CAROLINE: What should I get Uncle Teddy?

DRAKE: You could get him a tie.

CAROLINE: Are you kidding?

That’s the stupidest gift one can buy. I don’t want to get a tie.

DRAKE: Why not?

CAROLINE: Everybody gets men ties for Christmas. It’s too boring.

Everybody buys either ties or sweaters. I want a more unique gift.

DRAKE: Well, you can buy him a pet iguana then.

CAROLINE: That’s a cool idea. At least it would be a surprise.

But I’m afraid he wouldn’t take care of it.

DRAKE: He would think you were crazy, Caroline.

CAROLINE: Yes. An iguana is too strange for a gift, and a tie is too normal.

So I have to find something halfway between.

DRAKE: How much do you want to spend?

CAROLINE: Well, he was very good to me.

He helped me edit my essay for the scholarship contest.

So I want to spend at least 75 dollars.

DRAKE: Alright, I have an idea.

You know he carries that conservative-looking briefcase every day.

CAROLINE: Yes.

DRAKE: Well, he isn’t a lawyer, so I don’t think he needs to have a briefcase like that.

CAROLINE: What should he have then?

DRAKE: I think he would appreciate having a very fine leather bag.

But more like a bookbag or shoulder bag.

You know, not so hard and square like a briefcase.

CAROLINE: I think that’s a great idea. Men look great with that kind of bag.

Where can we buy one?

DRAKE: I don’t think this mall has a leather goods store.

So we have to go to State Street.

CAROLINE: Alright. We can go later then.

DRAKE: We can buy something for Mom and Dad here,

and then go buy Uncle Teddy’s gift on State Street.

CAROLINE: Good plan. What should we get for Mom though?

DRAKE: She said she wants one of those automatic foot massagers.

I think they sell them at Sears.

CAROLINE: Alright. We can go check at Sears and see if they have them.

And what about Dad?

DRAKE: How about the iguana?

CAROLINE: I think it would be a great joke.

But I know we’d have to take the iguana back. And the pet store might not let us.

So why don’t we get him something else? Some clothes maybe.

DRAKE: A tie?

CAROLINE: Oh, shut up about ties! Forget about ties, why not?

DRAKE: I was just kidding.

凱洛琳：送什么給泰迪叔叔好呢?

杰瑞克：可以送他領帶啊。

凱洛琳：開什么玩笑?

那是最蠢的禮物了，我不要買領帶。

杰瑞克：為什么不呢?

凱洛琳：大家都送男生領帶當圣誕禮物，那太死板了。

不是送領帶就是送毛衣，我要送點特別的。

杰瑞克：那么你可以買只寵物鬣蜥蜴給他。

凱洛琳：不錯的點子，至少他會很驚訝。

不過我怕他不會養。

杰瑞克：他會認為你瘋了，凱洛琳。

凱洛琳：沒錯。送蜥蜴太奇怪，送領帶又太普通。

所以要取其中。

杰瑞克：你要花多少錢?

凱洛琳：他對我很好。

他幫我修改要參賽拿獎學金的文章，

所以我至少要送他 75 美元的東西。

杰瑞克：那好，我想到了。

你知道他每天都提著那個老舊的公文包。

凱洛琳：是的。

杰瑞克：他不是律師，不需要用那種公文包吧。

凱洛琳：那么他該用什么包包?

杰瑞克：他會喜歡用皮制的包包。

但要更像是書包或是背包。

不像公文包那樣又硬又方正。

凱洛琳：這主意不錯，男生背那種背包很好看。

哪里買得到呢?

杰瑞克：這個購物中心沒有皮制品的商店。

我們必須到斯泰特街上。

凱洛琳：好，那么等會兒去買吧。

杰瑞克：我們可以在這兒買爸媽的禮物，

然后再去斯泰特街上買泰迪叔叔的禮物。

凱洛琳：就這么辦，那么買什么給媽媽呢?

杰瑞克：她說她想要一臺腳部電動按摩機。

我想在希爾斯有賣的。

凱洛琳：好，我們去希爾斯看看有沒有。

那么送爸爸的呢?

杰瑞克：送鬣蜥蜴如何?

凱洛琳：那會很好笑。

不過我們得把鬣蜥蜴扛回去，而且寵物店可能不會讓我們這么做。

>>更多寫作請關注英語口語頻道

(兼職編輯：段保凈）