One Good Turn Deserves Another

杰瑞发布于2023-06-22

[00:10.82]Who paid for Tony's dinner? [00:14.36]I was having dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in. [00:19.90]Tony worked in a lawyer's office years ago, [00:23.42]but he is now working at a bank. [00:27.04]He gets a good salary, [00:29.43]but he always borrows money from his friends and never pays it back. [00:35.61]Tony saw me and came and sat at the same table. [00:39.94]He has never borrowed money from me. [00:43.19]While he was eating, I asked him to lend me twenty pounds. [00:48.33]To my surprise, he gave me the money immediately. [00:53.78]'I have never borrowed any money from you,' Tony said, 'so now you can pay for my dinner!'

One good turn deserves another:
said when you do a helpful or kind act for someone who has done something good for you.
好心应该得到好报;以德报德.
这里要注意的是,让我惊讶的是:Tony 是给了我20英镑,马上就要我支付他的饭钱了。

其实Tony的行为困扰我很久,不知道是他的行为是什么意思?
可以分2部分:
  1. 听人说他有钱借钱不还钱,结论就是Tony人品不好。
  2. 我问他借钱20元,他立马让我给他午餐买单15元,几乎马上就把钱要回去了,结论还是:Tony人品不好。
认真看上下文后,“To my surprise” 这个很关键, 让我吃惊的不仅仅是他立刻借钱给我,还有他后面说的给他买单,关键就看这个餐费是多少了。

这里很关键的是20英镑对于一餐饭来说多还是少?
  • 在酒吧或餐厅吃一顿饭:12英镑(15.5美元)。
  • 在快餐店吃的组合餐:6英镑(8美元)。
  • 一公升牛奶:1英镑(1.32美元)
  • 1公斤(2.2磅)鸡胸肉:6英镑(8美元);
  • 一条牛仔裤:59.18英镑(78.10美元)。
  • 半公升啤酒 1.72 (2.27美元)
  • 5升瓶装水0.95英镑(1.25美元)
  • 每公斤农产品:1至2英镑(1.32至2.64美元)
文章里面他们是在restaurant吃饭,那就是餐厅吃,那就是12磅一餐,借了20磅出去,然后还要给他付餐费12磅,而且应该还要支付小费。你说这算借钱吗?
这里还有个小隐藏的彩蛋,就是Tony Steele的这个名字,Steele -- steal. 窃取;同时也讽刺了律师和银行家。这可能是属于西方人的幽默。
at a restaurant ; in a lawyer's office ; at a bank; at the same table
我正在一家饭馆吃饭,托尼.斯蒂尔走了进来。托尼曾在一家律师事务所工作,而现在正在一家银行上班。他的薪水很高,但他却总是向朋友借钱,并且从来不还。托尼看见了我,就走过来和我坐到一张桌子前。他从未向我借过钱。当他吃饭时,我提出向他借20英镑。令我惊奇的是,他立刻把钱给了我。“我还从未向你借过钱,”托尼说道,“所以现在你可以替我付饭钱了!”
have dinner
borrow money; pay it back. pay fro my dinner.
Who paid for Tony's dinner?