2015年ESL之日常生活 13 The Death of a Pet

The Death of a Pet 

Dad: Honey, I have some bad news for you. Fluffy¹ has gone to the other side. 

Sarah: You mean she’s out of her cage again? I’ll go and try to find her. 

Dad: No, you don’t understand. Fluffy passed away in the night. 

Sarah: Oh, she died! That’s too bad, but she was getting up there in years. 

Dad: Yes, but she didn’t die a natural death. She was run over by the neighbor’s car. 

Sarah: You mean she was flattened²? Cool! 

Dad: Well, I wouldn’t put it that way, but I understand if you’re in shock. I guess people show grief in different ways... 

Sarah: Fluffy went out with a bang. That’s the way she would have wanted to go. 

Dad: I’d like to think of her as being in heaven and she’s gone to meet her maker³. 

Sarah: I don’t think there’s an afterlife for animals, Dad. It’s all just a part of the circle of life. 

Dad: Okay. I thought we could have a funeral for her so we can pay our respects. 

Sarah: Is that really necessary? 

Dad: I’d thought you’d want one. She was your pet after all. 

Sarah: No, let’s just bury her in the backyard. 

Dad: And who said that the youth of today is cynical⁴? 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

2 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。