我们已经给大家介绍过几个跟钱有关的习惯用语。今天我们再给大家讲两个以钱，也就是money这个字为主的习惯用语。对于许多人来说，钱是非常重要的东西。在美国的成语和俗语里有不少是跟钱这个字有关的。

我们今天首先要给大家介绍的一个习惯用语是：Smart money. Smart这个字有好几个解释，比如说，聪敏，伶俐，漂亮，还可以解释为厉害等。在smart money这个习惯用语里，smart是指聪敏。大家恐怕也不难猜出smart money的意思。Smart money是指那些有经验的投资商或善于赌博的人经管投资的钱。有的时候，smart money可以直接指这些人。下面就是一个例子。这是一个人在对朋友说经商的前景。

例句1: Do you think the economy is heading up or down? The smart money seems to think that business will get better so maybe it's time to put some money into the stock market.

这个人说：你认为经济的前景是会变得更兴旺呢，还是会变得越来越疲软。那些搞经济的专家们似乎认为商业会越来越好，所以，也许现在是把一些钱投资到股票市场去的时候了。

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由于美国投资市场五花八门，许多人都感到难以入门，可是最保险的银行存款又利率太低，所以越来越多的人把钱投入互助基金等收益更高的投资项目。下面就是一个退休的人在说他自己的经历。

例句2: In the past, interest from my bank account was a good source of income to have after I retire. But interest rates are so low these days that I have to let those smart money people who handle mutual funds take care of my money.

这位老人说：过去，我从银行存款所得到的利息是我退休后很好的一笔收入。但是，现在利率那么低，我不得不让那些管理互助基金的专业人员来经管我的钱。

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下面我们要给大家介绍一个非常有趣的习惯用语。这个习惯用语就是：Mad money. Mad这个字可以解释为：发疯。也可以说是：快气疯了。但是在这里mad是指非常生气。那么，钱怎么会生气的呢？ 最开始的时候，mad money是年轻女子跟男朋友一起出去玩的时候自己身上藏的一点钱。万一她跟男朋友生气了，或吵架了，那她至少自己有钱叫出租车回家去。

现在，mad money的含义已经扩大了。Mad money是另外放出的一小部份现金，准备在紧急时候用的。我们来举一个例子吧。这是一个丈夫在说话。

例句3: The other day we ran out of gas sixty miles from home. I had forgotten my wallet. But we were lucky - my wife remembered she had her mad money, so we were able to buy gas to get back home.

这个丈夫说：那天，我们在离家六十英哩的地方发现汽车里没有汽油了。我那天又忘了带钱包。但是，我们很幸运，因为我太太记得她有一些准备急用的现金，所以我们能买了汽油，开车回家。

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下面是一个爸爸在说他女儿的经历。

例句4: Last Saturday, my daughter was invited to a dinner party and planned to buy a cake on her way. In the bakery, she found out that she'd forgotten her purse. Fortunately, she had her mad money in her pocket to pay for the cake, so it turned out all right.

这个爸爸说：上星期六，我女儿的朋友请她去吃晚饭。她准备在去的路上买一个蛋糕。她在蛋糕店里的时候发现她没有带钱包。还好她口袋里有一些应急用的现金可以付蛋糕钱，所以就没问题了。

VOA流行美语 Unit 144: bite the dust/funky

李华到Larry住的地方去送一本书，发现鱼缸里的金鱼不见了。今天李华会学到两个常用语：bite the dust和funky.

LH: 哎，Larry，你的金鱼到哪儿去了?

LL: Oh, he bit the dust yesterday. I found him floating in the tank. I'm really bummed out about it.

LH: 你的金鱼怎么了？Bit the dust? Bit是bite的过去时。意思是：咬； 那dust是尘土的意思。咬尘土？ 噢，你是说你的鱼死啦？

LL: That's right! That fish was a few years old, so I think he might have just died of old age.

LH: 那只鱼在你这儿好几年啦？怪不得你显得闷闷不乐！Larry，要不要我陪你再去买条金鱼？

LL: I'm thinking about going to buy a new fish today, but I want to clean out the tank first. I don't want the new fish to bite the dust, too.

LH: 没错，买新的鱼以前最好把鱼缸打扫干净，不然新的鱼也可能会死掉的。

LL: It's possible. I really don't want to take any chances.

LH: 对，一条鱼价钱也不便宜，可别冒风险。对了，Larry，你知道吗？John的奶奶几天前去世了，那我是不是能说：she bit the dust the other day。

LL: Wait a second, Li Hua, I don't think you want to say that your friend's grandma bit the dust. It's not very polite or respectful.

LH: 噢，bite the dust这个说法用在人的身上是不礼貌的！那我还真是得小心。

LL: It's okay to say my fish bit the dust or some bad guy in a movie bit the dust, but you probably don't want to say that about your friend's family member.

LH: 嗯，我懂了。To bite the dust可以指鱼，可以指电影里的坏蛋，可是千万不要在朋友的家人去世的时候用这个说法。

LL: You've got it! Now let's go buy a fish.

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LH: Larry, 你为什么不买那条鱼？它的鳍好大而且颜色好漂亮！我从来没见过色彩这么鲜艳的鱼呢！

LL: Yeah, he is kind of funky. I don't think I've ever seen another fish like that either.

LH: 等等，什么是funky? 是不是很酷的意思?

LL: Funky has several meanings, but in this case, it means cool, unique, and unusual.

LH: 噢，在这里，funky就是指很酷、很独特的意思。没错，这条鱼真的很特别。这鱼放在你的鱼缸里一定很漂亮！

LL: Hold on, that funky little fish is pretty expensive. Why don't we get a cheap little goldfish instead?

LH: 小的金鱼是便宜点，可是颜色就没有这么特别了啊！

LL: I happen to like goldfish. I can buy one of those goldfish with the funky bubbles behind its eyes.

LH: 你是说那条眼睛后面长两个大球的金鱼呀？我还是喜欢那条很漂亮的鱼，那条funky fish。

LL: Well, I appreciate your opinion, but this is going to be my fish.

LH: 那也是，别听我的。这是你的鱼，你得天天看的。Larry，你看，那边那个人穿的衣服真是与众不同。我觉得很怪，是不是也很funky？

LL: Yeah, he definitely has his own sense of style. It looks as though he's here to buy a fish, too.

LH: 对，每个人都有自己穿衣服的风格。说不定他会买那条很漂亮的鱼！

LL: That's a possibility. Now, come on, forget about that fish and help me pick out a goldfish, the funkier the better.

今天李华学到两个常用语。一个是bite the dust, 就是死掉的意思，不过通常不用在人身上，因为那样说不太礼貌。另一个常用语是funky。意思是很酷、很独特。

上期回顾 【听力】美国习惯用语+流行美语 08年7月2+MP3  

吼吼，听一下

thank  you