【英语趣味课堂】去体育馆-Going to the Gym

Jessica: Kate, how do you normally¹ spend your evenings?

 

Kate: I've joined the gym here, so I go and exercise and go for a swim.

 

Jessica: Swim. How long do you stay each time?

 

Kate: About 2 hours.

 

Jessica: Wow. So what do you do during those two hours.

 

Kate: So we go to the gym for about an hour and then have a swim for half an hour and then sauna for about ten minutes and then finish off with a massage².

 

Jessica: Really, a massaging³ chair?

 

Kate: A massaging chair!

 

Jessica: Wonderful, and so who do you go with?

 

Kate: I go with Nicola.

 

Jessica: And Nicola is?

 

Kate: She's another teacher and she's who I live with, so.

 

Jessica: Alright, good, good, good, good. Now when you're in the gym, do you do weights? Do you do cardio? Aerobics⁴? Running? Walking?

 

Kate: We do everything really. Aerobics and weights.

 

Jessica: Aerobics and weights are the best.

 

Kate: The gyms here are much better than back home.

 

Jessica: Oh, yeah. What's the biggest difference?

 

Kate: They have games on the machines so if you're cycling, you're also playing a game where you have to blow up the other cyclists so it makes it a bit more interesting than just exercising.

 

Jessica: Uh-huh! So it passes the time by. Yeah, lot quicker. And then why are you exercising? Do you have a certain reason, a goal in mind?

 

Kate: Yeah, because I put on a lot of weight when I was in Australia because I was eating too much pizza and, good breakfast, and drinking far too much beer.

 

Jessica: So you just want to shed⁵ those extra pounds.

 

Kate: Yeah, that I put on and get back to the original weight that I was.

 

Jessica: Well, good luck to you.

 

Kate: Thank you.

 

学习内容：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

massaging chair

 

We finish our time in the gym with a massage on the massaging chair.

 

A 'massaging chair' is a one that gives you a back massage while you sit in it. Notice the following:

 

There is a massaging chair in the lounge⁶ at the gym.

Sitting in the massaging chair for 30 minutes every day really helps my back.

do weights

 

When you're in the gym, do you do weights?

 

In this case 'do weights' is the same as lift weights.  When you lift weights you raise a heavy object many times to increase your strength. Notice the following:

 

I never have the patience to do weights.

He does weight five times a week.

blow up

 

We play a game where you have to blow up the other cyclists.

 

If you 'blow something up' you make it explode. Notice the following:

 

They are going to blow up that old building by the river.

The car blew up after the accident.

goal in mind

 

Do you have a certain reason or a goal in mind for exercising?

 

To have a 'goal in mind' is to have an idea of what you want to achieve. Notice the following:

 

Before you make a fitness⁷ plan you have to have a goal in mind.

Did you have a goal in mind when you started this whole thing.

shed pounds

 

I have to shed those extra pounds I put on when I was in Australia.

 

'Shed pounds' is an informal⁸ way to say lose weight or to get rid of new extra weight. Notice the following:

 

It's hard to shed pounds if you keep eating terrible food.

She worked hard to shed some pounds after she had her baby.

 

1 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

2 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

3 massaging   

按摩，推拿( massage的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He watched the prisoner massaging his freed wrists. 他看着那个犯人不断揉搓着刚松开的两只手腕。
• Massaging your leg will ease the cramp. 推拿大腿可解除抽筋。

4 aerobics   

n.健身操，健美操，韵律操

参考例句：

• Doing aerobics is a good way to improve one's health.做有氧健身操是改善健康状况的一个好方法。
• Aren't you going to the aerobics class this morning?今天上午你不是去上有氧运动课吗？

5 shed   

n.车棚，小屋，脱落之物，分水岭；vt.使流出，放射，脱落，散发，摆脱；vi. 流出

参考例句：

• There are a lot of straws in the shed.棚子里有许多稻草。
• His nose told him that he was getting near the cow shed.他的嗅觉告诉他，他正走近牛棚。

6 lounge   

n.休闲室，休息室，长沙发；v.闲荡，闲散地度过，混日子

参考例句：

• We had coffee in the lounge.我们在客厅里喝咖啡。
• Don't lounge away your working hours.不要消磨工作时间。

7 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

8 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。