【英语趣味课堂】东京夜景-Tokyo Nights

Todd: OK, Shane, why don't you talk a little about why you came to Japan?

 

Shane: Well, I suppose the reason I came to Japan is because, I suppose it's a personal thing. There's many different people in Dublin, different types of people. I do not think that Dublin has the mental stimuli¹, or does not have the hardcore atmosphere that somewhere like Tokyo could possibly have, so you have many types of people who are happy living in Dublin, going to the same places, the same bars, same restaurants, yet I feel that Tokyo has a lot more to offer because it's more hardcore. There's so much stuff² to do. Simple things like Karaoke, non-drink related³ activites that you can do over here which is great, so I wanted to get away from Ireland. See a differnt country, a different type of atmosphere, and have some fun as well at the same time and make some money.

 

学习内容：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

suppose or a personal thing

 

I suppose the reason why I came to Japan is a personal thing.

 

If we 'suppose' something we don't exactly know the reason, but this answer seems practical to us.  When someone tells us that something is a 'personal thing' it means that one place is not necessarily⁴ better than the other but we prefer one because of our personality. It is a difference of personal opinion. Notice the following:

 

I suppose something is wrong because he is never late to work.

My decision to quit my job was a personal thing.

mental stimuli

 

Dublin does not have the mental stimuli that Tokyo has.

 

'Mental stimuli' are things that make our brains active or interested. Notice the following:

 

People can go crazy in a place that has no mental stimuli.

We may feel bored if there is not enough mental stimuli in our lives.

hardcore atmosphere

 

Tokyo has a hardcore atmosphere and a lot more things to offer.

 

If something is 'hardcore' it is really intense⁵.  The 'atmosphere' is what is around us, in this case lights, people, traffic and whatever else you find in a big city. Notice the following:

 

The business has a hardcore atmosphere that you feel the second you walk in the door.

The hardcore atmosphere of the city was terrifying at first, but now I like it.

non-drink related activities

 

There are many non-drink related activities that you can do over here.

 

Things that don't include alcohol⁶ are 'non-drink related activities.'  Things that are different than going to a bar or nightclub.  Notice the following:

 

When you are in college not many things you do are non-drink related activities.

I think that shopping is my favorite non-drink related activity.

make money

 

I want to have some fun and make money, too.

 

When we 'make money' people pay us for abilities that we have, services we give or things that we sell.  When you are working you are making money. Notice the following:

 

He makes good money as a lawyer.

The company is still new so we aren't making much money.

 

 

1 stimuli   

n.刺激（物）

参考例句：

• It is necessary to curtail or alter normally coexisting stimuli.必需消除或改变正常时并存的刺激。
• My sweat glands also respond to emotional stimuli.我的汗腺对情绪刺激也能产生反应。

2 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

3 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

4 necessarily   

adv.必要地，必需地；必定地，必然地

参考例句：

• More work does not necessarily call for more men.增加工作量不一定就要增添人员。
• A voter must necessarily be no younger than eighteen.选民必须在18岁以上。

5 intense   

adj.认真的，专注的；强烈的；紧张的；热情的

参考例句：

• Susan was an intense young lady.苏珊是一个热情的年轻姑娘。
• The quarrel caused her intense unhappiness.争吵令她极其不快。

6 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。