Dialogue 1
Mark: Jingjing, I haven't asked you in a while about your friend Meili and that guy she was dating.
马克：京晶，我有一阵子没有问你有关你朋友美丽和她约会的那个人的事了。
Jingjing: Gaofeng? Well, I have some news about them: they're getting married!
京晶：高峰？嗯，我了解到一些近况：他们要结婚了！
Mark: Really? Last I heard, they were kinda split up.
马克：真的吗？上一次听说，他们似乎要分手了。
Jingjing: Gaofeng was just busy at work, and not ready for much of a relationship back then.
京晶：高峰只是忙于工作，那会儿还没有准备好谈恋爱。
Mark: Wow, so they're tying the knot. Have they set a date for the wedding?
马克：哇，所以他们要喜结连理。他们定了结婚的日子了吗？
Jingjing: I don't think so. Why, you wanna pitch in for a wedding gift?
京晶：我想还没有呢。怎么，你要赞助个结婚礼物吗？
Mark: I could add one or two hundred to the red envelope that you give them.
马克：我可以在你给他们的红包里再加上个一二百。
Jingjing: They're going to need it. They want to have a big wedding and go to Europe for their honeymoon. Also, they're buying the rings now.
京晶：这他们还是需要的。他们想举办一个盛大的婚礼，还要去欧洲度蜜月。而且，他们正在买戒指。
Mark: Rings don't need to be that expensive.
马克：戒指不需要那么贵。
Jingjing: She wants a big diamond.
京晶：她想要一颗大钻石。
Mark: Well then they'd better be ready to shell out a lot of money for it. Once you get over one carat, a diamond is pretty pricey.
马克：那他们最好准备好花大钱了，一旦钻石超过一克拉，将相当昂贵。
Jingjing: Do you know much about diamonds?
京晶：你了解钻石吗？
Mark: Are you kidding? I used to sell them.
马克：你开玩笑吧？我以前就是卖钻石的。
Jingjing: Oh, then you could give some advice.
京晶：哦，那你可以给些建议。
Mark: There's not so much advice to give. Diamonds are not like rubies or sapphires.
马克：没什么好给的。钻石不像红宝石或蓝宝石。
Jingjing: What do you mean?
京晶：什么意思？
Mark: Well, most precious gemstones are valued by how unique they are, of course also their size, and whether they're natural or treated.
马克：嗯，大多数珍贵宝石的价值取决于它们的独特性，当然也在于它们的大小，以及它们是天然的还是经过处理的。
Jingjing: That sounds complex.
京晶：听起来好复杂。

New words:习语短语
tying the knot
getting married, making a lifetime commitment
结婚，喜结连理
pitch in help, contribute
帮助，赞助
shell out spend (money)
消费，花钱
carat
a unit of weight, for measuring diamonds and other gemstones
克拉
ruby
a precious gemstone, usually red
红宝石
sapphire
a precious gemstone, usually blue
蓝宝石

Dialogue 2
Mark: Well, a really beautiful gemstone might be surprisingly expensive. But there are lots of gems that are quite cheap, just because they're not rare.
马克：嗯，一块真正美丽的宝石可能出奇的昂贵，但有很多宝石也是很便宜的，就是因为它们并不罕见。
Jingjing: And what about diamonds?
京晶：那么钻石呢？
Mark: Well, a company buys up most of the diamonds produced every year, and then resells them. So, the prices are kept high.
马克：嗯，一家公司买光每年生产的大部分钻石，然后再转售。所以，这个价格一直居高不下。
Jingjing: I know about that. So, what's your advice about buying a diamond?
京晶：这一点我到是知道。那么，你对购买钻石有什么建议呢？
Mark: Go for D, E, or F color. That's nearly white.
马克：选择D、E或F色，那几乎是白色的。
Jingjing: Anything else?
京晶：还有别的吗？
Mark: Yeah, the diamond needs to be free of flaws. Lots of them have spots inside. So, get an IF* or VVS1 or VVS2.
马克：是，钻石需要没有瑕疵。很多钻石里面都有斑点。所以要买无暇级或极微瑕级的。
Jingjing: Is that all?
京晶：就这些？
Mark: Pretty much. Most diamonds are cut perfectly nowadays. But people who think they got lucky with a big cheap diamond are probably ignoring the other three C's.
马克：差不多。现在大部分钻石都被切割的很完美。但那些认为自己幸运的拥有一颗又大又便宜钻石的人可能忽略了其他“三C”标准。
Jingjing: You got ahead of yourself, Mark. The C's???
京晶：你说得又快又不清楚了，马克。C什么？？？
Mark: Those are cut, clarity, color, and carat. Carat is the size, based on weight.
马克: 那是切割、纯净度、色泽和克拉。克拉就是根据重量计算的尺寸。
Jingjing: So, what's most important?
京晶：那么，什么是最重要的？
Mark: Basically, someone should get a perfect diamond, then consider what size of perfect diamond they can afford.
马克：基本上，人们先挑一颗完美的钻石，再考虑能够支付起的完美钻石的尺寸。
Jingjing: Yeah, Meili is going to get a solitaire. So that sounds like a good idea.
京晶：是，美丽想要买一颗独粒钻石。这听起来是个好主意。
Mark: I hope she doesn't have to break the bank for it.
马克：我希望她不会因此倾家荡产。
Jingjing: It might mean instant noodles for a few months.
京晶：这可能意味着得吃几个月的泡面。
Mark: Haha. I don't have any advice about that.
马克：哈哈，这我没有意见。


New words:习语短语
buy up
buy all of one kind of thing that's for sale right now (buy up all the houses in the community)
买光，购完
the four C's
four qualities of diamonds, cut, color, clarity and carat
钻石的4C标准
solitaire
a ring or other piece of jewellery with just one gemstone (a diamond solitaire is a traditional engagement ring worn by women)
独粒钻石
break the bank spend all your money to buy something (break the piggy bank)
倾家荡产
IF (internally flawless)
VVS1 very-very slightly included (1 is clearer than 2) worse still is VS1, VS2, S1, S2
钻石纯净度可分为从F—I的大致5个等级：FL无瑕级（完美无瑕）、IF无瑕级（内部无瑕）、VVS极微瑕级（VVS1和VVS2的区别是后者有极微小的棉状点和小毛茬等）、VS微瑕级、SI小瑕级。