雅思词汇解析（8） | 金钱

雅思词汇解析，释义到用法，清清楚楚
每一次的进步，都是来自点点滴滴的积累
本周我们来聊聊和钱相关的话题。
1. peanut /'piːnʌt/
嗯嗯嗯？所以花生和钱有什么关系呢？一起来看看！
e.g. Five billion dollars is peanuts compared to what the government spends each year. 相比政府每年的开支，五十亿美元不算什么。
Peanuts 这里指的是: a very small amount of money. 而且注意下多用做复数形式。
e.g. He works all day for peanuts. 努力搬砖但赚的钱还不够打酱油的感觉？
顺便来看一个本季度P3的口语话题：Is it expensive to decorate a house or an apartment in the place where you live?
怎么说呢？比起买房，装潢那点钱根本不算什么好吗？
The cost of decoration and furnishings is just peanuts compared to a new apartment！
2. meager /ˈmi:gə/
adj. (of amounts or numbers) very small or not enough 过少的；不足的
如：meager salaries / income 微薄的工资。
刚才讲的peanuts 指的是钱方面的不足，meager会更多样一些。
e.g. They existed on a meager diet. 靠少量食物为生。
再来看一个口话题：Do you prefer living in an old building or a modern house?
不选old buildings的原因如：In most of old buildings, the furniture was meager, basic, and worn out. 家具都很简陋并且破旧不堪。
3. make (both)ends meet 
earn enough to pay your living expenses 使收支相抵；足够维持生活.
所以这里的两个ends 就可以多被理解为：income and expenses
e.g. With the rising cost of living, I have to work three jobs to make ends meet. 随着生活成本的上升，我必须要打三份共才能勉强收支平衡。
注：cost of living 生活成本
同样是口语话题中，涉及到城市生活的弊端，people in big cities lead a busy life and they have to work so hard to make both ends meet.
4. broke /brəʊk/
adj. : not having any money一文不名；身无分文
注意不要和broken 混淆。
e.g. I can't afford to go on holiday this year - I'm broke.
也可以是 flat broke, flat 用作副词，表示完全；断然。
当然表示很穷还有其他表达，如strapped, penniless, live paycheck to paycheck(我们常说的月光族) 
另外还有一个感觉被冒犯的短语: working poor （一天到晚瞎忙又不赚钱的群体）
说回broke, 也指公司破产倒闭等。
Many small businesses went broke during the recession. 经济衰退下很多小公司倒闭了。
破产的：go broke/ bankrupt/ under