【英语趣味课堂】新旧城市-Old and New Cities

Todd: So, Aiman, you are from Syria, but you've actually lived all over the Middle East. What's interesting is that you've lived in a very old city, Damascus, and a very new city, Dubai, and they're actually not that far from each other. What's the difference between living in a very old city and a very new city?

 

Aiman: It is really really different because the whole city is designed in a different way. In a city like Dubai for example, it is designed in a line. It is designed in a linear way, so you have to go across the city to go from one end to the other. And some people live on one end, and they work on the other end, so they have to go across the whole city, which makes roads unbelievably crowded all the time.

 

While in a city like Damascus, it is true that it is an old city and the road system is really old and needs to be maintained and changed sometimes, but still the city is of different parts that are connected, so you might find people who live on the northern-eastern part, and they have all that they need in that part. They don't need to go to any other part of the city. So that's why it is convenient to walk around the city. You don't even need a car in Damascus.

 

However, a city like Dubai being new and modern has it's advantages because it's convenient. You go everywhere and things are new, shops everywhere. New Shopping malls open every day, and you can go to one shopping mall and do whatever shopping you need, whatever brand you even think of is there, even the brands that you don't know, you will find there from all around the world.

 

You meet people from all around the world in Dubai. I meet friends from all different parts of the world. I learned about many different cultures in Dubai. While in Syria it is isolated¹ and you don't meet people from other countries in Syria, and even when foreigners live in Syria, they tend to stay in their own bubble and not mix with people because I think that English is not very well spoken in Syria, so it is hard to move around with English in the city. While in Dubai it is the opposite because you can't speak Arabic sometimes in Dubai. Most of the time in Dubai. And if you are looking for a job, you have more chances finding a job if speak English and you don't speak Arabic, than if you speak Arabic but you don't speak English.

 

Todd: That's interesting.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

all over

 

You've lived all over the Middle East.

 

In this case, "all over" means selected locations covering a wide ranging area.

 

Different varieties of Eucalyptus² trees can be found all over Australia.

Last spring, a new strain of influenza³ spread all over the school.

one end

 

Go from one end to the other.

 

This expression is about area, the space that extends from one boundary to another.

 

The train line goes from the northern to the southern boundary of the city.

My husband is so messy! He leaves his dirty clothes from one end of the house to the other.

isolated

 

 

Syria is isolated.

 

"Isolation⁴" is a noun meaning to be alone, separated from other things, places or people.

 

When I had the measles⁵, I was isolated in my bedroom so I wouldn't infect other people.

People working in the Antarctic have an isolated existence.

in their bubble

 

 

they tend to stay in their own bubble.

 

This is a slang expression meaning isolated, to be sealed alone in a single soap bubble.

 

Jane is very dreamy and lives in her own little bubble of imagination a lot of the time.

The different ethnic⁶ groups live in their own bubbles and don't mix with outsiders.

move around

 

 

It is hard to move around with English in the city.

 

In this case, "move around" means it is difficult to function in the city if you only speak English.

 

It was hard to move around the town when I didn't know how to say where I wanted to go.

I feel uncomfortable moving around scientists because I don't understand what they're talking about.

1 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

2 eucalyptus   

n.桉树，桉属植物

参考例句：

• Eucalyptus oil is good for easing muscular aches and pains.桉树油可以很好地缓解肌肉的疼痛。
• The birds rustled in the eucalyptus trees.鸟在桉树弄出沙沙的响声。

3 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

4 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

5 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。