【英语趣味课堂】加拿大-Canada

Todd: OK, hello!

 

Jeff: Hello!

 

Todd: How are you doing?

 

Jeff: Good Morning. Good.

 

Todd: Could you introduce yourself please?

 

Jeff: I'm Jeff Eagar.

 

Todd: Jeff. OK. And where are you from?

 

Jeff: I'm from Canada.

 

Todd: Oh, OK, where in Canada?

 

Jeff: I'm from a little island on the east coast of Canada. A small island called Cape¹ Breton.

 

Todd: Cape Breton!

 

Jeff: Cape Breton!

 

Todd: OK. and where, where do you live now?

 

Jeff: I'm living in Japan now, in Saitama.

 

Todd: Oh, OK. Alright, um, so tell me about Canada!

 

Jeff: Mm, big, big country, very big..

 

Todd: Yeah!

 

Jeff: Nice country! Clean. Um, friendly, friendly people.

 

Todd: Yeah

 

Jeff: Cheap. Nice..cold, cold winters, long winters, very long.

 

Todd: Oh, OK. How much longer do you think your gonna be in Japan?

 

Jeff: In Japan? I like Japan. Nice place, and I have a Japanese girlfriend now so I'm not sure that's, with her I'm not sure what, what I'll do so it, it'll be a little while.

 

Todd: OK.

 

Jeff: But, I like it.

 

Todd: Oh, great. All right thanks.

 

学习内容：

 

how are you doing?

 

Hello. How are you doing?

 

When you ask somebody 'how are you doing?' it means² you are asking after their welfare⁴ or his health and emotions. 

 

Notice the following:

 

He phoned me to ask me how I was doing. 

I just popped in to see how you are doing?

introduce

 

Could you introduce yourself please?

 

When you 'introduce' yourself to someone it means that you are meeting them for the first time and you are telling them your name. 

 

Notice the following:

 

I do not know anyone here as the host has not introduced me to anybody yet. 

If you want I can introduce you to him. 

clean

 

Nice country! Clean and friendly, friendly people.

 

When something is 'clean' it means that it is well maintained⁵ and not dirty. 

 

Notice the following:

 

Your house is impressively⁶ clean. 

I like it when I have clean bedding on my bed. 

long winters

 

Cheap. Nice cold winters, long winters, very long.

 

'Long winters' means that the cold weather and snow lasts for a long time in comparison⁷ to the summer months. 

 

Notice the following:

 

I would like to live somewhere that had long winters as I like to ski³. 

We had a long winter this year, I am really looking forward to summer!

little while

 

I'm not sure what I'll do so it'll be a little while.

 

'A little while' means a short period of time or some amount time, depending on how you use it or say it. 

 

Notice the following:

 

I will come over for dinner in a little while. 

It will only take a little while. 

 

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

3 ski   

n.滑雪橇，滑雪板；vi.滑雪

参考例句：

• The ski is wooden.这滑雪板是木制的。
• Do you have the skill to ski such a difficult slope?你有沿着这样一个陡坡滑雪的本事吗？

4 welfare   

n.幸福，福利，安康

参考例句：

• They are concerned about my welfare.他们关心我的健康。
• Patrick works for social welfare.帕特里克为社会福利工作。

5 maintained   

保持( maintain的过去式和过去分词 )； 保养； 坚持； 保卫

参考例句：

• He maintained a professional demeanour throughout. 他始终保持着专业人才的风度。
• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。

6 impressively   

adv.令人难忘地；赫然

参考例句：

• He touched his head impressively, and I nodded. 他郑重其事地用手碰碰脑袋，我也点了点头。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
• He found himself inventing such impressively nonsensical propositions. 他写下了这样惹人注意的无聊话。 来自辞典例句

7 comparison   

n.比较，对照；比拟，比喻

参考例句：

• They make a comparison of New York to a beehive.他们把纽约比作一个蜂巢。
• This dress is really cheaper by comparison.比较起来，这件衣服确实便宜。