就送回去了）。 Recognition当然是recognize（认得、承认）的名词，The place has changed beyond all recognition即'这地方改变得完全无法辨认了'.Speech recognition这种科技，读者都会听过，不必多说；值得谈谈的，是recognition的另一个意思：赞许、赏识。'赞许'的意思，由'承认（其优点、贡献等）'的原意引申而来，例如：His service to the community is widely recognized/His service to the community has won wide recognition（他为社会服务，获得大众推许）。
