【英语趣味课堂】理想的工作-Dream Job

Todd: OK, Christian¹, what is your dream job, if you could have any job in the world?

 

Christian: My dream job is to become a diplomat² representing my country, preferably in Japan. That's why I came to Japan to learn Japanese and hopefully obtain a master degree in International Relations. After getting my master's degree in International Relations, I would like to go home and enter the diplomat school for the Ministry³ of Foreign Affairs, which is a three year program, and then, after that hopefully come back to Japan and work for the Norwegian Embassy⁴ in Tokyo.

 

Todd: Must be pretty competitive⁵.

 

Christian: It's very competitive, but I think if you know a certain language that not many people speak it gives you a competitive edge nevertheless so that's why I came to Japan because I know at this stage there are only 300 hundred people from Norway living in Japan and not all of them are here to study Japanese, they represent different companies or schools, or they're missionaries⁶ so, that's the track I'm on right now but we'll see how it goes in the end.

 

Todd: How about when you were a child, what was your dream job? Did you want to be a diplomat when you were say, 10?

 

Christian: No, when I was ten I probably didn't know what I wanted to do. I was just too busy playing in the street, you know, having fun with my friends and these things. When I was that young I really didn't have a dream job like fireman, police. I never really went through that stage, you know.

 

Todd: I wanted to be a baseball player.

 

Christian: Alright, fair enough.

 

Todd: I'm still dreaming.

 

Christian: Oh, that's good.

 

学习内容：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

represent

 

To become a diplomat representing my country.

 

In this example, to "represent" something or someone is to act as the authority⁷ or responsible person for it or him.  Notice the following:

 

Is that who you want to represent your company?

He will represent his school in the debate competition.

competitive edge

 

It gives you a competitive edge.

 

A "competitive edge" is the ability to produce materials or provide service in a way that makes you more desirable⁸ than other companies that do the same thing.  Notice the following:

 

Their company has a competitive edge because they actually have farms that grow the coffee that they sell.

The fact that he was bilingual gave him a competitive edge.

missionaries

 

They're missionaries.

 

A "missionary⁹" is a person who is sent by a church to complete a project.  Notice the following:

 

They are sending a group of missionaries to build a new school in Honduras.

She worked as missionary for five years before she came home.

through that stage

 

I never really went through that stage.

 

To "go through a stage" is to have a period of time when you demonstrate¹⁰ a certain behavior.  For example, children got through a stage where they don't want to listen to their parents.  Notice the following:

 

My son went through the "why?" stage last year.

Did you ever go through the stage when you cut your own hair?

fair enough

 

Alright, fair enough.

 

We use the phrase "fair enough" to tell a person that his statement is reasonable or that we agree with him.  Notice the following:

 

I think his solution is fair enough.

Fair enough, we will try it your way.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

5 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

6 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 authority   

n.当局，官方；权力，权威，威信；当权者

参考例句：

• He is recognized internationally as an authority in this field.国际上承认他是这方面的一个权威。
• Professor White is looked upon as an authority on mathematics.怀特教授被看成数学权威。

8 desirable   

adj.值得拥有的；可取的，有利的

参考例句：

• Some reasonable adjustments seem desirable.某些合理的调整似乎是可取的。
• Prolonged negotiation was not desirable.拖长了的谈判并不是大家所想要的。

9 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

10 demonstrate   

vt.论证，证明；示范；显示；vi.示威游行

参考例句：

• Let me demonstrate to you how this machine works.我给你演示一下这台机器的运转情况。
• How can I demonstrate to you that my story is true?我怎样才能向你证明我的话是真实的呢？