【英语趣味课堂】泰国和美国-Thailand and America

Thailand is so different from where I used to live in America. First of all, in my neighborhood there are many stray¹ dogs, dogs with no home. During the day, they lay around and sleep and at night they fight and make a lot of noise barking and howling. Sometimes they're even dangerous, especially people who ride by on their bikes, sometimes can be bit by these dogs. In America, stray dogs, are sent to the pound. The pound, the dog pound, is like a jail² for dogs. Um, also, in front of my house, in front of every house in my neighborhood, there's a fence, or a gate with a lock on it. I don't like it. I think it's a hassle because I have to take out my key, unlock³ the lock, then drive the car out, stop the car, get out, close the gate and then put the lock on again. In America, it's much more convenient. Usually there's a garage or a closed car park and when you drive up you have a remote control, and it opens, the garage door opens automatically⁴, and in America usually we don't have fences or gates around our front yard. Often there's a gate around the backyard, but nothing in the front. Some of the really expensive houses in Thailand too, around there fence they have broken pieces of glass around the top to keep people who want to climb in from getting in. In Thailand usually to buy food, you go to the outdoor market. It's very different than the clean supermarkets in America because they are lots of different smells and lots of action. You can smell fish, meat, trash, fruit, smoke from the barbeques, curry⁵. Sometimes the smells are not so good. People come there, cook fresh food every day and they'll stay there till they sell all their food. It's very cheap. You can eat for about 2 or 3 U.S. dollars. So it's not as clean and it doesn't smell as nice as a big supermarket in America but I think it's a lot more interesting. It makes the supermarkets in America seem very boring.

学习内容：

stray

 

First of all, in my neighborhood there are many stray dogs, dogs with no home.

 

When something is 'stray' it means that it does not have an owner and lives on the streets. 

 

Notice the following:

 

She takes in stray cats and dogs and helps to find new homes for them. 

I think my cat got into a fight with a stray cat. 

pound

 

In America, stray dogs, are sent to the pound.

 

A 'pound' is a place where stray animals are taken to be cared for while the authorities⁶ try to find their owners or find new homes for them. 

 

Notice the following:

 

I would like to volunteer at the pound. 

A lot of stray dogs have arrived at the pound recently. 

fence

 

In front of my house, in front of every house in my neighborhood, there's a fence.

 

A 'fence' is a structure, like a short wall, that marks the boundary of a property and can stop things from getting in and out. 

 

Notice the following:

 

I need to paint the fence. 

The dog will never get out as there is a six foot fence around the garden. 

remote control

 

Usually there's a garage or a closed car park and when you drive up you have a remote control, and it opens, the garage door opens automatically.

 

When you have a 'remote control' it means that you can operated it electronically with device⁷ you hold in your hand and you do not have to do it manually⁸. In the case of the garage door, you push a button in your car and the door opens.

 

Notice the following:

 

I would like some remote control electric gates. 

The television is remote control. 

backyard

 

Often there's a gate around the backyard, but nothing in the front.

 

The 'backyard' is the private space behind a house that belongs to the owners of the property.

 

Notice the following:

 

I have planted some nice new flowers in the backyard. 

They have a swimming pool in their backyard. 

1 stray   

n.走失的家畜，浪子；adj.迷途的，偶然的；vi.迷路，彷徨

参考例句：

• We couldn't identify the stray child.我们不能辨认出这个迷途孩子的身份。
• Please don't stray from the subject.请不要离开本题。

2 jail   

n.监狱，看守所；vt.监禁，拘留

参考例句：

• The castle had been used as a jail.这城堡曾用作监狱。
• If she carries on shoplifting,she'll end up in jail.她如果还在店铺里偷东西，最终会被抓进监狱的。

3 unlock   

v.启示，揭示，开...的锁

参考例句：

• The border police required the traveler to unlock his luggage.边防警察要求旅客打开行李。
• We heard somebody unlock the door.我们听见有人开门锁。

4 automatically   

adv.不加思索地，无意识地，自动地

参考例句：

• The machine cycles automatically.这台机器自动循环运转。
• She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers.她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。

5 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。

6 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

8 manually   

adv.用手

参考例句：

• You may need to enter this information manually.你可能需要手工输入这条信息。