【英语趣味课堂】普拉，克罗地亚-Pula, Croatia

Vesna: Tell me Karlo, is Pula your home town?

 

Karlo: Yes, I was born in Pula, did all of my schooling¹ here and I also work here.

 

Vesna: And do you like living in Pula?

 

Karlo: Of course. All of my memories are connected to this city. My parents live here as well as all of other loved ones. You know, the old saying, 'home is where the heart is'.

 

Vesna: Does that mean if your heart leads you somewhere else, you would follow it?

 

Karlo: I have an open mind about it. If I left I would probably be nostalgic at first. But in time, sure, I would find another place to call home.

 

Vesna: How would you describe Pula to somebody who was considering moving here?

 

Karlo: What suits me in the city is that it's rather small so everything is at hand, you can say. If you don't mind walking you can manage all of your activities by foot. It is also quite peaceful, there is not much isolation² or surprises.

 

Vesna: Yes, yes, that can be a downside sometimes.

 

Karlo: Yes, sometimes because in my opinion there is a lack of cultural and entertaining activities throughout the year, especially for the young people.

 

Vesna: Yeah, and you are younger. How do you and your friends find entertainment?

 

Karlo: Pula has a rich rock and roll history, that gives you a better perception³ for creativity and development. There is a 19th military complex called ------, that was thrown into our cultural center. So most of us are somewhat⁴ engaged there. I, for example, I'm a member of a hardrock band.

 

Vesna: Oh, that's nice. Are there any public performances held in that center?

 

Karlo: Yes, yes, all the time. It's a multicultural⁵ social center that gathers over 100 organisations and associations⁶. From time to time you can see music performances, then shows which play, music exhibitions and other artistic⁷ performances.

 

Vesna: Great. And are there any other places in Pula you would wish to point out?

 

Karlo: This city has beautiful nature and historical treasures, it has a mild climate and great past. It's witnesses are the names of buildings that we inherited⁸ and that we are so proud of, mostly from the Roman period, but also from the other times.

 

Vesna: Do you think this is a globally known fact?

 

Karlo: No. I think that this city needs better marketing⁹ and presentation of what it has to offer. We just haven't learned¹⁰ to use its benefits yet.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

open-mind

 

I have an open-mind about it.

 

When you have an open-mind, you are willing to accept new ideas. Notice the following:

 

Young people usually are more open-minded.

My boss never likes change. He does not have an open-mind.

nostalgic

 

I would probably be nostalgic at first. 

 

When you are nostalgic, you have good memories of something in the past. Notice the following:

 

When I listen to 80s music I get nostalgic for high school.

She is nostalgic for her travel days.

at hand

 

Everything is at hand.

 

When something is 'at hand', it is easy to access or get to. Notice the following:

 

In math class, you need a calculator¹¹ at hand.

Living downtown is convenient because there are many shops at hand.

downside

 

That can be a downside sometimes.

 

The downside refers to the negative qualities about something. Notice the following:

 

The downside of living downtown is the high cost of living.

I like living overseas but the downside is I am far from my family.

From time to time

 

From time to time you can see music performances

 

This phrase 'from time to time' means sometimes but not often. Notice the following:

 

I like to play tennis from time to time.

My father cooks breakfast for the family from time to time.

1 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

2 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。

3 perception   

n.感知，感觉，觉察(力)；认识，观念，看法

参考例句：

• What's your perception of the matter?你对此事有什么看法？
• He was a man of keen perception.他是一个感觉敏锐的人。

4 somewhat   

pron.一些，某物；adv.多少，几分

参考例句：

• The cake we made was somewhat of a failure.我们做的蛋糕不大成功。
• The two office buildings are somewhat alike in appearance.这两座办公楼在外形上有点相似。

5 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

6 associations   

n.协会( association的名词复数 )；联合；联系；（思想、感觉、记忆等的）联想

参考例句：

• Do you belong to any professional or trade associations? 你参加了专业学会或行业协会没有？
• Colleges may be accredited by regional associations. 学会是否合格可由地区各协会作出鉴定。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

8 inherited   

adj.通过继承得到的，遗传的；继承权的v.继承( inherit的过去式和过去分词 )；经遗传获得（品质、身体特征等）接替（责任等），继任

参考例句：

• She had not inherited her mother's forgiving nature. 她没有承袭她母亲的宽厚天性。
• She inherited a fortune from her father. 她从她父亲那里继承了一大笔财富。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

11 calculator   

n.计算者，计算机

参考例句：

• Don't forget to bring your calculator that day.那天你可别忘了带计算器。
• I totaled my expenses with a calculator. 我用计算器算出开支的总金额。