A man handed a pair of slacks to the departmentstore clerk。“I would like these altered，please”he said。The clerk asked for the sales receipt，but after searching his pockets，the man replied he had lost it。The clerk informed him that it was store policy to do free alterations with a receipt。
“Okay，then”the man said，“I would like to return the slacks。”The clerk processed the return and gave him cash equaling the cost of the slacks。
The man pushed the money back across the counter。“Now I want to buy the slacks”he said。The clerk rang up the sale，bagged the slacks and handed them to him with a receipt。
Triumphantly，he put the slacks and the receipt on the counter。“I would like to have these altered，please。”
花招
一位男子把一条宽松裤递给百货商店职员。“我想换一条，”他说。店员向他要售货收据。这位男子翻遍了他的口袋，最后只得说收据丢了。店员告诉他说没有收据不准随意更换，这是商店的规章。
“那好吧，”这位男子说，“我要把这条裤子退掉。”店员按程序办理了退货手续并把等于裤子价格的现金给了他。
这位男子把钱从柜台上推回去。“现在我还要这条裤子，”他说。店员用收银机收下了钱，把那条裤子装进包里，并把它们连同收据递给了他。
这男子终于以胜利者的姿态把裤子和收据放在柜台上，说：“我要把这条裤子换了。”
slack[slk]adj。松（弛）的；清淡的，不活跃的；懈怠的，马虎的n。宽松裤；（绳索等）松弛部分
例：Living alone，he became slack about his appearance。由于单独生活，他对自己的外表越来越不在意了。
alter[：lt]vt。＆vi。改变，更改
例：As times alter，men’s affections change。时过境迁。
receipt[risi：t]n。收据，发票；收到；收入
例：I asked for a receipt。我要一张发票。
triumphantly[trai mfntli]adv。成功地，耀武扬威地
例：The trial pilot is heading triumphantly for home。那个试飞飞行员正向基地胜利返航。
“三合一”短语，如：
ways and means各种方法；aches and pains各种疼痛；law and order法规；odds and ends零星杂品；make or break不成功就失败；give and take亦取亦舍、互相忍让；forgive and forget既往不咎；hale and hearty健壮的；free and easy自由自在的；here and there各处；safe and sound安然无恙的；now and then偶尔
ring up除了打电话给某人外，还有下列意思：
①to record，especially by means of a cash register
记录，尤指通过收银机，如：
ring up a sale
把销售额记入收银机上
②to accomplish or achieve；win
完成或取得；赢得，如：
ring up several consecutive victories
取得几次连续性的胜利