2014年ESL之日常生活 26 Feeling Restless and Jumpy

Feeling Restless and Jumpy 

Adam: Sit still and stop bouncing your leg like that! 

Ellen: Sorry, I didn’t realize I was doing it. I’m just a little jittery¹. 

Adam: Well, try to chill out. We’re supposed to be studying and your restlessness is distracting. 

Ellen: I can’t help it. I’m like this because I had a lot of coffee. That’s the only way I can do an all-nighter. 

Adam: But how can you study when you’re fidgeting all the time? Stop tapping your pen on the table! 

Ellen: Sorry. It’s either I’m worked up or I fall asleep, and tomorrow’s test is a make-or-break one for me. I’ve got to do well. 

Adam: I don’t see how you can get any studying done when you’re strung out on caffeine. You’re so jumpy and I think you’re starting to twitch². Why don’t you try to counteract³ the caffeine by drinking lots of water? 

Ellen: Do you know how long it took me to get this keyed up? I’m not doing anything to reduce the effects. 

Adam: Fine. 

Ellen: Hey, where are you going? 

Adam: Anywhere but here! 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 jittery   

adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的

参考例句：

• However, nothing happened though he continued to feel jittery. 可是，自从拉上这辆车，并没有出什么错儿，虽然他心中嘀嘀咕咕的不安。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The thirty-six Enterprise divebombers were being squandered in a jittery shot from the hip. 这三十六架“企业号”上的俯冲轰炸机正被孤注一掷。

2 twitch   

v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛

参考例句：

• The smell made my dog's nose twitch.那股气味使我的狗的鼻子抽动着。
• I felt a twitch at my sleeve.我觉得有人扯了一下我的袖子。

3 counteract   

vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消

参考例句：

• The doctor gave him some medicine to counteract the effect of the poison.医生给他些药解毒。
• Our work calls for mutual support.We shouldn't counteract each other's efforts.工作要互相支持，不要互相拆台。