想要学好英语口语，一定要牢记口语提升最重要的一条基本原则，那就是大量的阅读和听力输入,只有在这样的前提下才能有效的提升英语口语水平，那么跟着知青英语先从VOA流行美语 Unit 64: MAKE A KILLING / BREAK 开始学习。

VOA盛行美语 Unit 64: MAKE A KILLING / BREAK EVEN

明天李华和Michael在探讨做生意的事。 李华会学到两个罕用语：to make a killing和to break even.

M: Li Hua, what are you looking at on the Internet?

L: 噢，我想在网上买个做豆腐的机器。我和一个冤家想做了豆腐周末拿到农民集市下来卖。 你说有人会买吗?

M: Of course people would buy your tofu! You"d make a killing!

L: Make a killing? 做豆腐和杀人有什么关系?

M: No, I said you"d "make a killing". "To make a killing" means to earn a lot of money quickly through some kind of lucrative business.

L: 唷， to make a killing就是经过做生意赚了许多钱！ Michael, 这么说，你以为咱们这个生意能做得成，是吗？我不晓得美国人是不是爱吃豆腐呐。

M: Of course! A lot of people who don"t eat meat, or who want to eat healthy foods eat tofu. Also, there are a lot of Chinese in this part of town. I"m sure you"ll make a killing.

L: 对，好多美国人如今衰弱认识很强，不吃肉，爱吃豆制品。Michael, 你说得没错，这一带中国人也很多，一定有人会买新颖豆腐的。Michael, 你能不能再给我举一个例子呀？

M: Well, for instance, my uncle Roger made a killing in real estate. A few years ago, he bought a lot of land and then rich people started building houses in the area, and he made a lot of money.

L: 你叔叔几年前买了好多地，而后有钱人在这些地上盖房子，所以他就经过房地产生意赚了好多钱！他可真有远见呐！

M: You can also say to make a killing in the stock market, in the insurance business or even in the tofu business!

L: 噢，to make a killing in the stock market就是经过交易股票赚了好多钱，in the insurance business就是保险业。可是，我想靠卖豆腐大略不会make a killing --赚不了太多钱。

******

M: Don"t worry about losing money, Li Hua. At the very least, you will break even.

L: 你说我至多会什么？break even?

M: "To break even" means to neither lose nor gain money. If you do some business and are able to cover the costs of the business, but don"t make a profit, you are breaking even.

L: 噢，那就是既不赚钱，也不赔本。做豆腐的机器不是太贵，所以，你说得对，要做到收支相抵， 也就是break even, 应该不会有成绩。

M: Even if you don"t earn a lot of money, if you break even you lose nothing, plus you get to enjoy lots of fresh tofu.

L: 唷，你倒想得好，不赚不赔没什么损失，还能吃好多新颖豆腐！你不就是想不出钱白吃豆腐嘛！对不对？

M: What? I don"t care that much about tofu. Stop being silly and use this phrase in a sentence.

L: 嗯...有了。我和我的冤家Regina上星期第一次去大东洋赌城玩。开端咱们各自出了50 美元，可是不到一小时全输光了。起初咱们两人各出10美元，合在一同，后果终于把100美元又赚了回来。所以，In the end, we broke even.

M: (Sarcastically) Wow. $50. Good thing you were able to break even, or you"d have to sleep in a cardboard box on the sidewalk.

L: Michael, 别小看人哪！输了50美元，我就得睡在马路上的纸箱里呀？哎，不过，说瞎话，50美元是不少钱，我原本就不该去赌钱。

明天李华学到两个罕用语，一个是：to make a killing, 意思是做生意在短期内赚了很多钱。另一个是：to break even, 意思是做生意没有赔本，也没有赚钱。

学好英语口语基础是最重要的方面，看完VOA流行美语 Unit 64: MAKE A KILLING / BREAK 是英语口语基础的一个知识点，想要学习更多的英语口语请关注知青英语