① What would you do with $590m?② This is now a question for Gloria MacKenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history.③ If she hopesthat her new-found fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfilment, she could do worse than read "Happy Money" by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.
【译文】
① 要是你有 5.9 亿美元,你会怎么花?② 这如今成了格洛丽亚·麦肯齐面临的问题。她是一位 84 岁的寡妇,最近从佛罗里达州自家那间铁皮屋顶的小屋中走出来,去领取史上最大一笔独得彩票头奖。③ 如果她希望新获得的财富能带来持久的满足感,那她读一读伊丽莎白·邓恩和迈克尔·诺顿合著的《快乐花钱》这本书也不失为一个好选择。
【生词短语】
$590m
5.9 亿美元
widow
n. 寡妇
emerge from
从……走出来/出现
tin-roofed
adj. 铁皮屋顶的
lottery jackpot
彩票头奖
undivided
adj. 无人分得的,独得的
new-found fortune
新获得的财富
yield
v. 产生,带来
lasting fulfilment
持久的满足感
do worse than
(委婉推荐)做……也不差
Paragraph 2 · 核心观点:花钱买体验最划算
【原文】
① These two academics use an array of behavioural research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive.② Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes.③ Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly.④ Whatwas once exciting and newbecomes old-hat; regret creeps in.⑤ It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dunn and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema.⑥ These purchases often become more valuable with time—as stories or memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.
【译文】
① 这两位学者运用一系列行为研究表明,最划算的花钱方式可能违反直觉。② 对巨额财富的幻想往往伴随着名车豪宅的想象。③ 然而,对这些物质购买的满足感很快就会消退。④ 曾经让人兴奋的新鲜事变得老套,懊悔悄然而至。⑤ 邓恩女士和诺顿先生认为,把钱花在体验上要好得多,比如有趣的旅行、独特的美食,甚至去看场电影。⑥ 这些购买往往随着时间推移越发珍贵——成为故事或回忆——尤其当它们让人与人之间联系更紧密的时候。
【生词短语】
academics
n. 学者
an array of
一系列,大量
behavioural research
行为研究
counterintuitive
adj. 违反直觉的
fantasy / fantasy of
n. 幻想;对……的幻想
extravagant
adj. 奢侈的
material purchases
物质购买
wear off
逐渐减弱/消失
old-hat
adj. 老套的,过时的
regret creep in
懊悔悄然而至
be connected to
与……联系
◆ 长难句拆解 · 段落2 句①
主干:These two academics use an array of behavioural research to show...宾语从句(show 的宾语,黄底):that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive语法点:that 引导的宾语从句;动词不定式 to spend money 作后置定语修饰 ways
【译】这两位学者运用一系列行为研究表明,最划算的花钱方式可能违反直觉。
Paragraph 3 · 实用建议:钱少、给出去、节制花
【原文】
① This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most "happiness bang for your buck."② It seemsmost people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, andis hardly jollier for it).③ Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly.④ This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib—a marketing trick thathas turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.
【译文】
① 这本薄薄的书塞满了各种贴士,帮助工薪族乃至彩票得主,让每一分钱都换来最大的"幸福回报"。② 对大多数人来说,缩短通勤时间、多陪家人朋友、少看电视会更幸福(普通美国人一年花整整两个月看电视,却并未因此更开心)。③ 买礼物或捐慈善往往比给自己买东西更愉快;奢侈品只有节制消费时才最有乐趣。④ 这显然就是麦当劳限制其人气产品"麦乐猪肋排堡"供应的原因——这是一营销手段,把这款猪肉三明治变成了人人痴迷的对象。
【生词短语】
slim volume
薄薄一本书
be packed with
充满,塞满
wage slave
工薪族,薪奴
bang for your buck
钱花得值(习语)
commute
n./v. 通勤
whopping
adj. 巨大的(带感情色彩)
jolly / jollier
adj. 愉快的
give to charity
慈善捐赠
sparingly
adv. 节制地
availability
n. 可获得性
obsession
n. 痴迷
◆ 长难句拆解 · 段落3 句②
主干:It seems + 主语从句 most people would be better off if...if 条件状语从句:they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television括号补充:something the average American spends...doing(省略 that 的定语从句修饰 something)语法点:三个并列动词短语(shorten / spend / less of it watching)+ 三个 and 串联
① Readers of "Happy Money" are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfilment, not hunger.② Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones.③ Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people.④ Not everyone will agree with the authors' policy ideas, whichrange from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers.⑤ But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.
【译文】
① 《快乐花钱》的读者显然是享有特权的一群人,他们焦虑的是自我实现,而非温饱。② 金钱也许并不能买到幸福,但富裕国家的人普遍比贫穷国家的人更幸福。③ 然而,"花钱让别人开心"和"自己感到幸福"之间的联系,在全世界无论贫富都能看到;稀缺性则会提升大多数人从多数事物中获得的快乐。④ 并不是所有人都会认同作者的政策建议,这些建议从强制增加休假时间,到削减美国购房者的税收优惠,不一而足。⑤ 但大多数读者读罢此书会认为,这笔钱花得值。
【生词短语】
privileged lot
享有特权的一群人
anxious about
对……焦虑
fulfilment
n. 满足感,实现
scarcity
n. 稀缺
enhance
v. 增强,提升
policy ideas
政策建议
mandate
v. 强制要求
tax incentives
税收优惠
homebuyers
n. 购房者
come away from
(读/听完之后)留下……印象
◆ 长难句拆解 · 段落4 句④
主干:Not everyone will agree with the authors' policy ideas非限制性定语从句:whichrange from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers语法点:which 指代前面整个 ideas;range from...to... 译为"从……到……"
题干:According to Dunn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?
STEP 1 · 找定位词
关键词:Dunn and Norton(作者)+ most rewarding purchase(最有价值的购买)
STEP 2 · 找定位句
锁定 Paragraph 2 句⑤:"It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dunn and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema."
STEP 3 · 精读定位句
Dunn 和 Norton 认为:花钱买体验(experiences)远比物质更划算。作者列举了三种"体验"——有趣旅行(interesting trips)、独特美食(unique meals)、看电影(going to the cinema)。这与句②提到的"物质消费"(fancy cars, extravagant homes)形成鲜明对比。
STEP 4 · 匹配合适选项
[A] 大房子
= extravagant homes,正是文中明确反对的物质消费 ❌
[B] 特别旅行 ✓
= interesting trips,完美对应"体验"类消费 ✅
[C] 时尚汽车
= fancy cars,物质消费的代表 ❌
[D] 奢侈大餐
rich meal 偏向物质消费,与原文 unique meals(独特体验)有偏差 ❌
第 22 题 · 态度题 · 答案:A
题干:The author's attitude toward Americans' watching TV is __________.
STEP 1 · 找定位词
关键词:Americans、watching TV、作者态度
STEP 2 · 找定位句
锁定 Paragraph 3 句② 括号部分:"something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it"
题干:According to the last paragraph, "Happy Money" __________.
STEP 1 · 找定位词
关键词:last paragraph、Happy Money
STEP 2 · 找定位句
最后一句(句⑤):"most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent."
STEP 3 · 精读定位句
come away from...believing 意为"读完后相信",关键短语是 money well spent(钱花得值)。注意:"most people will...believing it was money well spent"暗示:买这本书是值得的;至于政策建议是否认同,是另一回事。