【英语趣味课堂】室友-Roommates

 Todd: So JJ, I hear you've got a good living arrangement?

 

JJ: I love it. Of course you know like any person, I was a little bit leery about living with roommates but at the same time I thought living in a foreign country I didn't want to isolate¹ myself completely² especially since I don't speak the language. I first met Jessica at the airport and when we were close to tears from laughing so hard on the train ride from the airport to Matsudo Station and realized this is going to be a good living arrangement. We got here and the Brits had taken one half of the apartment and so we Americans moved into the other half and have gotten along brilliantly. Even the little squabbles that tend to come up seem to be solved fairly³ quickly, maturely⁴ and I love it. This is the best living arrangement I've ever had. At the same time, I think it's kind of something that can be expected when you come to teach abroad. It takes a certain kind of person to decide to leave everything familiar behind and meet new people, have new experiences. You're not taping any of this are you.

 

Todd: No, I am actually. Thanks a lot, JJ.

学习内容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

living arrangement

This is the best living arrangement I've ever had.

Your 'living arrangement' is the place that you live and the people you live with.  Notice the following:

 

The living arrangement in the dorms is very difficult for some people.

They have a very difficult living arrangement right now.

(a little bit) leery

I was a little bit leery about living with roommates, but I also didn't want to live alone.

If you feel 'leery' about doing something you are unsure or nervous about it.  Notice the following:

 

She always feels a bit leery about doing new things.

Are you leery about moving away?

close to tears

We were close to tears from laughing so hard on the train.

If you are 'close to tears' you are almost to the point of crying.  In the example, it refers to crying from laughing so hard.  Notice the following:

 

She was so frustrated⁵ that she was close to tears.

The team was close to tears when they lost the game.

squabbles

The little squabbles that tend to come up seem to be solved fairly quickly.

'Squabbles' are small arguments that naturally happen when you live with someone. Notice the following:

 

Little squabbles tend to come up all the time in life.

My sister and I squabble all the time.

leave (everything familiar) behind

It's what's to be expected when you leave everything familiar behind and have new experiences.

If you 'leave everything behind' you move to a new place and away from friends and family.  Notice the following:

 

Would you be scared to move to a new place and leave everything you know behind?

When you go to college you leave your childhood life behind.

 

1 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

2 completely   

adv.完全地，十分地，全然

参考例句：

• She never completely gave up hope.她从不完全放弃希望。
• I feel completely in the dark on this question.这件事使我感到茫然。

3 fairly   

adv.公正地，正当地；相当；完全，简直

参考例句：

• I think I was quite fairly treated by the police.我认为警察对我非常公正。
• It fairly destroyed the machine.它将那部机器完全毁了。

4 maturely   

adv.成熟地，充分地

参考例句：

• The sincere tasty tannic acid symbolized this liquor completely brews maturely. 淳厚爽口的丹宁酸标志着此酒完全酿造成熟。 来自互联网
• She acts very maturely for her age. 就她的年龄而言，她的举止是很成熟的。 来自互联网

5 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》