【英语趣味课堂】路怒-Road Rage

Julia: So Nathan, I got a ride here with you today and I noticed in the car that you were a little bit angry.

Nathan: You know that was me toned¹ down.

 

Julia: Oh my goodness.

 

Nathan: I can seriously get mega road rage.

 

Julia: Where's it coming from? Where's it coming from?

 

Nathan: I think it's because I think that everybody should be like aware and considerate of everything around them and I try to be so I try to never go over the speed limit. If I can see like there's a row of traffic coming on and there's a car stopping the traffic because they want to turn, I always try to let them turn and I think that some people are selfish and it drives me bonkers.

 

Julia: So you have road compassion² and road rage at the same time?

 

Nathan: Yeah, maybe. But it's interesting because I'm going through a process at the moment of trying to wash away this road rage and actually it comes from your husband. He's kind of like my yogic master and he's telling me all these things to help me. He's, when somebody does something crazy and your husband is in the car with me going to work every day...

 

Julia: Does he give you the voice in their head?

 

Nathan: And he says you know it's just a mistake. They didn't normally want to do that kind of thing but just this one time they made a mistake and they probably won't do it again and it doesn't matter. Or if I say yeah but lots of people do that and he says but they're not going to change, you can't drive their car, you can only...

 

Julia: He's infuriating with his wisdom, isn't he?

 

Nathan: Well but it's useful because it's me changing, like it's helping³ reduce my stress but it's made me think about some other things as well.

 

Julia: So do you think there's a job out there then for people who become passengers to road ragers and give them this calming voice? They sit there in the passenger seat and as you're driving along and your road rage manifests⁵, this person has then to calm you down and talk you through it. Do you think there's a job there, do you could make money from that?

 

Nathan: I reckon⁶ five years ago when the economy was pretty good that would have been a possibility but I think that now that maybe people don't have that money to splash⁷ around.

 

Julia: We're all just stuck with our road rage then?

 

Nathan: Stuck with my road rage.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

road rage

 

I can seriously get mega road rage.

 

Road rage is anger drivers feel towards other drivers about how they drive. Notice the following:

 

There is usually more road rage in the city than in the country.

When my dad drives on the highway, he sometimes gets road rage.

drives me bonkers

 

I think that some people are selfish and it drives me bonkers.

 

When something drives you bonkers, it annoys you. Notice the following:

 

It drives me bonkers when people do not clean the kitchen after they use it.

It drives me bonkers when people talk while eating food.

compassion

 

So you have road compassion and road rage at the same time?

 

Compassion is sympathy or pity for people who are suffering. Notice the following:

 

Our mayor has no compassion for the homeless.

A kind teacher has compassion for students who do not like to study.

manifest⁴

 

As you're driving along, your road rage manifests.

 

When something manifests, it becomes clear for other's to see. Notice the following:

 

His poor behaviour usually manifests after he starts drinking.

Many medical conditions manifest after people turn 40.

talk you through it

 

This person has to calm you down and talk you through it.

 

When you talk someone through something, you give them guidance as they do it by talking to them and giving help or encouragement. Notice the following:

 

My boss talked me through how to use the new software.

I was a little unsure how to cook a turkey but my mom talked me through it.

 

1 toned   

某种语气的，某种语调的

参考例句：

• My legs seem to have toned up with all that walking. 走了那么多路后，我的腿好像有劲起来。
• The newspaper toned down its attack. 那家报纸缓和了他们的攻击。

2 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 manifest   

n.载货单，运货单，旅客名单；adj.显然的，明白的；vt.显示，证实，出示

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• That is manifest to all of us.那对我们大家来说是显而易见的。

5 manifests   

清楚表示( manifest的第三人称单数 )； 显露； 显现； 使人注意到

参考例句：

• The disease typically manifests itself in a high fever and chest pains. 这种疾病的典型症状是发高烧和胸痛。
• Policy is the starting point of all the practical actions of a revolutionary party and manifests itself in the process and the end-result of that party's actions. 政策是革命政党一切实际行动的出发点，并且表现于行动的过程和归宿。

6 reckon   

vt.计算，估计，认为；vi.计（算），判断，依靠

参考例句：

• Don't reckon upon your relatives to help you out of trouble.不要指望你的亲戚会帮助你摆脱困境。
• I reckon that he is rather too old to marry again.我认为他的年龄太大，不太适于再婚。

7 splash   

v.溅，泼；n.溅泼声，溅出的水等，斑点

参考例句：

• I fell into the water with a splash.我跌入水中，激起水花四溅。
• There's a splash of paint on the white wall.白墙上溅上了一片油漆。