美語情景對話 第729期:Cash or Credit 現金還是信用卡

Todd: So, Anita, we're talking about money. When you go shopping, do you prefer to pay by cash or credit card?

託德：安妮塔，我們來談談錢。你購物的時候，是喜歡付現金還是用信用卡支付？

Anita: You know, there are times when I prefer paying by credit card because it makes me feel better because at the end of the day, I don't feel like I spent that money.

安妮塔：我有時候喜歡用信用卡支付，因爲這讓我感覺好像沒有花錢一樣。

Todd: Right, right.

託德：對，沒錯。

Anita: Because if I pay by cash, that money is gone out of your wallet, and you really feel it missing, so there are times when I prefer credit cards. There are times when I prefer cash, but if you look at it in the long run, I prefer cash because you know exactly what your financial situation is. You don't have to worry about getting a credit card bill at the end of the month, and not being able to pay it, so I would say I prefer cash.

安妮塔：如果我用現金付款，那就要從錢包裏拿錢支付，這樣我會感覺錢沒了，所以有時我喜歡用信用卡支付。不過我也有喜歡用現金付款的時候，從長遠來看的話，我更喜歡用現金支付，因爲這樣能明確知道自己的財政狀況。不用到月底的時候擔心信用卡賬單，或者沒錢付這些賬單，所以我更喜歡用現金支付。

Todd: You know, I used to think exactly like you do, but I changed because I found that when I was using cash, I couldn't keep track of how I was spending my money. I really had no record. I couldn't keep the receipts. I would lose the receipts, so a friend of mine said you should do everything on credit card or debit card and then it's on the computer. You can check, and then you could buy software and you can keep track of your finances and I did it and it work.. It's really good, like I'm more careful with my money because I know exactly what I am spending on and I can check it.

託德：我以前和你的想法一樣，不過後來我改變了想法，因爲我發現用現金付款的話，我無法記錄支出信息。我沒有記錄。因爲我無法一直保留收據。這些收據可能會丟失，所以我的一個朋友建議我用信用卡或借記卡付款，這樣就可以用電腦記錄支出情況。可以購買軟件，然後記錄財政情況，我試了一下的確有效。這種方法很好，這樣一來我在花錢時會更謹慎，因爲我清楚地知道我在哪些地方花了錢，我可以查到。

Anita: That's true. That's true, and I do something similar except I don't have computer software for it but I have a little cash book where I write my expenses.

安妮塔：沒錯，說的對，我也做過類似的事情，不過並沒有購買軟件，而是在現金簿上記錄支出情況。

Todd: You mean writing, actual work.

託德：你是說手寫嗎？

Anita: I.. yes actual work: pen and paper, but for me that works better because if I use my credit card unlike you, I lose track of my spending. I forget when I use the credit card, when I didn't use it and it's much easier for me to buy things with a credit card. If you have cash in your wallet and the cash is not enough to buy whatever you want, you know that you cannot afford it, but with a credit card, that is not there so sometimes you tend to overspend and buy things you don't actually need.

安妮塔：對，用鋼筆和紙，我認爲這樣更好，因爲如果我像你一樣用信用卡的話，我可能會搞不清楚我的支出情況。因爲我可能會忘記是什麼時候用了信用卡，什麼時候沒有用，對我來說用信用卡買東西更容易。如果買東西的時候錢包裏的現金不夠，那就買不了想買的東西，可是用信用卡就不會有這種情況，不過會導致過度開支，買一些不需要的東西。

Todd: True, that is a good point. I guess the key thing is to be careful.

託德：沒錯，這個觀點不錯。我認爲最關鍵的是要注意。

Anita: And responsible.

安妮塔：還有負責。

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重點講解：
1. at the end of the day 最終；到頭來；
例句：You are smiling,at the end of the day.
你終於笑了。
2. in the long run 從長遠來看；
例句：It has been rather costly to install the machinery, but it should pay offin the long run.
安裝這些機器要花的錢相當多，但從長遠來說是上算的。
3. used to do sth. 過去常常；過去曾；
例句：Iused toswim all the year round.
過去我一年四季都游泳。
4. keep track of 跟上…的進展；掌握…的最新消息；
例句：We have tokeep track ofevery cent we spend.
我們得記下我們花的每一分錢。
5. lose track of 跟不上…的進展；不再掌握…的最新情況；
例句：You become so deeply absorbed in an activity that youlose track oftime.
你會因過於專注某項活動而失去時間概念。