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雅思词汇解析,释义到用法,清清楚楚
每一次的进步,都是来自点点滴滴的积累
本周我们来聊聊和钱相关的话题。
1. peanut /'piːnʌt/
嗯嗯嗯?所以花生和钱有什么关系呢?一起来看看!
e.g. Five billion dollars is peanuts compared to what the government spends each year. 相比政府每年的开支,五十亿美元不算什么。
Peanuts 这里指的是: a very small amount of money. 而且注意下多用做复数形式。
e.g. He works all day for peanuts. 努力搬砖但赚的钱还不够打酱油的感觉?
顺便来看一个本季度P3的口语话题:Is it expensive to decorate a house or an apartment in the place where you live?
怎么说呢?比起买房,装潢那点钱根本不算什么好吗?
The cost of decoration and furnishings is just peanuts compared to a new apartment!
2. meager /ˈmi:gə/
adj. (of amounts or numbers) very small or not enough 过少的;不足的
如:meager salaries / income 微薄的工资。
刚才讲的peanuts 指的是钱方面的不足,meager会更多样一些。
e.g. They existed on a meager diet. 靠少量食物为生。
再来看一个口话题:Do you prefer living in an old building or a modern house?
不选old buildings的原因如:In most of old buildings, the furniture was meager, basic, and worn out. 家具都很简陋并且破旧不堪。
3. make (both)ends meet
earn enough to pay your living expenses 使收支相抵;足够维持生活.
所以这里的两个ends 就可以多被理解为:income and expenses
e.g. With the rising cost of living, I have to work three jobs to make ends meet. 随着生活成本的上升,我必须要打三份共才能勉强收支平衡。
注:cost of living 生活成本
同样是口语话题中,涉及到城市生活的弊端,people in big cities lead a busy life and they have to work so hard to make both ends meet.
4. broke /brəʊk/
adj. : not having any money一文不名;身无分文
注意不要和broken 混淆。
e.g. I can't afford to go on holiday this year - I'm broke.
也可以是 flat broke, flat 用作副词,表示完全;断然。
当然表示很穷还有其他表达,如strapped, penniless, live paycheck to paycheck(我们常说的月光族)
另外还有一个感觉被冒犯的短语: working poor (一天到晚瞎忙又不赚钱的群体)
说回broke, 也指公司破产倒闭等。
Many small businesses went broke during the recession. 经济衰退下很多小公司倒闭了。
破产的:go broke/ bankrupt/ under