177. The advice you would give your friend on how to use his or her money

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Receiving money is always an unexpected delight. Making the decision of how to spend this money is always a difficult choice. What it comes down to, however, is the individual's personal preferences, lifestyle, and priorities. If one of my friends has to choose between buying a car and going on vacation, I would carefully consider their lifestyle and advise them based on their wants and needs.

Living in a city can be a very high-paced, stressful way to live. Having a car would bring many conveniences that would make the experience much more enjoyable. First and foremost, a car can get you around the city very quickly and directly. This would be an important factor if my friend goes to school or works far away from home. Second, a car offers privacy. If my friend does not enjoy public places, then a car would be an excellent option. Cars also have their disadvantages. A car has many additional costs beyond the initial expense of buying one. One must pay for insurance, gasoline, and any incidental fees such as repairs. If my friend does not have a lot of extra money besides his/her inheritance, a car may not be the best option.

A vacation is also an excellent decision. If my friend works at a high-stress job, then a vacation is sometimes the only way to relax and forget about one's worries in the work world. Vacations to faraway lands can give a person more perspective on the world, and can also provide excellent memories. However, vacations always have to end, and one must return to his/her everyday life.

Therefore, I think that if my friend lives far away from his/her work or school and has a little bit of extra money, then a car would be the best option. However, if he/she lives near his/her work and holds a high-stress position, I would suggest that a vacation would be a better option. As mentioned above, how we spend our money is a very personal decision, based on one's own priorities. In the end, only my friend can decide what is best for him/her.

译文

177. 向朋友建议如何使用一笔钱

得到钱财常常会带来意外之喜，而如何去花这些钱又总是个很难做出的决定。但是花钱所体现出来的却是一个人的喜好、生活方式和优先考虑的事。如果我的一个朋友要在购买轿车和外出度假之间做一个选择的话，我会仔细考虑他们的生活方式，并会根据他们的需求来提供建议。

生活在城市中可能会觉得节奏快、压力大。拥有一辆轿车能为工作生活带来诸多便利，从而也使人们的生活更值得享受。首先也最重要的，是拥有一辆车能使你在城市中的行动便利快捷。如果我的朋友要到离家很远的地方去读书或者工作，这便是选择买车的一个重要的因素。其次，拥有车能提供独处而不受干扰的机会。如果我的朋友不太喜欢公共场合，那么拥有一辆轿车便是一个上乘的选择。当然，买了车也会有诸多不好的方面。比如，用于一辆车的额外开销要远远超过买车的钱。你得购买保险和汽油，还得为诸如维修之类的事情额外花钱。如果我的朋友除了遗产之外的额外资金并不多，那么购买一辆车就不是最好的选择了。

去度假也是一个很好的决定。如果我的朋友所承受的工作压力很大，那么选择度假有时便成了惟一能让人放松和忘记工作世界里烦恼的方式了。到遥远的地方度假能让一个人开阔眼界，并能留下美好的回忆。但是，度假总有结束的时候，人也总得重新回到日常生活当中。

因此，我认为如果我的朋友住的地方离工作或学校很远，并且手里有一些额外资金的话，那么买一辆车便是最好的选择。但是，如果朋友住的地方离工作的地方近，而且有一份压力很大的工作，那么我建议选择度假会更好。如上所述，如何花销我们的钱是一个非常私人的决定，要基于个人的优先考虑。最终，还是我的朋友自己才能决定什么对他或她才是最好的选择。

Word List

unexpected delight 意外之喜
insurance ［inˈʃuərəns］ n. 保险
come down to 涉及到
gasoline ［ˈgæsəˌli:n］ n. 汽油
priority ［praiˈɔriti］ n. 优先考虑的事
incidental ［ˌinsiˈdentl］ adj. 附带的
privacy ［ˈpraivəsi］ n. 独处而不受干扰
extra ［ˈekstrə］ adj. 额外的
disadvantage ［ˌdisədˈvæntidʒ］ n. 不利之处
high-stress ［ˌhaiˈstres］ adj. 压力大的
perspective ［pəˈspektiv］ n. 看法
additional ［əˈdiʃənl］ adj. 另外的
position ［pəˈziʃən］ n. 职位
initial ［iˈniʃəl］ adj. 最初的