【英语趣味课堂】自动贩卖机-Vending Machines

Todd: OK, hello, Hisa!

Hisa: Hi, Todd.

 

Todd: How are you doing?

 

Hisa: Fine thanks, and you?

 

Todd: I'm doing pretty good. Hisa, you were telling me that you have a concern about Japan.

 

Hisa: Yes.

 

Todd: And what is your concern?

 

Hisa: It's vending¹ machines.

 

Todd: Vending machines

 

Hisa: Yes.

 

Todd: OK. Can you talk a little about that?

 

Hisa: Yes, as you already noticed, how many vending machines do you come across a day if you are on the street?

 

Todd: Many, many.

 

Hisa: I really do not think we need that many and then each one is really consuming energy, so that is my big concern.

 

Todd: OK, so what would you like to see happen in Japan with the vending machines?

 

Hisa: Sorry, what? where?

 

Todd: Like, what would you like to happen with the vending machines?

 

Hisa: Yes.

 

Todd: Would you like more laws or..?

 

Hisa: Number 1, it really aggravates³ the scenery. Yes, and then if each one of us take drink with us, we really don't need that many, each corner, or even one corner you really see so many kinds. And then that is, we can really evacuate⁴ so many and then we will have a safer, more space on the road, because even without vending machines, imagine how narrow our roads in Japan, even the walking path so narrow, it's dangerous.

 

Todd: And you were saying that you can actually can see vending machines in very strange places in Japan, like very, very far places in the countryside?

 

Hisa: Yes.

 

Todd: Wow.

 

Hisa: So, just one example is on the summit⁵ of Mt. Fuji. Yes, it's a shame.

 

Todd: All the way on the top of Mt. Fuji?

 

Hisa: Yes. So those mountain climbers are talking that don't make our mountains like Mt. Fuji. In other words, they are not to put another vending machine on the top of other mountains, because why we need it.

 

Todd: Yeah, that's crazy.

 

Hisa: It's ridiculous.

 

学习内容：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

concern

 

You were telling me that you have a concern about Japan.

 

A 'concern' is something that you are worried about. Notice the following:

 

His biggest concern right now is that his wife will be angry.

Do you have any concerns about your medication?

vending machines

 

There's just so many vending machines in Japan.

 

'Vending machines' are machines that sell snacks and beverages⁶.  You put in your money and choose which item you want and it falls to the bottom of the machine. Notice the following:

 

Most of the food in that vending machine is not very healthy.

There is almost nothing left in vending machines after exam week.

consume energy

 

Each one of those machines consumes energy.

 

When we use energy we are 'consuming' it. We can also use 'consume' to mean eat when talking about people. Notice the following:

 

The doctor told me to consume less salt.

We consume a lot of extra energy by leaving things on that we aren't using.

aggravates (the scenery)

 

Having so many vending machines really aggravates the scenery.

 

To 'aggravate²' something means to make it worse or more severe.   We frequently use this verb to mean the same as annoy when referring to people. Notice the following:

 

It really aggravates him when people are late.

The sound of a telephone ringing is really aggravating⁷.

summit

 

There's a vending machine even on the summit of Mt.Fuji.

 

The 'summit' of a mountain is the highest point. Notice the following:

 

The wind was really strong and cold at the summit.

We took many photographs at the summit.

1 vending   

v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的现在分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明

参考例句：

• Why Are You Banging on the Vending Machine? 你为什么敲打这台自动售货机？ 来自朗文快捷英语教程 2
• Coca-Cola had to adapt almost 300,000 vending machines to accept the new coins. 可口可乐公司必须使将近三十万台自动贩卖机接受新货币。 来自超越目标英语 第5册

2 aggravate   

vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火

参考例句：

• Threats will only aggravate her.恐吓只能激怒她。
• He would only aggravate the injury by rubbing it.他揉擦伤口只会使伤势加重。

3 aggravates   

使恶化( aggravate的第三人称单数 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravates me any more I shall punish him. 如果他再惹我生气，我就要惩罚他。
• Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each pther. 没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

4 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

5 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

6 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

7 aggravating   

adj.恼人的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• How aggravating to be interrupted! 被打扰，多令人生气呀！
• Diesel exhaust is particularly aggravating to many susceptible individuals. 许多体质敏感的人尤其反感柴油废气。