谈谈股票吧
股市最红火的时候几乎是全民皆股，可自从去年调整印花税以来，股市一直是动荡不安，被套的股民数不胜数。他们见面最常聊的就是“你的股票怎么样了”？
Kelly: So, Jim, how has everything been with you? Jim: My stocks are losing a little bit, but it's nothing too serious. Kelly: Of course! Stocks, stocks, stocks……Some things never change! Jim: Yeah. How have you been? Kelly: Good, except for all the counterfeit money my software business has been receiving lately. Jim: Really? Is that a big problem? Kelly: Yeah. So I have to invest in one of those machines that can detect fake bills. Jim: Why didn't you just buy one of those little things with a red light beam? Kelly: Those red beams can't sniff out the high-quality fakes. Jim: Sounds like a big hassle. Kelly: It's a drain on small business - a real sore spot.
Notes：
1. 对话中Kelly碰见了 Jim，两个人在谈论彼此的近况。询问近况，可以像对话中的那样，How has everything been with you? 还可以说How have you been? 或者How is everything going on with you?
2. Jim说最近自己的股票赔了一点，但是还不太严重。Kelly一听说股票就不耐烦了，股票，股票，总是股票，真是江山易改，本性难移。Some things never change! 这句话就是说，有些习惯永远改不了，说难听一点就是狗改不了吃屎。俗话说，牛牵到北京还是牛。这里大多数时候指的是坏习惯或者错误一犯再犯，所以下次如果你发现别人死性不改，就可以说这句话还表示你的无奈和抗议。我们来用一个对话做例子：——I can't believe Tom's late again! ——Well, some things never change. Just give him a call. ——真不敢相信汤姆又迟到了。——狗改不了吃屎，给他打个电话吧。
3. 那么Kelly最近怎么样呢？还不错，就是最近卖电脑软件总是收到伪钞，counterfeit money，意思就是伪钞。Counterfeit，既可以作名词，也可以作形容词，表示“伪造的，假冒的；赝品”，比如说，This ten-dollar bill is a counterfeit. 这张10美金的钞票是伪钞。
4. Kelly的问题还挺严重的，她不得不花钱买一台验钞机。这里我们可以看出，伪钞的另一种说法就是fake bills.Jim问为什么不买一支小小的带红光的机器呢？还要破费一大笔钱买一台验钞机。Kelly说那红光根本没有办法测出制作精良的伪钞。
5. 听起来还真伤脑筋。Sounds like a big hassle. hassle 这个词表示“麻烦”的意思，所以当你觉得某事做起来相当麻烦，就可以跟对方说这句话，委婉地表示“听起来真头痛。”我们用一个对话来做例子，——Oh, no! I forgot to put in the cables. I have to repack all these parcels. ——Sounds like a hassle. ——噢，不会吧！我忘了把电缆线放进去了，我还得重新打包。——听起来真是麻烦。 6. sniff sth/sb out 这个词组表示“发现某人，找出某人”，例如：They were determined to sniff out the murderer. 他们下定决心一定要找到杀人犯。Kelly抱怨说，小本生意加上金钱损失，实在是让人伤神啊。Sore spot，指“痛处”，这里是用来形容收到伪钞的痛苦。
www.xuehuiba.com股市最红火的时候几乎是全民皆股，可自从去年调整印花税以来，股市一直是动荡不安，被套的股民数不胜数。他们见面最常聊的就是“你的股票怎么样了”？
Jim: Speaking of losing money, have you heard from Billy lately?
Kelly: Not a peep. I haven't seen him since we had dinner together last time.
Jim: Same here. I know his stocks took a hit, though.
Kelly: Is it happening all over again - you know, Billy, losing money?
Jim: Well, I told him to invest in the HSI when it was above fifty-five hundred points.
Kelly: Over five thousand? Now it's hovering around four!
Jim: Yeah, that's what worries me…… for Billy's sake.
Notes：
1. 对话中Kelly 和Jim想起好长时间没有Billy的消息了。Hear from sb，这个词组表示“接到某人的来信，电话等”，也就是跟某人联系，有某人的消息，比如说，How often do you hear from your sister? 你多长时间收到你姐姐一次信？要跟hear of sb/sth区分开。Hear of sb表示“听说过或者知道某人某事物”，比如说，I've never heard of the place. 我从没听说过那个地方。
2. Kelly说，Billy一点消息都没有。Not a peep. Peep这里的意思是“消息”，那么not a peep的意思就是说“连点消息都没有”。有人向你问起一个消失了很久的朋友时，你就可以用这句话回答，比如说：——Have you heard from Jimmy recently? —— Not a peep. ——最近有Jimmy的消息吗？——他一点消息也没有。Jim也是一样，他说，Same here. 我们也可以说，Same with me.
3. 不过Jim知道Billy的股票跌的很惨，take a hit 这个词组的意思是“受到打击”。Kelly没想到Billy在股市上又赔钱了。Jim说他曾经告诉Billy在香港恒生指数还在5，500点以上的时候杀进。HSI 是Hang Seng Index的缩写，指香港恒生指数。
4. 但是现在恒生指数还在4000点徘徊呢。Billy这次可是赔大了。Hover around 这个词组表示“在附近盘旋，徘徊”，比如说，She's always hovering around the place annoying people. 她总是在周围转来转去打扰别人。He hovered around outside, too afraid to go in. 他在外面犹豫徘徊，不敢进去。