像美國人一樣說英語第8期:Ted forms a rock band

Susan: you’re in good spirits today, Ted.
Ted: I’ve got great news, Mom.
Susan: what is it?
Ted: Amber and I are going to start a rock band!
Susan: good for you!
Ted: Mom, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I need to borrow $1,000 for a new guitar.
Susan: Ted, your father and I can’t shell out that much. We aren’t made of money.
Ted: you’re not. I thought you were millionaires, like Donald and Ivana Trump!
Susan: ha ha. This is no time to be a wise guy.
Ted: I promise I’ll pay you back.
Susan: how?
Ted: we’re going to take the music world by storm and make lots of money.
Susan: that sounds like a pipe dream. Aren’t high school rock bands a dime a dozen?
Ted: yeah, but we are different. With my guitar playing and Amber’s beautiful voice, we’re sure to make a splash.
Susan: well, we are going through hard times. You are going to have to work for that $1,000.
Ted: how?
Susan: you can bake cookies.
Ted: I bet Mrs. Clapton never made Eric bake cookies, but I guess those are the brakes.

To beat around the bush: to talk around the subject; to avoid getting to the point拐彎抹角地談論一件事，旁敲側擊，兜圈子，不直截了當地說，不直接談正題；遲遲不作決定
Why should you beat about the bush when asking for better wages?
你要求加薪又何必拐彎抹角呢?

Dime a dozen: so plentiful as to be nothing special; common 多得很，不稀罕，不值錢

Good for you: good job! Well done! 很好!

Hard times: a time of difficulty 低潮，不景氣，

To be in good spirits: happy, in a good mood 精神抖擻，情緒很好

Made of money: very rich 很富有

To make a splash: to win popularity very quickly 引起轟動

To pay someone back: to repay a loan or debt 還債

Pipe dream: an unrealistic hope幻想;空想;白日夢
Father's plan to build a forest cabin by the lake was just a pipe dream.
父親想在湖濱築一林中小屋的計劃不過是個美夢罷了。

To shell out: to pay付款
We agreed to share the cost but later he wouldn't shell out.
我們原先同意均攤費用,但後來他卻不肯付錢。

To take sth by storm: to win popularity quickly使神魂顛倒;完全征服(觀衆等)
The Beatles took the pop music world by storm.
披頭士令流行音樂界傾倒。

重點單詞查看全部解釋avoid[ə'vɔid]

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vt. 避免，逃避

聯想記憶X單詞avoid聯想記憶：
a朝向，void空－空城計－避開

plentiful['plentifəl]

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adj. 豐富的，多的，充裕的

popularity[.pɔpju'læriti]

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n. 普及，流行，名望，受歡迎

聯想記憶X單詞popularity聯想記憶：
popular流行+ity→大衆性；流行

shell[ʃel]

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n. 殼，外殼
v. 去殼，脫落，拾貝殼

band[bænd]

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n. 帶，箍，波段
n. 隊，一羣，樂隊 guitar[gi'tɑ:]

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n. 吉他

beat[bi:t]

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v. 打敗，戰勝，打，敲打，跳動
n. 敲打，

loan[ləun]

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n. 貸款，借出，債權人
v. 借，供應貨款，

unrealistic[.ʌnriə'listik]

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adj. 不切實際的，不實在的