今天Michael和李华要开车去新泽西州看一个朋友，跟他一起过周末。 新泽西州紧挨着纽约，开车只要一个小时就到了。请注意他们俩人讲话当中用的两个词： shot 和 damage。现在他们正准备上车。
M: Hey, Li Hua, are you ready to go?
L: 行，我准备好了，可以走了。
M: Ok, let's go!
L: 哟，怎么啦？
M: I think my engine is shot. This is not good.
L: 什么？ 有人开枪把你车打坏啦？
M: No! You're right, shot does mean to have used a gun, but here shot means something is broken.
L: 对啊，shot是指开枪，原来这儿的意思不同，这儿是指什么东西坏了。那我的电脑坏了，也能用shot这个字啊？
M: Sure. My computer is shot. You can say almost anything is shot.
L: 什么东西坏了都能这样说？
M: Yes, if you hurt your knee, you can say: My knee is shot, or if you hurt your shoulder, you can say: My shoulder is shot.
L: 噢， 要是你的膝盖受伤了，你就可以说：My knee is shot; 要是你的肩膀受了伤，那你就说：My shoulder is shot.
M: Let's go rent a car. I don't want our whole day to be shot.
L: 对，还是去租一辆车吧。 噢，毁了一整天也能这样说呀！
M: Yep. Let's go!
(Michael和李华租了一辆车，现在他们在开往新泽西的路上)。
L: Michael, 这辆车真不错，挺稳的。再开半小时就到了，太好了！
M: Yeah, I'm glad too, but the damage for renting the car is pretty bad.
L: 什么？这辆租的车也坏了？哟，那怎么办呐！
M: No, the rental car is not damaged! The word damage does mean that, but damage here means the amount of money needed to pay for something.
L: 租的车没有坏，真把我吓一跳。原来又是我的英文有问题。 Damage 这个字很普通，大家都知道是指什么东西坏了。可你指的是为什么东西付的钱。
M: Yes, renting the car is expensive, so the damage is bad. We usually say the damage is bad or not bad.
L: 我知道了，价钱贵就是：the damage is bad。 价钱不高，那就是： the damage is not bad. 再给我举个例子吧。
M: When you pay for dinner at a restaurant, you can ask: What's the damage?
L: 噢，在饭店里吃完晚饭要付钱的时候可以问：“What's the damage?" 所以租车很贵，the damage is bad. Michael, 别担心，我可以帮你付一点。
M: You don't have to, Li Hua. I know the damage for your new computer was pretty bad.
L: 你真好心，知道我买新电脑花了不少钱，所以不要我帮你付。 Michael, 没关系，我能付一点，你还要去修车，也很贵的。
M: Thanks, Li Hua. But I hope the damage for fixing my car won't be too bad.
L: 我也希望你修车不至于太贵。得了，别说钱了，赶快开吧。
M: OK, I'll drive fast so that the rest of our day won't be shot.
L: 对了，别浪费时间了，我也不想把一天的时间全浪费了。
今天Michael 教了李华两个年轻人常用的词，一个是shot。 Shot 是指什么东西坏了，或者人体的某个部位受伤了；另外一个词 是damage。这里的damage不是指损坏，而是指为某样东西，或某个交易付的钱。
