瘋漲的油價

話說史蒂芬妮自從入職BZ之后兢兢業業，連個像樣的假期都沒有。不過好事總是多磨，她這邊才下定決心要跟朋友出去度假放松，那邊又聽說油價漲了，讓她的出游預算又增加了不少。看來油價漲漲跌跌，不僅讓經濟學家們撓破腦袋，也讓小市民們大傷腦筋啊。

Stephanie: I can’t wait for this day to end. Bring on the weekend!

Brian: Got something special planned?

Stephanie: Sure do. I’ve hired a car. I’m heading to Vermont for the weekend with three friends.

Brian: Oh， you’ll love it there. There are some great

spa resorts.

Stephanie: Yup， that’s what we’ve booked. Two days of peace and 1)pampering. I can’t wait. ①Could this day go

any slower?

Brian: I’ve never seen you so 2)antsy. Anyone would think you’ve never had a holiday before.

Stephanie: Well， it is my first getaway since I started here. I can’t really call it a holiday， ②just a chance to let my

hair down.

Brian: Just be careful driving. There are lots of 3)moose on the roads in that area. (Reading a report) Oh， would you look at that?

Stephanie: What’s up?

Brian: I just got this report from the company’s transportation contractor. They’re asking for a 2 percent increase in the contract price to 4)compensate for the rising oil prices.

Stephanie: Gee， I need to pay more attention to the headlines. ③Oil is on the rise again?

Brian: Seems to always be.

Stephanie: Two percent is reasonable， right?

Brian: Yeah. But with the amount of transportation we do， it’s going to have wide spread affect on the company. The executives won’t be pleased. Looks like it’ll affect your weekend getaway.

Stephanie: What do you mean?

Brian: Well， you do have to put fuel in that hire car of yours.

Stephanie: Oh! I didn’t even think about that. ④I hope that doesn’t completely blow my budget out.

Brian: Might be better off staying in this weekend.

Stephanie: No way! ⑤Rain， hail or shine—I’m getting out of the city.

史蒂芬妮:我真巴不得今天快點結束。周末快到啦!

布萊恩:你有什么特別的計劃嗎?

史蒂芬妮:當然啦。我租了輛車，打算跟三個朋友去佛蒙特州度周末。

布萊恩:噢，你會喜歡那兒的。那里有好幾處溫泉勝地。

史蒂芬妮:對，我們已經預訂了。這該是多么平靜祥和的兩天假期啊!我都快等不及了。這時間怎么就不能走快點?

布萊恩:我從沒見過你這么焦躁不安。其他人看了還以為你從沒放過假呢。

史蒂芬妮:呃，這的確是我做這份工作以來第一次外出度假。它甚至都稱不上是度假，只是個讓我放松一下的機會而已。

布萊恩:開車小心點。那邊經常有駝鹿在路上出沒。(閱讀一份報告)啊，你過來看看好嗎?

史蒂芬妮:怎么了?

布萊恩:我剛拿到這份公司貨運承包商發過來的報告。他們要求在原來的合同價格上再加百分之二，以補償最近不斷上漲的油價。

史蒂芬妮:天，我真該多關心一下新聞。油價又漲了?

布萊恩:好像它一直在漲。

史蒂芬妮:加個百分之二的要求還是比較合理的，對吧?

布萊恩:對。但考慮到我們公司的貨運數量，(上漲百分之二)對公司的影響還是很大的。老板們肯定不會高興的。這看起來還會影響你的周末出游哦。

史蒂芬妮:什么意思?

布萊恩:那個，你不是得為那輛租來的車加油嘛。

史蒂芬妮:哦!我都還沒想到那個。我只希望那不要超出我的預算就好。

布萊恩:可能這個周末呆在家里會好一些。

史蒂芬妮:沒門兒!不管它是下雨、下冰雹還是出太陽，我一定要離開這個城市。

Smart Sentences

① Could this day go any slower? 這時間怎么就不能走

快點?

Could this day go any slower? = Why does today go so slow?

Could this day go any slower?: used to express impatience of time(用以表達對時間的不耐煩)。例如:

Could this day go any slower? I can’t wait to go to Disneyland.

時間能不能走快點?我都迫不及待地要去迪斯尼樂園了。

② Just a chance to let my hair down. 只是個讓我放松一下的機會而已。

let one’s hair down: relax completely and enjoy yourself(完全放松)。例如:

Not everyone can let their hair down during holidays.

假日期間，并不是所有人都可以完全放松。

③ Oil is on the rise again? 油價又漲了?

on the rise: price， worth or quantity is going up(價格、價值和數量等正在上升)。例如:

The temperature has been on the rise recently.

最近氣溫一直在上升。

④ I hope that doesn’t completely blow my budget out. 我只希望那不要超出我的預算就好。

blow sth. out/blow out sth.: make sth. a mess(破壞某事，把某事弄得一團糟)。例如:

Jane’s resignation really blew out my project.

簡的辭職把我的項目搞得一團糟。

⑤ Rain， hail or shine. 不管它是下雨、下冰雹還是出太陽。

rain， hail or shine: sth. will happen without being affected by the weather or other circumstances(不論雨晴，不論何種情況)。例如:

The graduation will be held on Monday. Rain， hail or shine.

不管出現什么情況，畢業典禮都會在周一舉行。