Borrowing Money 借錢
Everyone has been “short on” (not had enough) money at one time or another. No matter how well you plan, unexpected things can happen and leave you “strapped” (with little or no money).
每個人都有過錢不夠用的時候。無論你計劃得多麼周詳，意外的事情總會發生，讓你“捉襟見肘”。Whether it is because of poor economic times, low pay, or poor planning, people may sometimes need to “hit up” (borrow money from) friends or family to “tide them over” (help one until one can help oneself or other help is available). Some may need some extra money “to get them through” (to help them survive) their “financial” (related to money) difficulties. If you are looking for someone to give you some financial help, whom should you talk to?
無論是因為經濟不景氣、薪水低還是計劃不周，有時人們可能需要向朋友或家人“借錢”來“渡過難關”。有些人可能需要一些額外的錢來幫助他們“度過”財務困難。如果你需要找人給你一些經濟上的幫助，你應該找誰呢？
According to a 2005 study by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the agency of the United States government that collects “taxes” (money the government collects to provide services to its citizens), women are much more likely to give away money to people, including friends and family, than men are. Here are some surprising “figures” (numbers; facts in the form of numbers): women gave “nearly” (almost) 30% more than men did in the year that the IRS studied this issue (in 2005). The study found that “women have more of a ‘tendency’ (are more likely) to give without ‘ulterior motives’ (secret reasons or reasons other than what they tell you).”
根據美國國稅局（IRS）2005年的一項研究，這個政府機構負責收取“稅收”（政府向公民收取的提供服務的錢），女性比男性更有可能將錢給別人，包括朋友和家人。這裡有一些令人驚訝的“數據”：在IRS研究這個問題的那一年（2005年），女性比男性多給了“將近”30%的錢。研究發現，“女性更傾向於無‘隱藏動機’地給予”。
So if you need a little extra “cash” (money), you might want to talk to your wife, mother, or sister before hitting up your husband, father, or brother.
所以，如果你需要一些額外的“現金”，你可能想先找你的妻子、母親或姐妹，而不是找你的丈夫、父親或兄弟。
重點單字
- short on：不夠 /ʃɔrt ɑn/
- strapped：捉襟見肘 /stræpt/
- hit up：借錢 /hɪt ʌp/
- tide them over：渡過難關 /taɪd ðəm ˈoʊvər/
- financial：財務的 /faɪˈnænʃəl/
- taxes：稅收 /ˈtæksɪz/
- figures：數據 /ˈfɪɡjərz/
- nearly：將近 /ˈnɪrli/
- tendency：傾向 /ˈtɛndənsi/
- ulterior motives：隱藏動機 /ʌlˈtɪriər ˈmoʊtɪvz/
- cash：現金 /kæʃ/
