ESL Podcast 501 – Buying Glasses

Alice: Ooh, look at these! Don’t I look great? I’ve always wanted sunglasses like these.

Pierre: You’re supposed to be here helping¹ me pick out frames for my new bifocals.

Alice: I don’t know why you won’t get progressives. That’s what everybody is getting these days.

Pierre: I’ve always had bifocals and that’s what I’m going to get.

Alice: Are you going to get metal, plastic, or rimless² frames?

Pierre: I’m not sure. The optician said that with my prescription³, I could get any kind.

Alice: Okay, try these. How do they feel?

Pierre: I like the way the hinges move, but they’re too small for my head. Hey, these are nice. I think I’ll go with these.

Alice: There’s no accounting⁴ for taste! Okay, but what about the lenses? There are so many options. You can get ones that reduce glare, ones that darken automatically, ones with anti-scratch coating…

Pierre: I want to keep it nice and simple. I don’t want any of those options.

Alice: How about these for a backup pair? They’re designer frames.

Pierre: Give me those. I should have known better than to let you tag along. What was I thinking?!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 rimless   

adj.无边的

参考例句：

• Among the guests was a quiet, agreeable man with rimless glasses locking like a college professor. 宾客中有一个沉静和蔼的人戴着无边眼镜，看起来象大学教授。 来自辞典例句
• Heyward's aquiline, austere face showed concentration; behind rimless glasses his grey eyes were cool. 海沃德那长着鹰钩鼻子的严峻的脸上露出十分专注的神情，无框眼镜的后面，一双褐色的眼睛闪着寒光。 来自辞典例句

3 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

4 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。