Larry 在和李华商量去什么地方渡假。他们会用到两个常用语：make up your
mind和live within your means.

    Larry ： Lihua， do you want to go to Toronto ？ I did a little research
and found some really cool tours and -

    LH： Larry，我不是很想去多伦多，我想去个有热带风情的地方。

    Larry ： Tropical ？

    LH：没错！你说加勒比海怎么样？

    Larry ： The Caribbean？ Wow， that is very tropical…… actually ，
I know someone who went there last summer ， let me give him a call -

    LH：不过！我又非常想去泰国，那里的水果和美食太诱人了！

    Larry ： What ？？ Thailand ？ Make up your mind， Lihua！

    LH： Make up？化妆？你在说什么啊？

    Larry ： No ， not the make-up you put on your face. To "make up your
mind" means to make a choice and stick to it.

    LH：哦，to make up your mind就是拿定主意。

    Larry ： Yea. For example ， it often takes you a long time to make
up your mind when it comes to what to wear when we go out.

    LH：这倒是。出门前我总是不能决定穿哪身衣服。

    Larry ： And what about your friend at school that couldn't decide
which class she wanted to take？

    LH：没错。那个同学特别爱学习，什么课都想选，可是一学期的时间只有那
么多，选修课的数量是有限的。 I wish she would make up her mind！我希望
她能快点作出决定。

    Larry ： Yea， exactly. Indecisive people can sure be annoying sometimes
……especially when they cause others to waste time ……

    LH： Larry，你说的indecisive people - 犹豫不决的人，是在说我吧？我
也很想定下旅行的目的地，可是……真的是有太多好玩的地方，我实在拿不定主
意！

    Larry ： What about money ？ We can drive to Toronto. Thailand would
be extremely expensive. Airfare alone would cost us a couple thousand
dollars. We do have to live within our means， after all.

    LH：你说的live within our means ，是什么意思？

    Larry ： The phrase "living within your means" means to live within
the limits of your financial situation. Or， in other words ， not spending
more money than you can afford to spend.

    LH：哦，to live within your means 就是量入为出，不过度消费。

    Larry ： That's right. And if we are to live within our means ， we
certainly cannot afford a vacation in Thailand！

    LH：你是说，从我们的经济情况考虑，去泰国花销太高，我们承受不了？可
是你工作这么久，不是已经攒些钱了么？

    Larry ： Not that much money！ I'm just an entry-level worker. It
will take some years of saving up money before I can afford things like
tropical vacations.

    LH：啊？还得再攒好几年才能来个热带风情之旅？唉，Larry ，这只能怪你
平时不知节省。你看，你老去外面饭馆吃饭，比在家里吃贵多了！

    Larry ： So …… if I were living within my means ， we'd have enough
money for a nice vacation ？

    LH：对啊！如果你平时消费节制，我们现在就能去泰国了！

    Larry ： But， Lihua， I just don't have time to cook. And plus ，
I'm not that good at it ！ And there are things about your spending habits
that could change ， too - like cutting out some of your shopping. That
would definitely help you live within your means.

    LH：啊？你让我也减少支出，少买东西多存钱？这个嘛……

    Larry ： Make up your mind， Lihua. Do you want to save money or not？

    LH：那好吧，我下决心存钱（不情愿的口气）。

    Larry ： Don't sound so depressed ， Lihua. We can still go on vacation
this year and still be living within our means. We just need to find a
place closer to home. But first ， let's make up our mind on where we
want to go.

    LH：好吧！希望我们真能做到即能愉快旅行又不让荷包大出血！不过，我不
想去多伦多，我想去海边！

    Larry ： How about South Carolina ？ It will take awhile to get there，
but we could drive.

    LH：南卡罗莱纳？有美丽的沙滩么？

    Larry ： Absolutely.

    LH：那……贵么？

    Larry ： We would still be living within our means if we go there.
What do you think ？

    LH：是吗？我们能承受得起旅行的花费？让我想想，让我想想……对了！ Larry，
我忽然想到，如果我们去海边，我肯定要花很多钱买漂亮的游泳衣、太阳镜、裙
子什么的。算了，要不还是去多伦多吧！

    Larry ： Make up your mind， Lihua！

    今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是to make up one's mind ，意思是“拿定
主意”。另一个是to live within one's means，意思是“量入为出，不过度消
费”。