33 Painless Ways to Save Money Now 轻松省钱33招 In a difficult economy, most of us are looking for ways to put more money in our pockets, but we don’t want to feel like misers. We don’t want to drastically alter our lifestyles either. We want it fast and we want it easy. Small savings can add up and big savings can feel like winning the lottery, just without all of the taxes. 经济不景气之时，大多数人都会想方设法在口袋里存下更多的钱，但又不想把自己弄得跟守财奴似的。我们不想颠覆原有的生活方式，希望能够通过快捷的途径省钱。省点小钱可以积少成多；省下大钱就好比买彩票中了大奖，而且还不用交税。  Some easy ways to save money: 以下是一些简单实用的省钱之法： Online rebate sites. Many online sites offer cash back rebates and online coupons as well. 返利网站：许多网站都会推出现金返还、折扣以及优惠券等让利活动。 Sign up for customer rewards. Many of your favorite stores offer customer rewards on products you already buy. Take advantage. 参加客户回馈活动：你经常光顾的商店可能会有产品回馈活动，好好把握机会吧。 Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. The extra cost up front is worth the energy savings later on. 换用小巧的荧光灯：虽然要付出一点额外的投资，但灯泡节省下的电能可以给你省下不少钱呢。 Turn off power strips and electronic devices when not in use. 电插板和电器不用时，务必关掉电源。 Buy a programmable thermostat. Set it to lower the heat or raise the AC when you’re not home. 购买温度自动调节器：离家之时，用它来降温或者提高交流电压以省电。 Make coffee at home. Those lattes and caramel macchiatos add up to quite a bit of dough over the year. 在家做咖啡：在家做拿铁咖啡和焦糖拿铁，一年下来可以省下不少钱。 Switch banks. Shop around for better interest rates, lower fees and better customer perks. Don’t forget to look for free online banking and ease of depositing and withdrawing money. 更换银行：货比三家，选择那些利息高、业务办理费用少、客户服务优质的银行，除此之外，别忘了考虑网银是否免费，存取是否便利。 Clip coupons: Saving a couple dollars here and there can start to add up. As long as you’re going to buy the products anyway, why not save money? （从报纸、杂志上）剪下优惠券：买东西时随买随省，这样便可积少成多。既然你是要买这些东西的，何不省一些是一些呢？ Pack your lunch. Bring your lunch to work with you a few days a week, rather than buy it. 自带午餐去上班：每周有几天选择自带午餐去上班，而不是买别的地方的东西吃。 Eat at home. We’re busier than ever, but cooking meals at home is healthier and much cheaper than take-out or going out. Plus, with all of the freezer and pre-made options, it’s almost as fast as drive-thru. 在家吃饭：工作虽忙，但在家做饭毕竟会比出去吃更有益于健康，也可以省下更多的钱。此外，现在有那么多速冻和半成品食物可供选择，做起来绝不慢于快餐。 Have leftovers night. Save your leftovers from a few meals and have a “leftover dinner.” It’s a free meal! 晚上吃点剩菜：没吃完的饭菜留着晚上吃，美其名曰“剩餐”，免费的！ Buy store brands: Many generic or store brands are actually just as good as name brands and considerably cheaper. 对“名牌”说不：许多杂牌或者商场自有品牌的产品在质量上与名牌产品并无差别，价格却要便宜一大截。 Ditch bottled water. Drink tap water if it’s good quality, buy a filter if it’s not. Get a reusable water bottle and refill it. 远离瓶装纯净水：如果饮用水水质好，就直接饮用；若水质不佳，可以购买过滤装置，以可重复使用的瓶子盛装饮用。 Avoid vending machines: The items are usually over-priced. 避开自动售货机：自动售货机里的东西定价通常过高。 Take in a matinee. Afternoon movie showings are cheaper than evening times. 电影尽量选择午场：午后的电影票通常都比夜场要便宜些。 Re-examine your cable bill. Cancel extra cable or satellite channels you don’t watch. Watch the “on demand” movie purchases too. 重新审视你的有线电视账单：平常不看的有线或卫星频道无需购买，也要留心“点播”的电影是否收费。Use online bill pay. Most banks offer free online bill paying. Save on stamps and checks, and avoid late fees by automating bill payment. 在线支付账单：大多数的银行都提供在线账单支付业务，这样一来可省下不少邮戳和支票，还可以通过自动扣费业务避免缴纳滞纳金。 Buy frequently used items in bulk. You get a lower per item price and eliminate extra trips to the store later on. 批发常用物品：批发既降低了物品单价，又免得你以后还要一次次往超市跑。 Fully utilize the library. Borrowing books is much cheaper than buying them. 充分利用图书馆：借书当然比买书便宜很多很多了。 Cancel magazine/newspaper subscriptions: Re-evaluate your subscriptions. Cancel those you don’t read and consider reading some of the other publications online. 取消杂志、报刊订阅：重新为你的订阅估价，取消订阅那些你从不阅读的报刊、杂志，考虑一下在线阅读吧。 Get rid of your land-line. Do you really need a land-line anymore if everyone in the family has a cell phone? Alternatively, look into using VOIP or getting a cheaper plan. 少用座机：如果家里的每个人都有手机，你还需要座机做什么？或者，你也可以使用更廉价的网络电话。 Better fuel efficiency. Check the air pressure in your tires, keep up with proper auto maintenance, and slow down. Driving even 5MPH slower will result in better fuel mileage. 节省燃油：好好检查你轮胎的气压，坚持为汽车做好适当的保养。另外不要高速行驶，即便只将时速降低5英里/小时也可以节省不少油费。 Increase your deductibles. Increasing the insurance deductibles on your homeowners and auto insurance policies lowers premiums significantly. Just make sure you choose a deductible that you can afford should an emergency happen. 增加免赔额：增加业主和汽车的免赔额会大大降低保险费用。只是你得确保在紧急情况出现时，这个免赔额是你支付得起的。（注：免赔额是指保险人根据保险的条件作出赔付之前，被保险人先要自己承担的损失额度。因为免赔额能消除许多小额索赔，损失理赔费用就大为减少，从而可以降低保费，所以免赔额条款在财产、健康和汽车保险中得到广泛使用。） Choose lunch over dinner. If you do want to dine out occasionally, go at lunchtime rather than dinnertime. Lunch prices are usually cheaper. 在外吃饭，宜选中餐而非晚餐：如果你想偶尔出去吃个饭，请选午饭时间，因为午饭更便宜。 Buy used: Whether it’s something small like a vintage dress or a video game or something big like a car or furniture, consider buying it used. You can often get “nearly new” for a fraction of the cost. 购买二手货：小到复古连衣裙或者电子游戏，大到汽车或者家具，你都可以考虑购买二手货。你经常能够只花原价的一个零头就买到九成新的货品。 Stick to the list. Make a list before you go shopping and don’t buy anything that’s not on the list unless it’s a once in a lifetime, killer deal. 按计划购物：购物前，拟好购物清单；购物时，切勿购买清单上未列出的商品，除非是碰到一生难遇的买卖。 Tame the impulse. Use a self-enforced waiting period whenever you’re tempted to make an unplanned purchase. Wait for a week and see if you still want the item. 克服冲动消费：当你有了计划之外消费的冲动时，强迫自己等上一段时间，一周以后再看看自己是否仍想购买这件物品。 Don’t be afraid to ask. Ask to have fees waived, ask for a discount, ask for a lower interest rate on your credit card. 不怕提要求：你可以要求免单、折扣、或是降低信用卡还款利息。 Repair rather than replace. You can find directions on how to fix almost anything on the internet. Do your homework, and then bring out your inner handyman. 换新不如修理：网络可以给你提供几乎所有物品的修理方法。先做好必要的准备工作，再好好发挥你那双巧手的无限潜力吧。 Trade with your neighbors. Borrow tools or equipment that you use infrequently and swap things like babysitting with your neighbors. 与邻居交换物品：当你需要一些不太常用的工具时，可以试着找你的邻居借；当然，你也可以与邻居轮流照顾婴儿。 Swap online. Use sites to trade books, music, and movies with others online. 网络换物：借用网络来与他人交换书籍、音乐和电影光碟。 Cut back on the meat. Try eating a one or two meatless meals every week or cut back on the meat portions. Meat is usually the most expensive part of the meal. 少吃肉：试着每周吃1-2顿无肉餐，或者每餐少吃点肉。要知道，一餐之中，属肉最贵。 Comparison shop: Get in the habit of checking prices before you buy. See if you can get a better price at another store or look online. 货比三家：养成购买前先比价的习惯，没准你在另一家商店或是网店能买到更便宜的呢。 Remember that saving money is not about being cheap or stingy; it’s about putting money into your bank account rather than giving it to someone else. There are many ways to save money, some you’ve never thought of, and some that won’t appeal or apply to you. Just pick a few of the ideas that sound doable and watch the savings add up. Save big, save small, but save wherever you can. 务必牢记，省钱并不是小气吝啬，它只是把钱存进自己的银行账户，而不是送给别人。省钱的方法有很多，有些你绝想不到，而有些则可能不够吸引你。不妨选取其中一些较为可行的试试，你会看到“小钱”如何变成“大钱”。多也好，少也罢，总之“省”就对了。1、标题翻译：“painless”一词原意是“不痛苦的”，但若是直译，则显得过于生硬了，既然是“不痛苦的”，那就是“轻松不费事”的。 2、“raise the AC”：“AC”，即“Alternating Current”，“交流电”；这里之所以将“AC”引申为“交流电压”，是因为，交流电压的大小和方向是可以改变的，温度调节器的电阻又是恒定的，电流强度又不可能人为控制，自然只能是电压了。 3、“Drink tap water”：“tap water”确有“自来水”之意，却也有“饮用水、非蒸馏水”之意，在这里之所以用后者，是要与“纯净水”做对比，百度百科上对纯净水的定义是“纯净水，简称净水或纯水，是纯洁、干净，不含有杂质或细菌的水，是以符合生活饮用水卫生标准的水为原水，通过电渗析器法、离子交换器法、反渗透法、蒸馏法及其他适当的加工方法制得而成，密封于容器内，且不含任何添加物，无色透明，可直接饮用”。既然有“蒸馏”这道工序，自然就与饮用水区别开了；此外，就常识而言，那外国人总不至于天天对着那水龙头去喝自来水吧，所以用“饮用水”最为贴切。 4、“land-line”：之所以将其译作“座机”、“电话机”，是因为它与手机不同，是过去我们家中常用的“有线电话机”，这种电话机随着手机的普及也就不再那么常用了。 5、“Don’t be afraid to ask”：这里的“ask”乍看上去肯定是“问”的意思，但是不要忘了，这个单词也有“要求之意”，所以小编在阅读了下文之后，才确定了这个单词的意思。 6、“Do your homework, and then bring out your inner handyman”：这里的“homework”可不是“家庭作业、功课”之类，而是“准备工作”；至于“handyman”，虽有“手巧之人”的意思，但是用在这句话里，还是变通一下为好，毕竟自己做好了准备工作，总不能请一个手巧的师傅来干完下面的活吧，那样还怎么省钱！ 经验小结：译文不可能尽善尽美，些许亮点已然足够；若遇知识面较广、或是专业术语较多的文章，需脚踏实地，充分利用网络、图书和已经掌握的知识进行翻译，如有必要，需予以补注；翻译文章需掌握上下文的脉络，以及文章中心，可以先通读全文，再行翻译，或可事半功倍；翻译之时需根据上下文灵活变通词性、句法等等。 不足之处：译文缺憾之处有三：其一，有的句意译者自己能够理解，却表达不出，这原因也是多方面的，既有语言水平尚需时日锤炼的原因，也有过于意译会影响读者对照原文进行阅读的质量的原因；其二，文章专业术语较多，设计的学科知识面较广，有些甚至都无从查找，所以译文难免有生涩之处；其三，译文在语句表达上可能过于偏向科技文体，致使文章不够生动。 | |
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