【英语趣味课堂】关于晚饭的讨论-Dinner Debate

Todd: So, Marion, what are you going to do for dinner tonight?

 

Marion: I think I'll go home, see what's in my fridge and in my cupboard and cook something up. I'm not sure what yet.

 

Todd: Ah, you're gonna cook?

 

Marion: Yeah, of course.

 

Todd: Actually, I almost never cook. I cook maybe once or twice a year.

 

Marion: Really? (Yeah) Well, what do you do then? What do you eat?

 

Todd: Oh, I always eat out. I buy my dinner every night. I think it's just better.

 

Marion: Oh, my God! Every night?

 

Todd: Every night.

 

Marion: How is it better, Todd? I don't understand.

 

Todd: Well, I mean, I know it's a waste of money, but it, I look at it, it just saves me a lot of time (Right, OK) so I don't have to go buy the food, store the food, and prepare the food, and cook the food, then clean up afterwards.

 

Marion: Yeah, I don't like that part so much.

 

Todd: Right. When you just eat out, you know, it's quick and easy. It saves you time.

 

Marion: Yeah, hmm, I think though, I can see what you're saying about the time factor¹ but for me sometimes cooking is a way of almost relieving² stress, you know, or if I'm thinking about the day that's gone by and maybe something has stressed³ me out, I'll just go to the kitchen, and as long as I'm on my own, cause I like to cook on my own, I don't have to talk to anybody, and I can think about things that are going on and while I'm shopping the onions, you know, or opening tins or whatever I'm doing, it's just a time for me where I don't have to think about anything else, really apart from the food I'm preparing and then if something floats into my mind, I can kind of deal with it at the same time. I find it quite relaxing.

 

Todd: Actually, I can see that. Actually, I run every night (Oh, yeah) you know, I love jogging and I usually jog⁴ for about an hour, and so when I come home, I'm sweaty, I need to take a shower, and I just don't have time them to use more time to cook cause I get home late from work so I just buy my food on the way home from my run to save time.

 

Marion: That surprises me actually because I know you, you run so you're really into your fitness⁵ but do you not consider the health factor about buying food all the time because it's always processed food, you know.

 

Todd: Yeah, that's true. Well, I try to go to the deli in the supermarket (Oh, OK) and you know, they always have nice people behind the counter⁶, often some sweet old lady or something and she's made some nice salad, or some dish, and I always figure, she can make it better than me. 

Marion: Right, probably.

 

Todd: And when I buy it I'm providing a job for somebody else, right, so there's a lot of good benefits⁷ by doing this system. Plus it's very social, right, because I live alone so I talk to the person at the counter, and I get variety every night.

 

Marion: Yeah, that's true though but if you went to the kitchen, and the place where you stay and you cook that would be very social as well, don't you think?

 

Todd: Yeah, but I live alone. Who would I talk to?

 

Marion: The other people in your communal⁸ kitchen. Don't you have a big communal kitchen?

 

Todd: No, no, no. I live alone. (Ah) I used to, I used to share a kitchen, but now I live alone.

 

Marion: OK, so then, I can understand the social aspect. I really enjoy going out for dinner actually with my friends. I really enjoy that part, but if it's just me, I kind of feel, I think in Japan it's easy to go into a restaurant on your own, but in Ireland⁹ I would feel very strange and awkward¹⁰ if I went to a restaurant on my own. I'd feel like people are looking at me and saying, "Oh, she's got no friends."

 

Todd: Ah, man, I do it all the time. (Yeah) and I have no friends.

 

Marion: That's not true.

1 factor   

n.因素；要素；因子；因数；系数

参考例句：

• Her previous experience in social work is a plus factor.她先前在社会工作方面的经验是一个有利因素。
• Poor organization was certainly a contributory factor to the crisis.组织不善肯定是导致危机的因素之一。

2 relieving   

adj.救助的，救援的v.解除( relieve的现在分词 )；缓解；换班；（去厕所的一种委婉说法）方便

参考例句：

• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The strangling hero sprang up with a relieving snort. 这位被水浇得透不过气来的英雄猛地从地上爬起来，喷了喷鼻子，舒服了些。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

3 stressed   

adj.紧张的，有压力的

参考例句：

• Loud music makes me stressed out.大声的音乐让我很紧张。
• He stressed that we should always be honest.他强调我们应该永远诚实。

4 jog   

n. 轻推,轻撞,漫步; v. 轻推,蹒跚行进,慢跑

参考例句：

• I go for a jog in the park every morning.每天早晨我在公园里慢跑。
• I gave him a jog to wake him up.我轻轻推了他一下,叫醒他。

5 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。

6 counter   

n.柜台；计数器；adj.相反的；adv.与…相反地；vt.反对，反击；vi.反对，反击

参考例句：

• This counter is closed now.这个柜台现在已停止营业。
• Set the counter to zero and you'll know where the recording starts.把计数器拨到零，你就会知道录音从哪儿开始。

7 benefits   

n.津贴费；利益( benefit的名词复数 )；（给职工的）奖金；救济金；益处

参考例句：

• economic benefits accruing to the country from tourism 旅游业为该国带来的经济效益
• The article enthused about the benefits that the new system would bring. 本文热情赞扬了新制度将带来的好处。

8 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

9 Ireland   

n.爱尔兰(西欧国家)；爱尔兰岛(西欧)

参考例句：

• Ireland lies to the west of England.爱尔兰位于英格兰之西。
• Dublin is the capital of Ireland.都柏林是爱尔兰的首都。

10 awkward   

adj.笨拙的，尴尬的，使用不便的，难处理的

参考例句：

• John is so shy and awkward that everyone notices him.约翰如此害羞狼狈，以至于大家都注意到了他。
• I was the only man among the guests and felt rather awkward.作为客人中的唯一男性，我有些窘迫。