Larry 和李華今天去逛街買衣服。Larry 看到李華買了一大包衣服，簡直吃
驚。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：clotheshorse和shell out. LL ： Wow， Li
Hua ！ How many clothes do you need ？ You're a real clotheshorse ， aren't
you ？

    LH：哎喲！這些衣服都在大減價，不買可惜耶！對了，你又在說我什么啦？

    什么是clotheshorse？

    LL： A clotheshorse is someone who is concerned about fashion and
likes to collect a lot of clothes.

    LH： Clotheshorse 就是指愛時髦，喜歡買很多衣服的人。我不覺得我是clotheshorse
��！我來美國念書后，胖了很多，舊衣服已經穿不下了，所以我才需要買些新衣
服嘛！

    LL： I think that's just an excuse to go shopping ！ You don't look
like you've gained weight to me.

    LH： Larry，是真的，我沒有騙你，我真的胖了不少！

    LL： I guess I'll take your word for it. Are you sure you're not a
clotheshorse？ Didn't you just go shopping a few weeks ago？

    LH：我幾個星期前去買衣服了？你弄錯了人吧。我已經有一年多沒有買衣服
了！再說，我也不是什么追求時髦的人，你怎么能說我是個clotheshorse？

    LL： I'm just teasing you. My mother is a true clotheshorse. She has
a huge， walk-in closet and it is completely filled with clothes. She
loves to buy clothes.

    LH：你媽媽這么喜歡買衣服啊？難怪她總是打扮的很漂亮，而且她的衣服看
來都很新。

    LL： It's funny ， but my sister didn't inherit my mother's tendencies.
She's not a clotheshorse at all.

    LH：你妹妹不喜歡買衣服嗎？女孩子不喜歡買衣服，那可不多。

    LL： My sister hates going shopping. She would be happy if she could
wear the same t-shirt and jeans every day of the year.

    LH：真的？你妹妹寧可每天穿同樣的T 恤和牛仔褲？看來，不是每個女人都
是clotheshorse.

    ******

    LL： Hey， Li Hua ， how much money did you shell out to buy clothes
today ？

    LH： Shell out？那是什么意思？

    LL： To shell out money means to pay for something. LH：噢，to shell
out money 就是花錢的意思，你是問我今天花了多少錢買這些衣服？其實每件衣
服都打了折扣，所以我沒花太多錢。

    LL： I'm just curious how much you have to shell out to fill up that
huge shopping bag with women's clothing. LH ：你好奇？這可奇怪了，你怎
么會突然間對女人衣服的價錢感興趣？你也想買一些�。�

    LL： No ！ I'm just curious ， that's all. I've heard that women's
clothes are more expensive than men's clothes. LH ：你只是想知道女裝是
不是比男裝貴。其實只要你懂得怎么找減價的衣服，你并不需要花大筆錢買衣服
��！

    LL： Next time I have to buy clothes， I'll ask you for help. I never
bother to look for sales and I always end up shelling out more than I
should. LH：沒問題！買衣服，找折扣品，我最在行了，我一定幫你！

    LL： Well ， while we're at the mall， why don't you help me find
a good deal on a pair of jeans. LH：找牛仔褲？沒問題！你通常都花多少錢
買一件牛仔褲？

    LL： I usually shell out around $40.00. LH： 40 塊啊？我能幫你找到
一件20塊的牛仔褲，怎么樣？

    LL： That's awesome ！

    今天李華學到兩個常用語。一個是clotheshorse，是形容一個講究穿著，喜
歡買衣服的人。另一個常用語是shell out ，也就是“付出”，尤其指付錢買東
西的意思。