L:嗨， Michael, 在这儿！

M:Hi, Li Hua! Hey, what did you buy?

L:今天我真高兴，你看，买了那么多衣服才花了我七十五美元。那店要关门了，东西全都半价。Michael, 你买了什么？

M:I bought a pair of tennis shoes. When I bought them, I thought it was a good deal, but later I saw the same pair at another store for much less. I got ripped off.

L:你买了一双网球鞋。让我看看。挺好的嘛！Michael, 你刚才说的最后一句话我没有听懂，什么是got ripped off? 是不是上当受骗的意思？

M:Yes, to be ripped off means to be cheated.

L:你看，我还猜对了。Michael, 你为什么不把买的网球鞋去退掉，再到便宜的店去买呢？

M:I wanted to do that, but when I went back to the first store, I saw a sign that said "All Sales are Final". So, I guess there's nothing I can really do about it.

L:哟，还不让退货，这可真倒霉。那你买鞋的时候怎么没看见不让退货的牌子呢？

M:I was just too eager to buy these shoes. If you buy something and then find out that it is of poor quality, you can also say you were ripped off.

L:噢，买了东西后发现质量很差也可以说to be riffed off。对了，我上个月从网上买了一部DVD电影，可是我在看电影的时候好几次都卡住了，害得我连结尾都没看上。

M:I guess I'm not the only one who got ripped off.

L:买东西真是要小心。得了，我们去买饭吧！

(Michael和李华吃完饭以后)

L:时间不早了，该回去了。搭地铁去吧！

M:Sure! That was fun, Li Hua, but I have to stop spending so much money.

L:我也不该花那么多钱。嗨，Michael, 你不是申请去一个公司实习，他们会付你一些工资的吗？那他们有没有决定要雇用你啊？

M:No, they just keep telling me that they will let me know soon. I wish the company would just give me a straight answer.

L:Straight answer? 是什么意思啊？

M:Well, if you are looking for a straight answer, that means you want someone to give you a direct answer and tell you the truth.

L:噢，straight answer就是直接了当，或者是实事求是的回答。

M:That's right. For instance, I could see that my last roommate was unhappy living in our apartment, I asked him why, but I could never get him to give me a straight answer.

L:为什么你以前同宿舍的人既不高兴和你住在一起可是又不告诉你真正的原因呢？后来他不是搬出去了吗？

M:Yes, he did give me a straight answer after he moved out. It turned out he wanted to move in with his girlfriend.

L:他搬出去以后才老实地告诉你他是要搬去和女朋友一起住。 我还以为他不喜欢你把屋子弄得乱糟糟的呢。

M:Li Hua, I think you are the only one who is bothered by that. Well, this is our stop. Do you still want to come over to my messy apartment? Give me a straight answer.

L:我才不信只有我一个人批评你把屋子弄得乱七八糟。不管你家乱不乱，我当然得去呀，我的书还在你哪里嘛！

今天李华学到两个常用语，一个是：to rip off，意思是受骗，上当；另一个是：straight answer，意思是坦率，老实的回答。 这次[流行美语]就到此结束，我们下次再见。
　

• instance [´instəns]   n.例子，实例，例证   (初中英语单词)
• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi]   a.不幸的；不快乐的   (初中英语单词)
• apartment [ə´pɑ:tmənt]   n.一套房间   (初中英语单词)
• tennis [´tenis]   n.网球(运动)   (高中英语单词)