平时当我们和其他人一起出去吃饭时就会遇到到底谁付账的问题:是请客呢还是AA制呢?今天我们来聊聊英语中关于请客和AA制的表达,下次和老外出去吃饭时就能用上啦!
“请客”怎么说?
A: Let's eat out, shall we?
A: 咱出去吃吧?
B: I'm broke. I've gone through my paycheck for the week already。
B: 俺没钱了,这礼拜的工资都花光了。。。
A: Don't worry about it. It's my treat。
A: 没事啦,我请客。
B: You're sure? You're so generous!
B: 真的吗?你好大方呀!
在这段对话里我们可以注意一下几个表达:
① I'm broke。
Broke 作为形容词可以理解成“破产的,一文不值的”,所以 I'm broke. 就是指“我身无分文”。
② go through
我们知道go through有“经历”的意思,例如:We went through hell while working on this project。(做这个项目的过程中经历了炼狱般的考验);还能表示“详细检查”:go through the students' papers(批改学生的试卷)。但在对话里它是表示“花光(钱)”。
③ It's my treat。
说到今天的重点了,请客怎么说,这就是最常用的表达之一。同样常用的还有:I will treat you. / It's on me. 此外再给大家介绍一个比较少见的表达:I'll shout you. 它只用于英格兰、澳大利亚和新西兰,所以不要对美国朋友讲哟~~来简单看段对话:
A: Do you want to go out for drinks tonight?
B: No thanks, I'll pass. I don't have any money。
A: Come on! I'll shout you!
B: Shout me?
A: Yeah! It's on me。
基本意思大家都懂了吧,注意一下其中的"I'll pass."是指“这回不去了”。
“AA制”怎么说?
A: Thanks for inviting me out today. I was feeling kind of sad. There's nothing better than grabbing a bite to eat with a good friend to make you feel better。
A: 谢谢你邀请我出来。我正好有些情绪低落,没啥比和好朋友出去吃点东西更能让人振作起来的了。
B: No problem. It's for your birthday, so it's on me。
B: 没事。今天是你生日,所以我请客。
A: Oh, I thought no one remembered, but you don't have to treat me. We can go Dutch。
A: 噢,我还以为没人记得我生日呢。不过不用你请了啦,我们AA制吧。
① to grab a bite to eat
这个短语的意思是“匆忙地、简单吃点什么”,和正式吃顿饭有很大不同。来看段对话帮助理解:
A: I am hungry!
B: So am I, but I only have an hour before my next class。
A: Well, let's grab a bite to eat at that Chinese takeout (外卖)。
② go Dutch
严格说来“AA制”有2种:自己付自己吃饭用掉的钱;所有的钱大家平摊。前者的话在英语里就可以说:go Dutch / Dutch treat,例如:My boyfriend and I always go Dutch。(我和男友吃饭经常是AA制);The office outing is always a Dutch treat。(办公室的同事一起出去吃饭往往会采用AA制)不过有时大家也不会把到底是平摊还是各付各的分那么清楚,所以在比较随意的情况下,go Dutch / Dutch treat 也能指平摊。
Split the bill,按照字面意思就知道它是指“平摊费用”,例如:Shall we split the bill? 也可以简单说:We'll split. / Let's split. “平摊”还有个说法叫:go halves/halfers,例如:Let's go halves/halfers on lunch today. 不过这种说法对于有些老外来说比较陌生,用split相对比较保险啦。