神偷手出沒

當(dāng)商場(chǎng)里人潮涌動(dòng)時(shí)，高興的不僅僅是商家，小偷也樂壞了，可以說是“竊”機(jī)無限。所以年終購物時(shí)千萬得多留一個(gè)心眼，搞不好站在你旁邊對(duì)著你笑的那個(gè)人，此時(shí)正把手伸進(jìn)你的口袋里。

Heidi: How was your morning?

Dave: Don’t ask. I had the Customer from Hell.

Heidi: Oh， that sucks.

Dave: Yeah， I thought she was never going to leave. ①She really put a dampener on my day.

Heidi: Don’t worry about it. This time of year， it’s

1)bound to happen. Everyone is 2)tense. Just put it out of your mind because we have some serious Christmas shopping to do.

Dave: Yeah， about that， we have to make it quick. I can’t leave the store for too long. ②I’ve left a couple of juniors to hold down the 3)fort.

Heidi: They’ll be fine. OK， so what’s on your list? I’ve got to get some 4)perfume for mum， something for dad—I’m thinking a new coffee machine—and I have no idea what to get my brothers.

Dave: I thought you were getting them tickets to that concert next year?

Heidi: Yeah， I was going to， but it’s sold out already.

Dave: ③Bummer.

Heidi: I know. ④So， I’m back at square one. Maybe they’d like an X-station game?

Dave: It’s called an X-box， and I’m pretty sure they have all the latest games. But we can still check out the store. It’s just over there…whoa， look at the crowds. The place is 5)packed.

Heidi: Well， what do you expect? Christmas is two days away. And kids love their video games.

Dave: OK， let’s quickly 6)pop upstairs then we can come back. I want to get my mum a voucher to her favourite clothes shop.

Heidi: A voucher? That’s so 7)impersonal.

Dave: Would you rather I picked out a dress for her?

Heidi: You make a good point.

Dave: Wait up， I might need to go to an ATM， I’m not sure I have enough cash on me. Shit.

Heidi: What?

Dave: My wallet. It was in my pocket. It’s gone.

Heidi: This is not the time for practical jokes， Dave. Are you serious?

Dave: Deadly. Crap. ⑤Well， there goes Christmas.

Heidi: It’s OK， we’ll go to the bank and cancel your cards and then go and report it to the police.

Shopper: Excuse me， sir. Sorry. Hi， I saw what just happened. I was sitting over there and saw a guy 8)slip your wallet out of your pocket and 9)bolt.

Dave: Did you get a good look at him?

海蒂:你上午過得怎樣?

戴夫:別問了。我碰到個(gè)簡直像是地獄來的顧客。

海蒂:噢，那可真糟糕。

戴夫:是啊，我覺得她像是要永遠(yuǎn)糾纏下去的樣子。我一整天的興致都讓她給破壞了。

海蒂:別煩心了。每年這個(gè)時(shí)候難免會(huì)發(fā)生這些事的。每個(gè)人神經(jīng)都繃得緊緊的。忘了它吧，因?yàn)槲覀兘裉爝€有重要的圣誕購物行動(dòng)呢。

戴夫:是啊，關(guān)于這個(gè)，我們得速戰(zhàn)速?zèng)Q。我不能離開店里太久。現(xiàn)在只有一幫新手在那兒看店。

海蒂:他們應(yīng)付得來的。行，你的購物單上有什么?我要給媽媽買香水，還有爸爸的禮物——我在考慮買一臺(tái)咖啡機(jī)——但我還沒想到給我那些兄弟買些什么。

戴夫:我以為你要送他們明年演唱會(huì)的票。

海蒂:是的，我本來打算買的，可是票已經(jīng)賣光了。

戴夫:唉!

海蒂:我知道。所以，我又回到了原點(diǎn)。或許他們會(huì)喜歡X-station 系列游戲?

戴夫:是叫X-box，而且我很肯定他們已經(jīng)有最新款的游戲了。不過我們還是在店里再找找看吧。就在那……哇，看那人群，那兒擠滿了人。

海蒂:當(dāng)然了，你還希望怎樣?還有兩天就是圣誕節(jié)了。而小孩子最喜歡電子游戲了。

戴夫:好的，那我們先趕快到樓上看看，然后我們?cè)僬刍貋怼Ｎ蚁霂臀覌屌粡埶钕矚g的服裝店的購物優(yōu)惠券。

海蒂:一張購物優(yōu)惠券?這可太沒人情

味了。

戴夫:那你覺得我直接幫她選套衣服更好?

海蒂:這主意不錯(cuò)。

戴夫:等等，我可能得先去自動(dòng)柜員機(jī)提個(gè)款，我今天可能沒帶足現(xiàn)金。天啊!

海蒂:怎么了?

戴夫:我的錢包。剛剛還在我的口袋里，這會(huì)兒不見了。

海蒂:這可不是開玩笑的時(shí)候，戴夫。你說的是真的嗎?

戴夫:千真萬確。糟透了。得，這個(gè)圣誕節(jié)完了。

海蒂:沒事的。我們先去銀行，凍結(jié)你的銀行卡賬戶，然后再到警察局報(bào)案。

購物者:打擾一下，先生。不好意思。嗨，我目睹了剛剛發(fā)生的那一切。我就坐在那兒，看到一個(gè)小伙子從你的口袋里偷走了錢包，然后拔腿就跑。

戴夫:你有看清楚他的樣子嗎?

Smart Sentences

① He really put a dampener on my day. 我一整天的興致都讓他給破壞了。

put a dampener on sth.: attempt to stop sth. being as successful as it should be(使人掃興)。例如:

The cold weather really put a dampener on our celebration

last night.

寒冷的天氣確實(shí)讓我們昨晚的慶祝活動(dòng)有些掃興。

② I’ve left a couple of juniors to hold down the fort. 現(xiàn)在只有一幫新手在那兒看店。

hold down the fort: look after things for sb. when she/he is not available(代為處理事務(wù))。例如:

My business partner will hold down the fort for me when I’m

on vacation.

在我度假期間，我的合作伙伴代替我處理一切事務(wù)。

③ Bummer. 唉!

bummer: used after hearing an unpleasant and annoying news(在聽到不愉快或惱人的消息后用)。例如:

—Pam called and she can’t come tonight.

帕姆來電話了，她今晚不能來。

—Bummer.

唉。

④ So， I’m back at square one. 所以，我又回到了原點(diǎn)。

back at square one: have to deal with sth. from the beginning because previous effort failed(前功盡棄，回到起點(diǎn))。例如:

The sales data can’t be recovered. So we are back at square one.

銷售數(shù)據(jù)無法恢復(fù)，所以我們回到了起點(diǎn)。

⑤ Well， there goes Christmas. 得，這個(gè)圣誕節(jié)完了。

there goes sth.: used to indicate that sth. has been ruined(表明某事被弄糟/破壞)。例如:

—Honey， there will be a storm tomorrow.

親愛的，明天會(huì)有一場(chǎng)暴風(fēng)雨。

—Great， there goes the picnic.

得，野餐計(jì)劃泡湯了。