And I'm Neil. Hello.

我是奈爾，大家好。

Hello, Neil. Now, tell me. Do you usually go Dutch when you take someone out to dinner?

你好，奈爾。告訴我，當你帶別人外出吃晚餐時，你們會分攤帳單嗎？

Now, go Dutch means to share the cost of something, for example a meal in a restaurant.

Go Dutch 代表各付各的意思，例如在餐廳中結帳時會遇到的情形。

Well Alice, no. I usually expect my date to pay actually.

嗯，艾莉絲，不，實際上，我通常會期待我的伴侶付帳。

I hope you're joking, Neil. But I wouldn't be surprised.

我希望你只是在開玩笑，奈爾。但我其實也沒有太意外！

Personally, I think it's a nice gesture to offer to pay for the meal when you're on a date.

就我個人來說，我認為在約會當中，付餐點費用是一個友好的表示。

Yeah. But it can depend on the situation.

是啊，但有時也要看狀況。

Some people might be offended if you offered to pay for everything.

如果你幫他付了所有東西的費用，有些人會因此感到被冒犯。

Well yes, true. Clearly you're not going to offend those people, Neil, though. Are you?

是的，沒錯。很顯然奈爾你並不想去冒犯到那些人，對吧？

And I won't be going to dinner with you any time soon.

所以最近我絕對不會跟你去吃晚餐的。

Well, I didn't ask. So calm down, Alice!

噢，艾莉絲，我也沒邀你啊，所以請冷靜！

Actually, money matters can cause relationship problems in couples and that's the subject of the show. Here's today's quiz question based on a UK survey. Ready, Alice?

事實上，金錢方面的問題常常會造成情侶間的矛盾，而這就是今天的主題。這裡有一個根據英國意見調查報告所做的小問題。艾莉絲，準備好了嗎？

I am indeed.

我完全準備好了。

What percentage of married couples don't know exactly what their spouse earns?

有多少比例的已婚夫妻，並不準確地知道配偶的所得？

Is it: a) 4%? b) 14%? Or c) 44%?

是 a) 4%？ b) 14%？ 或 c) 44% ？

Well, gosh! I think b) 14%. Yes, that sounds about right to me.

噢，天啊！我認為是 b) 14%。是的，我覺得應該是這個。

Well, we'll find out if you're right or wrong later on.

好的，等一下我們就會知道你是對還是錯了。

Now, it seems important that couples are honest about their finances because it can have an impact on their future financial options together.

配偶雙方在財務上對彼此誠實是很重要的，因為這會對他們未來財務的共同選擇有著一定的影響力。

Yes, that's right. If you're buying a house together and then find out later that your spouse – your husband or wife is thousands of pounds in debt, then the chances are you won't be able to get a mortgage.

是的，沒錯。如果你們準備一起買一間房子，然後卻發現你的配偶，也就是你的丈夫或妻子，有著數千英鎊的債務，將會使你們很可能沒辦法申請到抵押貸款。

To be in debt, by the way, means to owe money to someone.

順帶一提，to be in debt，代表欠某人錢。

Good point. A mortgage is where a bank lends you money to buy a house.

說的好。A mortgage (貸款) 則是指銀行借你一筆錢去買房子。

Let's listen now to what Arabella Russell, a relationship therapist, has to say about this.

現在讓我們來聽聽看，情感關係治療師 Arabella Russell 的說法。

The fact of the matter is it's very difficult – it can be very difficult to talk about money.

事實上這非常困難。要開口談論金錢這個主題是非常困難的。

Often when we talk about money, its emotions are very close to us – there's guilt, there's shame.

常常當我們一提到錢，內心便會出現一些如罪惡感與羞恥感，這類與我們切身相關的情緒。

What have we done in the past? To start those conversations is complicated.

我們以前是怎麼做的？要如何開啟那些談話是非常複雜的。

Money can be about how we value ourselves, how we feel valued.

金錢會跟我們如何評價自己，以及我們如何感到有價值有關。

It's not just a simple case of talking about hard cash.

因此這不僅僅只是簡單地談論現款而已。

Arabella talks about 'hard cash'. Now what does that mean?

Arabella 提到了 hard cash。那是什麼意思呢？

Well, we say hard cash when we talk about physical money – the coins and banknotes as opposed to other types of payment.

當我們說 hard cash 時，是指相對其他支付方式來說實質的錢，也就是硬幣和鈔票。

And why do we find it so difficult to talk about cash, Alice?

艾莉絲，為什麼我們會覺得談論金錢是這麼困難的事？

Well, because we get emotional about it!

這是因為我們對這個話題很敏感！

Arabella talks about feelings of guilt and shame.

Arabella 談到罪惡感和羞恥感。

And for many of us, money isn't simply money – it can be about how we value ourselves or feel valued.

對大多數的人來說，錢不僅僅只是錢而已，它還與我們如何評價自己，以及我們如何感到有價值相關。

Right... so if I were to buy you a cheap engagement ring you would feel undervalued.

沒錯.... 所以如果我買給你一個很廉價的訂婚戒指，你會覺得被看輕了。

Nice example, Neil! You can't be a cheapskate when it comes to engagement rings!

奈爾，真是個好例子！你可不能在買訂婚戒指時當一個小氣鬼！

So how much would you spend on our engagement ring, Neil?

既然如此，奈爾你會花多少錢在我們的訂婚戒指上？

Well... um... I didn't know we were getting married!

呃... 嗯... 我真不知道我們已經要結婚了！

But if I was buying an engagement ring for you Alice, I think definitely I would spend about... you know around... in the region of ... mmm pounds...

但如果我要買一個求婚戒指給你艾莉絲的話，我認為，我絕對會花大概... 你知道... 應該在... (含糊不清)英鎊左右...

Sorry, Neil, I didn't quite catch that. Alright!

抱歉，奈爾，我剛剛沒聽清楚。好的！

Are you calling me a cheapskate?

你現在是在說我是小氣鬼嗎？

I certainly am, Neil. Cheapskate means someone who doesn't like spending money, by the way.

我確實在說你是，奈爾。Cheapskate (小氣鬼) 代表不喜歡花錢的人，順帶一提。

Moving on ... let's hear more from Arabella about how people have different attitudes towards money.

接下來... 讓我們繼續聽 Arabella 談論更多關於人們對於金錢是如何擁有不同的態度。

Accept the fact that in your relationship you might do money differently. There might be a spender and there might be a saver.

請接受在相處時，雙方可能對金錢有不同處理方式的事實。兩人裡面一定有一個人比較揮霍，一個比較節省。

It's very tempting if your partner does things differently to say they're wrong.

當伴侶有一些不同於彼此的做法時，我們很容易就指責對方是錯的。

They might do it differently because they see money differently.

但他們之所以有不同的處理方式，是因為他們對金錢的觀念與我們不同所致。

Do it differently but have a budget. Of course be honest about each other, but recognise that you might just have a different view of money.

兩人可以有不同的做法，但一定要有一個預算。當然還要對彼此誠實，但也必須認清到你們只是有著不同的金錢觀。

Now that sounds like excellent advice to me!

這聽起來是個對我是非常棒的建議！

I'm a saver, and I'm not ashamed to say it.

我是一個節省的人，而我也從不引以為恥。

Why waste money on an expensive engagement ring? Engagements don't always last.

為什麼要浪費錢在昂貴的訂婚戒指上？訂婚又不一定會長久持續下去。

You might drop the ring down the kitchen sink or...

你還可能把戒指掉在廚房水槽中或...

How romantic, Neil! (It could be stolen or you know, you might meet someone else.)

喔，真是浪漫啊，奈爾！ (它也可能被偷，或是你可能再遇上其他人。)

Indeed. Now I know I shouldn't say you're wrong... but you're wrong!

確實。雖然我知道我不應該說你是錯的... 但你錯了！

You'd have to invest in a relationship if you want it to work.

如果你希望一段關係維持長久的話，你就必須做出一些投資。

Calm down. I see money differently to you.

冷靜一點。我只是對金錢的看法跟你不一樣。

I'm a saver and you're a spender, and that's all there is to it.

我比較節省而你比較揮霍，事情就是如此而已。

Now a budget means the money you have available for something and a plan for how to use it.

而 a budget (預算) 代表一筆你可以用來花費的金錢，以及如何運用這筆金錢的計畫。

Well, we'll have to agree to differ.

我們必須同意我們的意見分歧 (agree to differ)。

And that means accept that we have different opinions on this one!

這代表接受我們對於這個議題擁有著不同的意見。

Can we have the answer to today's quiz question then, please?

請問我們可以揭曉今天問題的答案了嗎？

Yes, we can.

當然可以。

I asked: What percentage of married couples don't know exactly what their spouse earns?

我問道：有多少比例的已婚夫妻，並不準確地知道配偶的所得？

Is it: a) 4%? b) 14%? or c) 44%

是 a) 4%？ b) 14%？或 c) 44%？

And I said b) 14%.

我說是 b) 14%。

And you are absolutely and completely... wrong! The correct answer is 44%. (Uh huh, yes?)

而你的答案... (嗯，怎麼樣？) 絕對完全地... 錯了！正確答案是44%。

Now that's according to new research conducted by the UK credit report service, Noddle, who also found that an astonishing 1.9 million married couples actively try to keep their finances secret from their partners!

這是根據英國信用調查機構 Noddle 所做的新研究，而他們更發現了一項驚人的數據：有一百九十萬名已婚伴侶，積極地嘗試向對方隱瞞他們的財務狀況！

Gosh, what a lot of people! Can we have today's words again then, Neil, please?

天啊，這麼多人！奈爾，請問我們可以再來複習一下今天的單字嗎？

Yes, we can. Here they are: go Dutch, spouse, to be in debt, mortgage, hard cash, cheapskate, budget, agree to differ.

奈爾：當然可以，它們是：各付各的 (go Dutch)、配偶 (spouse)、舉債 (to be in debt)、貸款 (mortgage)、現款 (hard cash)、小氣鬼 (cheapskate)、預算 (budget)、承認分歧 (agree to differ)。

Well, that brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English.

今天的「六分鐘學英文」節目就到這邊告一段落。

We hope you thought today's programme was good value.

希望今天的節目對你們有所幫助。

And please join us again soon. See you then.

請下次再繼續收聽。下次見囉！

Good Bye. (Bye!)

再見。(再見！)

[Six minute English, from the BBC.]

[六分鐘學英文，來自 BBC]