中阶生活|第42集：自测版纯净原声

音频一：

Behind the cash register at a store in downtown San Francisco, Sam Azar swiped his credit card to pay for a pack of cigarettes. The store's card reader failed to scan the card's magnetic strip. Azar tried again and again. No luck.

音频二：

As customers began to queue, Mr. Azar reached beneath the counter for a black plastic bag. He wrapped one layer of the plastic around the card and tried again. Success.

音频三：

The sale was completed. "I don't know how it works. It just does." said Mr. Azar who learned the trick from another clerk. Today's shaky economy is likely to produce many more such tricks.

重点词汇：

1, cash register /'redʒɪstə/ n. 收银机

2, downtown /‚daʊn'taʊn/ adv. 向[在]巿中心

3, swipe /swaɪp/ v. 刷〔卡〕

4, scan /skæn/ v. 〔用电磁波等〕扫描

5, magnetic strip /mæɡ'netɪk/ /strɪp/ 磁条

6, queue /kju/ v. 排队〔等候〕n. 队，行列

7, beneath /bɪˈniːθ/ adv, prep 在…之下，在…正下方；往…下面

8, wrap /ræp/ v.〔用纸或布等〕包，裹〔某物〕

9, layer /'leɪə/ n. 表层；层

10, trick /trɪk/ n. 诀窍；技巧，技法

11, shaky economy 不稳定的经济

跟读训练：

一、

Behind the cash register at a store in downtown San Francisco, Sam Azar swiped his credit card to pay for a pack of cigarettes.

旧金山市中心的一家商店收银处，山姆·阿扎正在用信用卡支付一包香烟的钱。

The store's card reader failed to scan the card's magnetic strip. Azar tried again and again. No luck.

商店的读卡器无法识别他卡上的磁条，阿扎试了又试，总是不行。

二、

As customers began to queue, Mr. Azar reached beneath the counter for a black plastic bag.

眼看顾客们开始排队，阿扎在收银台后面拿出了一个黑色的塑料袋。

He wrapped one layer of the plastic around the card and tried again. Success.

他把卡用一层塑料包起来然后有刷了一次，这次成功了。

三、

The sale was completed. "I don't know how it works. It just does." said Mr. Azar who learned the trick from another clerk.

交易完成了。阿扎先生说：“我不知道其中的原理。但是就是行得通。”这是他从一名其他员工那里学来的小窍门。

Today's shaky economy is likely to produce many more such tricks.

如今不稳定的经济可能会催生更多这种小窍门。