No.19 实用英语案例之－车钥匙丢了
I lost my car key, here are my English note of how to replace car keys -- quite practical, huh?
I'm sorry I'm editing part of the content using school's computer that only has English keyboard available (or it may have a Chinese one, but I don't know how to apply either)
Here's part of the article" how to replace car keys" from Wikihow, same resouce as the No.9 "How to order at Starbucks"
Car dealerships charge an arm and a leg to replace your car keys, especially those high-tech newfangled ones. Before you fork over your hard-earned cash to replace a key that is lost, malfunctioning, or dead, make sure you’ve exhausted every other possibility.
an arm and a leg：与身体有关的一个idiom来表示: a lot of money.这个idiom经常与cost/pay/charge 一起使用. 因此我们可以说The Google glass cost me an arm and a leg. 如果说I don’t have an arm and a leg，我觉得容易误会…
另外一个与leg有关的idiom有: break a leg! 指的不是“打断一条腿”，而是“祝你好运”，尤其是指要上台表演之前，可以这样说. 例如同学要做presentation，我们可以说break a leg－－有点开玩笑的方式.
newfangled：fangle指的就是something new fashioned, a foolish innovation.－一个车钥匙能创新到哪里去！
fork over: 不情愿的给，to pay money; to give something to someone unwillingly (grudgingly)
Steps
Write down you car's VIN number. This will be necessary in finding someone who will help you replace the key. In most cars, the VIN is located on the driver’s side dashboard and is visible through the window, but it may also be located on a rear wheel well or the front of the engine block, in the trunk or door jam, or on the frame of the car between the carburettor and wind shield washer. If you’re not sure where yours is, look up the location (or even the number itself) online.
Write down the year, make, and model of your vehicle. Again, this will be indispensable for making any replacements.
VIN number: Vehicle indetification number, car's ID. If your car is towed away owing to illeage parking, blocking pedestrain ramp,or sanitation, you have to use this VIN number to track where is it.
dashboard -control panel placed in front of the driver.
Method 1 of 2: Lost Key
Ask a local locksmith if they can make you a replacement key. While hardware stores aren’t generally equipped to create new car keys (as opposed to simply copying them), locksmiths usually have more sophisticated machinery. The older your vehicle, the better the odds that a locksmith will be able to help you.
If you lost a key fob, a good locksmith may be able to help you make a new one – depending, of course, on the on how sophisticated the key was. Additionally, they should be able to help you reprogram the replacement key, though your manual should also have instructions on how to do that. Be sure to bring any other key fobs associated with that vehicle with you, as they sometimes won’t work until the new key is programmed.
-smith: a "suffix" indicates "a person who works in metal","the maker of something" So, we have "blacksmith", "locksmith","gunsmith", "coppersmith".
Unlike a dealership a locksmith is a tradesman, so there is always wiggle room on a quote.
wiggle room: flexibility; small changes
key fob: in other words it is "key chain"-- a chain of keys for multiple purposes: unlock,lock,open the trunk-- a.k.a. "keyless entry system"
a.k.a. : Alson Known As - quite often used in spoken, for example," My name is Eric, aka, Hailu Zhang(my Chinese name)"
---------------------------------------------------------------
Vocab with pics:
padlock
-----------------------------------------------------------Click "reading the original"to read the full article, if you're intersted.
Always have a spare key to save the endless hassles down the road and pains in the ass :(
加关注: ericzenglish（或点击上面题目下方的蓝字）
另强烈推荐一个经济学人杂志的学习频道: justintheeconomist
谢谢！