Part 1 How to Tip at a Restaurant 在餐馆如何给小费
Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1
Lilly: Thank you so much for taking me out to dinner.
Martin: It's the least I could do. You've babysat so much for me recently.
Lilly: It was my pleasure. Your baby's such a doll.
Martin: I'm glad you two get along.
Lilly: Can I at least help you pay a little?
Martin: If you really want to, I guess you could pick up the tip.
Lilly: OK. How much should that be?
Martin: You don't tip in China?
Lilly: No, not at all, so I have no idea how much to pay.
Martin: In restaurants, fifteen percent of the bill is considered pretty standard.
Lilly: What if the service is really bad?
讲解:
1. 对话中,Martin请Lilly到一家餐馆吃饭。既然今天我们说的是小费问题,tip 这里作名词表示“小费”,比如说,I left a tip on the table. 我把小费放在桌子上了。
2. tip 作名词还可以表示“有用的小建议,实用小窍门”,比如说,She told me a tip for removing stains from clothing. 她告诉了我一个除掉衣服上污点的小窍门。所以我们这节课的标题是Tips on Tips,意思就是“关于给小费的建议”。
3. Lilly很感谢Martin请她吃饭,Martin说这没有什么,只是聊表心意,It's the least I could do.因为Lilly最近经常帮他照顾宝宝。babysit,表示“帮别人照看孩子,当临时保姆”。这是一个合成词,是由baby+sit组成的,而sit是主体动词,所以就在它身上有了过去分词形式的变化,变成babysat。大家以后遇到这种名词+动词的合成词的时候,如果有人称和时态的变化,都是体现在后面那个动词上面的。
4. Lilly说她很乐意帮Martin照看孩子,因为Martin的孩子真是太可爱了,Your baby's such a doll. someone's such a doll表示“某人真是可爱”,一般是用来形容小孩子或者小动物的,而不用来形容大人。我们还可以说Your baby is adorable. 你的宝宝真可爱。Martin也很高兴Lilly和小宝宝能合得来,get along with sb表示“跟某人相处和谐”,比如说,Do you get along with your neighbors? 你跟邻居相处还融洽吗?
5. 账单送来了,Lilly也不好意思让Martin一个人付钱,就要求至少让她也帮忙付一点账单。Martin说如果Lilly坚持的话,她可以来付小费,I guess you could pick up the tip. pick up 在这里表示“支付”。
6. 那么Lilly该付多少小费呢?她还真不清楚,因为在中国完全不必付小费。tip 在这里作了动词, 也表示“付小费,给小费”,举个例子,He tipped the bell boy 2 dollars. 他给了行李员两美元的小费。
7. Martin告诉Lilly在餐馆里,账单的15%被认为是标准的小费金额。Lilly又问,如果服务非常的差呢,还要给这么多吗?
Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2
Martin: You didn't like your server?
Lilly: Oh, she was fine. I was just wondering.
Martin: The lowest you can get away with without being really offensive is ten percent. And twenty percent is considered a good tip.
Lilly: Why do people feel obligated to tip? Shouldn't a server's wages be enough?
Martin: Servers depend on tips to survive. Restaurants owners know that, so their wages are low.
Lilly: But why do people pay them?
Martin: It's a custom. Plus, it encourages good service. Servers know they'll earn more for better service.
Lilly: That makes sense. Fifteen percent of eighty dollars is ...eight plus four...
Martin: You are good with math.
讲解:
1. 在上一个对话中,Lilly问Martin如果服务生的服务很差怎么办呢?Martin很意外,难道Lilly不喜欢为他们服务的服务生吗?Lilly说当然不是,这个服务员很好,她只是好奇而已,I was just wondering. 也可以说I'm just being curious. Martin回答说,要离开餐厅又显得不太冒犯,至少要给一成的小费。也就是账单的10%。
2. get away with sth 表示“犯了错误但是受到比较轻的惩罚或者不受惩罚”,我们来举两个例子,For such a serious mistake he was lucky to get away with a fine. 他犯了那么严重的错误,却侥幸只交了罚款了事。If you cheat in the exam, you'll never get away with it. 考试作弊必予追究。
3. offensive表示“让人恼怒的,得罪人的”,比如说,I find your attitude most offensive.我觉得你很失态。
4. 最底线是给账单10%的小费,而给账单的20%就算是很好的小费了。说到这里,Lilly又有了一个问题,就是为什么大家都觉得应该给小费呢?服务员的薪水不是应该够了吗?Martin告诉她,服务生靠小费维生,餐厅老板都知道,所以服务生的薪水很低。
5. 大家为什么要付给他们钱呢?原来付小费是一个社会习俗,而且付小费也会鼓励良好的服务,因为服务人员知道服务得越好赚的也就越多。Lilly觉得言之有理,That makes sense. 如果你想说“很有道理,太有道理了”,你就可以说,That makes lots of sense. 如果你想说“一点道理都没有”,就是It doesn't make any sense. 或者It makes no sense.
6. Lilly开始计算她到底要付多少小费,账单上是80美元,那么80美元的15%就是12元,Martin夸奖Lilly说她的数学真好。be good with sth 表示“擅长某事”,也可以说be good at sth。
Part 2 Let's Order out 叫外卖
Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1
Martin: Thank you for babysitting my baby while my wife is away.
Lilly: You're welcome. I like hanging out with him.
Martin: Are you hungry? It's almost dinnertime, but I don't feel like cooking.
Lilly: I suppose I could try to make some Chinese food, but I don't have ingredients.
Martin: That's OK. We can just order out. How about Chinese food ?
Lilly: I've heard good things about Chinese food in America.
Martin: Well, I like it. I'll order it and we'll see what you think.
讲解:
1. 对话中,Lilly又来帮Martin照看小孩,Martin很感激她。Lilly说不用客气,她很喜欢跟Martin的宝宝在一起。hang out with sb 表示“经常跟某人在一起,和某人出去”。比如说,I don't want you to hang out with those guys. 我不喜欢你总跟那些家伙混在一起。
2. 现在到了吃晚饭的时间,但是Martin不想在家里做着吃。Lilly会做一点中国菜,但是手头没有做菜的材料,ingredient指“烹调用的原料,材料”。Martin建议他们干脆叫外卖算了。order out 表示“叫外卖”,也可以说We can just get delivery.
3. Martin问Lilly吃中国菜如何?Lilly听说在美国的中国菜口碑不错。Martin还是很爱吃中国菜的。先来点菜,再看看Lilly的感觉如何吧。
Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2
Lilly: So what all did you order?
Martin: My favorites. Lemon chicken, fried wonton, egg fu young, and Buddha's delight.
Lilly: Huh? I've never heard of those dishes.
Martin: Really? They're pretty standard at Chinese restaurants here.
Lilly: Hmm, I'm a little bit scared. They might have changed them a lot.
Martin: Well, I guess one thing's different, at least. Remember we were talking about tips the other day?
Lilly: Yeah. Do people here expect them for delivering food, too?
Martin: Yes. Usually ten percent, but I like to give more when the weather is bad.
Lilly: It sounds like tips make the world go round, here.
讲解:
1. 现在我们来看看Martin都点了什么菜,有lemon chicken,柠檬鸡,fried wonton,炸云吞,egg fu young,芙蓉蛋还有Buddha's delight鼎湖上素。Lilly觉得这些菜名都稀奇古怪的,她从来没有听过。Buddha's delight是鼎湖上素,听名字就知道是一个素菜,以菌类以及发菜、笋干、虾米、腐竹、粉丝、黄花菜等煨制而成。这些都是在美国的广东菜馆常见的菜肴,已经美国本地化了,所以Lilly都没听过这些菜名,她还有点怕怕的,那些餐厅已经把中国菜改头换面了。Martin说其他改变不知道,但至少有一样是不同的,那就是在美国外送食物也是要给小费的。
2. 那么给多少合适呢?一般是给一成,也就是账单的10%,如果路途很遥远或者天气不好的话,通常还会多给一些小费。Lilly感叹道,看来在美国真是小费当道啊。It sounds like tips make the world go round, here. make the world go round/around字面上看是“有了它地球才能转”。其实没那么夸张,也就是“生活中不可或缺”的意思。
3. 其实在美国,给多少小费也没有一定的标准,就是美国人自己也不太清楚到底给多少小费合适,不过这里我们要给大家的建议就是给账单的15%是最标准的。比较慷慨的人也会给到20%。所以下次你要给小费的时候,就可以按照这个标准来付,才不至于失礼。