【英语趣味课堂】寒冷的天气-Cold Weather Life

Adrienne: So, Mary, are you from Minnesota?

 

Mary: I am. I lived here all my life.

 

Adrienne: Wow. It’s a great place but it’s really cold this time of year.

 

Mary: It is, but if you’ve lived here a long time you get used to it. A lot of people from the South get really chilly¹ when the temperature gets around 50 and right now that’s, that’s actually sounding pretty good because a Minnesotan will probably just be wearing a lightweight jacket when it is about 50 degrees, but we’re OK with that. You know it gets to be kind of fun when you have a big snow fall and you go outside with all your neighbors, pushing cars out of the snow drift² and kind of enjoying it that way so we have a lot of fun with it being cold and snowy and you have to make some fun on the inside of your house too, you know. A lot of people have fireplaces⁴, so there’s a way to enjoy being inside for long stretches of time and opposed to just kind of, I guess, being locked in and not being able to enjoy house or that kind of thing.

 

Adrienne: What do you do to warm up in the winter?

 

Mary: Well, there’s always sweaters. You know we like our sweaters here, that keeps us warm. Actually, you can get pretty warm outside. A lot of people enjoy cross-country skiing which I do from time-to-time and the more you exercise outside, you can actually get pretty warm doing it even though the temperature is cold, but as far as being indoors⁵, that’s when, I think that’s when people start really kind of researching their hobbies, things they like to do, that’s activity that will keep you busy while you are inside the house for such long stretches and things.

 

Adrienne: Yeah, that’s true. I like to drink hot chocolate when I get cold. Do you like hot chocolate?

 

Mary: Yeah, that will always help, and tea, really enjoying my tea as well, but there’s nothing like, you know, hot chocolate and maybe roasting something in the fireplace³ and making smores.

 

Adrienne: That sounds great.

 

Mary: Yeah, that would be kind of fun.

 

Adrienne: Very cozy⁶.

 

学习内容：

 

chilly

 

A lot of people from the South get really chilly when the temperature gets around 50.

 

When you are 'chilly' it means that you feel a little cold. 

 

Notice the following:

 

I am little chilly. I think I will put my jumper on. 

It gets chilly in the evening. 

lightweight

 

A Minnesotan will probably just be wearing a lightweight jacket when it is about 50 degrees.

 

When a piece of clothing is 'lightweight' it means that it is made out of thin material that will not keep you very warm. 

 

Notice the following:

 

When I go on holiday I always pack a couple of lightweight sweaters. 

When you go camping it is best to wear a few lightweight layers of clothing rather than one bulky jacket. 

locked in

 

Just kind of, I guess, being locked in and not being able to enjoy the house or that kind of thing.

 

When you are 'locked into' something it means that you are stuck in that situation or place. You have committed to something and you can't escape from it.

 

Notice the following:

 

I am locked into the loan⁷ for another 10 years. 

I am locked in and can't go outside. 

from time-to-time

 

A lot of people enjoy cross-country skiing which I do from time-to-time.

 

When you do something 'from time-to-time' it means that you do it once in a while, but not very often.

 

Notice the following:

 

I enjoy a Chinese take-out from time-to-time. 

From time-to-time I have clear out of my attic⁸. 

smores

 

There’s nothing like, you know, hot chocolate and maybe roasting something in the fireplace and making smores.

 

A 'smore' is a sweet treat that is traditionally eaten around the campfire. It is made with sweet cookies, chocolate and marshmallow that has been cooked over an open fire. The name means 'some + more' because they are so good that you will always want more.

 

Notice the following:

 

I have never tried smores before. They are delicious. 

We had a great time and ate smores all night!

1 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

2 drift   

vi.漂流(泊)；n.漂流，漂流物；大意；趋势

参考例句：

• The leaves drift in the storm.树叶在暴风雨中飘动。
• The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships.海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。

3 fireplace   

n.壁炉，炉灶

参考例句：

• The fireplace smokes badly.这壁炉冒烟太多。
• I think we should wall up the fireplace.我想应该封住壁炉。

4 fireplaces   

壁炉( fireplace的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The shop was an old converted house with many large, disused fireplaces and tall, narrow chimneys. 那是一座老式的、经过改造的房子，店里有许多废置不用的大壁炉和又高又窄的烟囱。 来自新概念英语第三册
• When the central- heating was installed, the fireplaces were walled up. 安装暖气设备之后，便把壁炉封闭起来了。

5 indoors   

adv.(在)室内，(在)户内

参考例句：

• Because of the coldness of the weather we stayed indoors.我们因天气寒冷呆在家里。
• It is very cold outside,you'd better come indoors across the board.外面很冷，你们所有人最好都进屋。

6 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

7 loan   

n.贷款；借出的东西；借；vt.借出；贷予

参考例句：

• I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
• Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗？

8 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？