英语博客：Chore time.

 There is a simple principle that can be applied¹ to all homes: if you don't do the chores, the place becomes like a pig pen. But, if you're wise, you can train the little pigs to do the chores. That is something that I have discovered recently. My four little piggies are starting to really help around the house. Now, when I refer to my children as piglets or piggies, it's not meant insultingly at all, though I am aware that in some cultures it may be so. The diminuitive form of the noun shows affection and endearment². However, if you call someone a big pig, or a big fat pig, that is completely different, and quite insulting. So, my little piggies are put to work every now and then. They only do what they are capable of, and actually not very much work. But, because there are four of them, their efforts add up to a substantial amount of help. My son Cass is big and strong, so I have him take out the garbage to the dumpster that is at the end of our driveway. My oldest son, Hudson, mows³ the lawn. My husband is thrilled about that. And you know, it's not a boring chore either. He gets to use the riding lawn mower⁴, so he has fun driving around. The two little ones help to pick berries and vegetables from the garden, lay the table for dinner and clear it, and occasionally pick up their toys. Phew! It takes a lot of training on the part of the parents. In the past, people would have large families to help run a farm. Well, there are less farms now. We don't live on one, though my house resembles a farmyard sometimes. Anyway, the children are all proud of doing their chores, and my husband and I make sure to praise them for their work. I have a plan to introduce them to the laundry this Autumn. I will open the doors of the laundry room, and let them step in and experience the mystery. It's not my favorite thing to do, at all. So, if, little by little, the children can learn to sort the clothes into color piles, learn about the machine settings, and practice folding the clean clothes, the laundry can become a shared experienced. Now that would be nice! The trick is to develop a routine, so certain chores are done consistently. That's the hard part. Sometimes it seems that it's easier to do the work yourself, instead of supervising other people while they are doing the chores. Ah, but the benefits come later, don't they. I can see myself in the future, with my feet up, eating bonbons⁵, and my medium sized piggies doing their chores, perhaps.

 

Grammar notes.

 

Related vocabulary: dumpster, to supervise, chore, benefits.

 

1. The garbage truck comes to empty the dumpster every Thursday.

 

2. Those kids need to be supervised in the lounge, or they might break something.

 

3. You can go to your friend's party after you've done your chores.

 

4. The benefit of getting to the cinema early, is that you can choose the best seats.

 

1 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

2 endearment   

n.表示亲爱的行为

参考例句：

• This endearment indicated the highest degree of delight in the old cooper.这个称呼是老箍桶匠快乐到了极点的表示。
• To every endearment and attention he continued listless.对于每一种亲爱的表示和每一种的照顾，他一直漫不在意。

3 mows   

v.刈，割( mow的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• I saw him make mops and mows at Mary. 我看见他冲着玛丽做鬼脸。 来自互联网
• My mother mows the grass on the street once a week. （我妈妈每星期都在街上修一次草坪。） 来自互联网

4 mower   

n.割草机

参考例句：

• We need a lawn mower to cut the grass.我们需要一台草坪修剪机来割草。
• Your big lawn mower is just the job for the high grass.割高草时正需要你的大割草机。

5 bonbons   

n.小糖果( bonbon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• For St. Valentine's Day, Mother received a heart-shaped box of delicious bonbons. 情人节的时候，母亲收到一份心形盒装的美味棒棒糖。 来自互联网
• On the first floor is a pretty café offering take-away bonbons in teeny paper handbags. 博物馆底层是一家漂亮的咖啡厅，提供可以外带的糖果，它们都用精小的纸制手袋包装。 来自互联网