名人教英文：再招损失
to throw good money after bad
再招损失
sasha: your car's making a funny noise.
萨莎﹕你这辆车发出的声音很古怪。
yukio: yes, there's something wrong with the engine.
由纪夫﹕不错，发动机有点不妥。
sasha: that could be serious and cost quite a lot to repair.
萨莎﹕问题可以很严重，修理要很多钱。
yukio: i know. i've had so many other things go wrong lately and they've all cost a lot to get them fixed.
由纪夫﹕我知道。近来我有不少东西都坏了，修理都花了很多钱。
sasha: it's quite an old car, isn't it?
萨莎﹕这辆车已经很残旧了，对吧。
yukio: yes, it's about twelve years old.
由纪夫﹕对，车龄将近十二年了。
sasha: well i wouldn't waste any more money on it, if i were you. that's just throwing good money after bad.
萨莎﹕我是你的话，就不会再花钱修理，免得更添损失。
yukio: you're right, but i can't afford to replace it at the moment.
由纪夫﹕你说得对，但我目前买不起一辆新车。
to throw good money after bad直译是「丢了坏钱之后，又丢好钱」，常用来说「为求以前的花费不冤枉，于是再花金钱，结果只是再招损失」，有点像中文所说「赔了夫人又折兵」，例如﹕to lend him any more money would be to throw good money after bad. he will never pay his debts（再借钱给他，只会再招损失。他是绝对不会还债的了）。
i've had so many other things go wrong lately and they've all cost a lot to get them fixed这一句，lately和fix两字都值得留意。lately是「近来」，另一说法是of late，例如﹕i haven't seen him lately / of late（我近来没有见过他）。要说「迟了」，英文是late，不可说lately，例如「他迟到」是he arrived late。
fix和repair都可以解作「修理」，但fix是较随便的说法，多用于口头，repair则多用于书写，例如﹕(1) have you fixed the photocopier yet?（你把复印机修理好了没有？）(2) he reminded the technician to repair the photocopier（他提醒技术员修理复印机）。
fix一字，有不少用法。除了「修理」，还可指「安排妥当」，例如﹕i would like to have lunch with him tomorrow. can you fix it?（我想明天跟他吃午饭，你可以安排吗？）美式英语还常用fix来说「做饭」、「沏茶」等，例如﹕i'll fix a dinner / a lemonade for you（我给你做晚饭 / 弄杯柠檬水吧）。不过，对一些英国人来说，fix的这个用法或有点刺耳。