【英语趣味课堂】分散的岛屿-Islands Apart

Todd: So what island do you live on?

CleAnn: I live in Trinidad, on the island of Trinidad. I’m happy that I live in Trinidad, I’m very proud of it because Trinidad is beautiful. Although it’s not known for beaches, we have a lot of wetlands like swamps and natural savannah. I think we are the only island in the Caribbean that has savannah. People usually think that an island is too small to have savannah ‘cause...we have savannah in Trinidad, mangrove² forests also. They are also an important part of the ecosystem³. But if you meet somebody from Tobago, they will tell you that they are from Tobago and maybe not necessarily from Trinidad and Tobago because they are extremely proud.

 

Todd: Yeah.

 

CleAnn: Because Tobago, although we’re one country, they have somewhat of a unique history in that in the colonial days when we were colonized⁴ by pretty much everyone from the British, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese⁵ -- Tobago has a very strong Dutch history also. So actually most of the whites who live in Tobago are still of a Dutch or German ancestry⁶. So they are very proud that they have something unique that sets them apart from Trinidad and actually the accent is different. You may not be able to tell the difference but we in Trinidad can hear when somebody is from Tobago.

 

Todd: Oh, interesting.

 

CleAnn: It’s very distinct, yes.

 

Todd: And now but the official language is English, right?

 

CleAnn: English is... We speak English. But now in schools French is being taught compulsory⁷ I think for at least the first two to three years depending on which school you go to and Spanish.

 

Todd: And actually, I’m sorry, it’s not even an official language, it’s the native language, correct?

 

CleAnn: Native language. We don’t know any other language but English. It’s native. And we have what we call some Creole languages which are mixtures of English and French. And in Trinidad the Creole language is called Patois⁸ and I can’t speak it because it’s very French -- shortened French words and grammar mixed in with some English...what do you call it...the structures of the sentences. It’s extremely interesting if you can ever get a chance to meet someone who speaks Patois and for someone who speaks French. You will never be able to understand them even if you speak French.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

known for

 

Although it’s not known for beaches, Trinidad has a lot of wetlands.

 

“Known for” describes what something is famous for or what people normally think of when they hear a person or place talked about. Notice the two examples below:

 

Brazil is known for its great soccer players.

She is well known for her gourmet⁹ cooking.

swamps

 

We have a lot of wetlands like swamps.

 

A swamp is an area where water collects. It is different from a pond or a lake because the water is not deep and plants stick out above the water. See the following examples:

 

I wouldn’t try to walk through that swamp, because sometimes there are alligators¹⁰.

It has been raining so much for the last few days that my yard has turned into a swamp!

savanna¹

 

We have a lot of natural savanna.

 

A savannah is a large area of grassland¹¹ without many trees. Africa is known for its savanna where many large animals such as lions and giraffes live. See the examples below:

 

I wouldn’t want to work in the savanna because there is no protection from the sun.

Lions are the kings of the savanna.

sets them apart

 

They are proud that they have something unique that sets them apart.

 

Something that makes someone or something different. In the example above, people from Tobago feel proud that they have something special that makes them different from Trinidad. See the examples below:

 

Her eyes are blue which sets her apart from her friends who all have brown eyes.

He spends many hours studying every day which sets him apart from the other students.

official language

 

The official language is English, right?

 

An official language is a language that is used in the schools, courts and government of a country or state. Sometimes the official language is not the first language of the majority of the people in the area. Study the following examples:

 

In Ireland, only a small minority of people speak Irish, but it is the official language.

The United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

1 savanna   

n.大草原

参考例句：

• The savanna is also the home of meat-eaters--the lion,leopard,and hyena who feed on the grasseaters.大草原也是食肉动物的家乡--狮子、豹、鬣狗--它们都是以草食动物维持生命的。
• They sped upon velvet wheels across an exhilarant savanna.他们的马车轻捷地穿过一片令人赏心悦目的大草原。

2 mangrove   

n.(植物)红树，红树林

参考例句：

• It is the world's largest tidal mangrove forest.它是世界上最大的红树林沼泽地。
• Many consider this the most beautiful mangrove forest in all Thailand.许多人认为这里是全泰国最美丽的红树林了。

3 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

4 colonized   

开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The area was colonized by the Vikings. 这一地区曾沦为维京人的殖民地。
• The British and French colonized the Americas. 英国人和法国人共同在美洲建立殖民地。

5 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

6 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

7 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

8 patois   

n.方言；混合语

参考例句：

• In France patois was spoken in rural,less developed regions.在法国，欠发达的农村地区说方言。
• A substantial proportion of the population speak a French-based patois.人口中有一大部分说以法语为基础的混合语。

9 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

10 alligators   

n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句
• In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句

11 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。