Larry 在和李華商量去什么地方渡假。他們會用到兩個常用語：make up your
mind和live within your means.

    Larry ： Lihua， do you want to go to Toronto ？ I did a little research
and found some really cool tours and -

    LH： Larry，我不是很想去多倫多，我想去個有熱帶風情的地方。

    Larry ： Tropical ？

    LH：沒錯！你說加勒比海怎么樣？

    Larry ： The Caribbean？ Wow， that is very tropical…… actually ，
I know someone who went there last summer ， let me give him a call -

    LH：不過！我又非常想去泰國，那里的水果和美食太誘人了！

    Larry ： What ？？ Thailand ？ Make up your mind， Lihua！

    LH： Make up？化妝？你在說什么�。�

    Larry ： No ， not the make-up you put on your face. To "make up your
mind" means to make a choice and stick to it.

    LH：哦，to make up your mind就是拿定主意。

    Larry ： Yea. For example ， it often takes you a long time to make
up your mind when it comes to what to wear when we go out.

    LH：這倒是。出門前我總是不能決定穿哪身衣服。

    Larry ： And what about your friend at school that couldn't decide
which class she wanted to take？

    LH：沒錯。那個同學特別愛學習，什么課都想選，可是一學期的時間只有那
么多，選修課的數量是有限的。 I wish she would make up her mind！我希望
她能快點作出決定。

    Larry ： Yea， exactly. Indecisive people can sure be annoying sometimes
……especially when they cause others to waste time ……

    LH： Larry，你說的indecisive people - 猶豫不決的人，是在說我吧？我
也很想定下旅行的目的地，可是……真的是有太多好玩的地方，我實在拿不定主
意！

    Larry ： What about money ？ We can drive to Toronto. Thailand would
be extremely expensive. Airfare alone would cost us a couple thousand
dollars. We do have to live within our means， after all.

    LH：你說的live within our means ，是什么意思？

    Larry ： The phrase "living within your means" means to live within
the limits of your financial situation. Or， in other words ， not spending
more money than you can afford to spend.

    LH：哦，to live within your means 就是量入為出，不過度消費。

    Larry ： That's right. And if we are to live within our means ， we
certainly cannot afford a vacation in Thailand！

    LH：你是說，從我們的經濟情況考慮，去泰國花銷太高，我們承受不了？可
是你工作這么久，不是已經攢些錢了么？

    Larry ： Not that much money！ I'm just an entry-level worker. It
will take some years of saving up money before I can afford things like
tropical vacations.

    LH：�。窟�得再攢好幾年才能來個熱帶風情之旅？唉，Larry ，這只能怪你
平時不知節省。你看，你老去外面飯館吃飯，比在家里吃貴多了！

    Larry ： So …… if I were living within my means ， we'd have enough
money for a nice vacation ？

    LH：對�。∪绻�你平時消費節制，我們現在就能去泰國了！

    Larry ： But， Lihua， I just don't have time to cook. And plus ，
I'm not that good at it ！ And there are things about your spending habits
that could change ， too - like cutting out some of your shopping. That
would definitely help you live within your means.

    LH：啊？你讓我也減少支出，少買東西多存錢？這個嘛……

    Larry ： Make up your mind， Lihua. Do you want to save money or not？

    LH：那好吧，我下決心存錢（不情愿的口氣）。

    Larry ： Don't sound so depressed ， Lihua. We can still go on vacation
this year and still be living within our means. We just need to find a
place closer to home. But first ， let's make up our mind on where we
want to go.

    LH：好吧！希望我們真能做到即能愉快旅行又不讓荷包大出血！不過，我不
想去多倫多，我想去海邊！

    Larry ： How about South Carolina ？ It will take awhile to get there，
but we could drive.

    LH：南卡羅萊納？有美麗的沙灘么？

    Larry ： Absolutely.

    LH：那……貴么？

    Larry ： We would still be living within our means if we go there.
What do you think ？

    LH：是嗎？我們能承受得起旅行的花費？讓我想想，讓我想想……對了！ Larry，
我忽然想到，如果我們去海邊，我肯定要花很多錢買漂亮的游泳衣、太陽鏡、裙
子什么的。算了，要不還是去多倫多吧！

    Larry ： Make up your mind， Lihua！

    今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是to make up one's mind ，意思是“拿定
主意”。另一個是to live within one's means，意思是“量入為出，不過度消
費”。