What is dry about dry cleaning? 干洗究竟怎么一回事？

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

Carol takes some garments to the Dry Cleaning King in Eureka, California:   卡萝拿了些衣服去加州尤瑞加镇的干洗大王清洗：

 

DCK: Good morning, young lady! What can I do you for today?

早安，小姐！今天要洗什么【注】？

 

C:   You’d better be as good as I’ve heard. Now, if you end up ruining my ----

你们最好真正是名符其实。说正经的，倘若你们结果搞坏了我的──

 

DCK: Hey, hey, take it easy! I’m not called the Dry Cleaning King for nothing. I’ve been doing this for fifty years!

嘿，别急！我们干洗大王的招牌可不是盖的。我们开业已经50年了！

 

C:   Just look at these horrible stains on the front of my favorite evening dress!

看看这些吓死人的污点，就沾在我最心爱晚礼服的正前面！

 

DCK: No problem at all. I’ll use solvents to dissolve the stains, lubrication to penetrate and lift those stains, and enzymes to digest them!

绝对没问题。我会先用溶剂把污点溶开，渗润滑油进去，把污迹浮到表面层，再用酵素把它中和掉。

 

C:   All that water and soap better not shrink my dress!

那些水与肥皂最好不要害我的衣服缩水！

 

DCK: Miss, look here on my uniform: “Dry Cleaning.” It’s dry ‘cause there ain’t no water. I use solvents!

小姐，看看我制服上写的字：「干洗」。叫干洗就是因为它不用水。它用溶剂！

 

C:   But that’s the stuff you use to clean engine parts!

但溶剂是用来清洗引擎零件的东西啊！

 

DCK: Sure, but I don’t use automotive solvents. Mostly, I use perchloroethylene, which we call “perc” in the biz. Solvents remove dirt without affecting the fabric like water would. Then they evaporate quickly, leaving the clothes dry.

没错。但我用的不是汽车溶剂。多数时候我用四氯乙烯，就是我们这一行俗称的「百克」。用溶剂除污渍不会像用水那样伤衣料，然后它们很快就挥发了，而且衣服是干的。

 

C:   Can my dress be ready this Thursday?

星期四我的衣服可以好吗？

 

DCK: It sure can, ‘cause I’m the King! Here’s your receipt, and don’t worry – it’ll be as good as new!

没问题，我干洗大王打包票！收据在这里，别担心──保证焕然一新！

 

【注】：What can I do for you? 有些人的口语说法为 What can I do you for?

 

－by Grady Sales

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

garment [ˋgɑrmənt] n. 服装，衣着

end up 以(坏结果)终结

take it easy 别着急

stain [sten] n. 污点，污迹

solvent [ˋsɑlvənt] n. 溶媒，溶剂

lubrication [͵lubrɪˋkeʃən] n. 润滑；加油

penetrate [ˋpɛnə͵tret] v. 扩散于；渗透入

ain’t [ent]【口】不〔一种不规范的否定缩写形式〕【口】= am not, are not, is not

perchloroethylene [pɚ͵kloroˋɛθə͵lɪn] n.【化】四氯乙烯（用作干洗溶剂）

fabric [ˋfæbrɪk] n. 织物，织品；布料

evaporate [ɪˋvæpə͵ret] v. 蒸发；挥发

receipt [rɪˋsit] n. 收據，收條

 

 

Sentence of the Day

Your dry cleaner won't leave you high and dry.

你的干洗店绝不会让你失望。

 

high and dry 孤立无援; 处于困境