【英语趣味课堂】为什么南方特别？-How is South Special?

Peter: So Sarah, what's so unique about people in the south? You often hear about that.

 

Sarah: Yes. We're often known¹ for being very laidback and easygoing². And we're also known for a certain accent which usually has a lot to do with the vowels³ in our speech as well as talking slower. We seem to be not as fast-paced as society in the north and just more friendly and laidback.

 

Peter: Okay. Why do you think that is? I'm just curious about it now that you say it.

 

Sarah: I really have no idea, it just seems to be the way it is. So it's kind of a slower lifestyle, it's not very urban⁴, there's not so much traffic or things going on, it's more rural⁵, very family-oriented. You spend a lot of time with your family and food is also very important. And those are the things that we value the most in life, is probably family and food and time, and so we don't rush through things.

 

Peter: Sounds like a really easy lifestyle in many ways.

 

Sarah: Yeah.

 

Peter: Comfortable living there. So you spoke⁶ about the lifestyle - some of the lifestyles that you can see in the south. What kind of things, what social activities do people get involved in? Why is family life so important?

 

Sarah: Well, something that's also very important in the south is Christianity. So there's a lot of people who are very involved in their churches. And churches usually have a lot of social gatherings⁸, so besides going to church on Sunday and Bible⁹ study on Wednesday night, there's usually picnics and get-togethers and fundraisers and all sorts of things, so very involved with not only our family but our communities as well as church communities.

 

Peter: I've heard the term Bible belt being used before, would South Carolina and North Carolina be part of the Bible belt in America?

 

Sarah: Yes, absolutely. Most southern states are a part of this, and that's how it got its name.

 

Peter: Aside from those social family events and activities, what other things do people like doing? If the weather's really mild¹¹, do they get out and do a lot of outdoor activities?

 

Sarah: Absolutely, people love to fish, people love to hunt, so a lot of outdoor activities like that, and depending on where you live, if you live in the mountains of course a lot of hiking¹². And if you live on the coast then a lot of spending time on the beach, laying in the sun, drinking beer, that's what a lot of people do.

 

Peter: So you mentioned that you travelled a lot across America, do you notice whether people in other parts of the country are very different to people from the south?

 

Sarah: Oh, definitely¹³.

 

Peter: In what ways?

 

Sarah: People in the north are very time-oriented, they seem to be very scheduled, and very planned out because they have very, maybe strict jobs with times and very little free time because they work a lot and lots of ... if they live in a big city then lots of traffic and lots of ... I don't know, I think of schedules and meetings and time when I think of the north.

 

重点词汇：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

laidback

 

We're often known for being very laidback and easygoing.

 

Laid back is relaxed or not too serious. Notice the following:

 

He's a really laidback guy. 

I'm not worried about it; I'm really laidback.

fast-paced

 

We seem to be not as fast-paced as society in the North.

 

Fast-paced is moving quickly or very busy. Notice the following:

 

New Yorkers live a very fast-paced lifestyle.

I'm not a face-paced person; I like to relax.

-oriented

 

It's more rural, very family-oriented.

 

Orieted is to go in certain direction or to show the importance of something. Notice the following:

 

That family is very sports-oriented. 

This class is very history-oriented.

rush through

 

We don't rush through things.

 

To rush through is speed or move quickly. Notice the following:

 

I was in a hurry so I rushed through the store. 

Don't rush through that book. Take your time.

get-together¹⁰

 

There's usually picnics and get-togethers and fundraisers.

 

A get-together is a gathering⁷ of people or a social event. Notice the following:

 

She's having a get-together tonight at her house. 

There's a get-together tomorrow at in the park.

 

1 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

2 easygoing   

adj.悠闲自在的；懒惰的，随便的

参考例句：

• An easygoing life as a parttime consultant.像兼职顾问一样悠闲的生活。
• Our manager's an easygoing person;she never gets angry.我们的经理是个随和的人，她从不发怒。

3 vowels   

n.元音，元音字母( vowel的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Note the various sounds of vowels followed by r. 注意r跟随的各种元音的发音。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

4 urban   

adj.都市的，住在都市的，习惯于都市的

参考例句：

• Traffic is a major urban problem.交通是城市的一个主要问题。
• The spread of urban areas endangers wildlife.扩大城市面积危害着野生物。

5 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

9 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

10 get-together   

n.(使)聚集；(使)集合

参考例句：

• Well,Miss Huang,we are planning to have a casual get-together.嗯，黄小姐，我们打算大家小聚一番。
• Will you help me prepare for the get- together of the old classmates?你能否帮我为这次老同学聚会做好准备工作？

11 mild   

adj.温暖的，暖和的，（天气，尤指冬天）；性情温和的

参考例句：

• That coat is too heavy for such a mild day.这样暖和的天气，穿那件大衣太厚了。
• He is mild of manner.他举止温和。

12 hiking   

n.徒步旅行

参考例句：

• He has been hiking round Scotland for a month.他围着苏格兰徒步旅行了一个月。
• Hiking is not yet popular in China.徒步旅行在中国还不流行。

13 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。