A Loan Shark

放高利貸的人

對話
Jackie：Wow, a brand-new car! It's amazing!
傑克：哇，一台全新的車！太神奇了！
Frank：Yep. Pretty sweet, isn't it?
法蘭克：對啊。很讚吧？
Jackie：Totally! Did you buy this?
傑克：超讚的！你買的嗎？
Frank：Yeah, I bought it yesterday.
法蘭克：沒錯，昨天買的。
Jackie：But how could you afford it? You said you were broke.
傑克：可是你怎麼買得起？你說過你破產了。
Frank：Well, I borrowed some money from Mr. Brown.
法蘭克：呃，我跟布朗先生借了點錢。
Jackie：What! Frank, he's a loan shark!
傑克：什麼！法蘭克，他是放高利貸的！
Frank：I know.
法蘭克：我知道。
Jackie：He'll charge you tons of interest, and if you can't pay him back you'll be in trouble.
傑克：他會跟你收超高的利息，假如付不出來你就麻煩大了。
Frank：True. But this is a very nice car.
法蘭克：也對。可是這真的是一台好車。
Jackie：Well, I hope you can use it to drive far, far away from all the problems you're going to have.
傑克：呃，我希望你能開著它遠走高飛，避開你將面臨的種種麻煩。

延伸學習

俚語精解
loan是「貸款」，shark指「鯊魚」，a loan shark 字面意指「借錢的鯊魚」，但其實它是指「放高利貸的人」或「地下錢莊」。高利貸業者提供非法貸款，向貸款人收取超高額利息，他們對付貸款人就像鯊魚看到獵物一樣緊追不捨，將他們趕盡殺絕、吃乾抹淨，故得此名。
例：Beware of Derik! He is a notorious loan shark.（小心提防戴瑞克！他是聲名狼藉的放高利貸者。）

beware of… 小心提防……

關鍵字詞
◎afford N / to V 負擔得起某物
例：Patty's family can't even afford an air-conditioner, let alone a plasma-screen TV.（派蒂家連冷氣機都買不起，更別提電漿電視了。）
◎be broke 破產
例：If you keep spending money like this, you'll be broke within a week.（若你像這樣花錢，一周內就會破產。）
◎charge vt. 索價
例：It charges NT$10 a time for customers to use a shopping cart.（購物手推車使用一次要新台幣 10 元。）
◎tons of sth 一大堆……
例：I have tons of homework to do tonight.（我今晚有一大堆回家作業要做。）

想重溫
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常春藤解析英語

來源：蘋果日報

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