英文原版对话1000个:1005 Physical Education

 　　Todd: So, Monica, you are actually a trained physical education teacher

 

　　Monica: Yes, that's right.

 

　　Todd: So, we often hear about how kids today are not fit, and they don't exercise enough. Do you think that's true?

 

　　Monica: I think it is true, yes. I think kids these days spend a lot more time on the computer than they used to, so of course that means less time outside and getting fit.

 

　　Todd: Now, in some countries there's a big debate about how much fitness kids actually do in school, so in your country, in New Zealand, do kids still do a lot of fitness actually in school?

 

　　Monica: Well, recently the P.E. curriculum got amalgamated¹ with the health curriculum, so P.E. and health were considered to be important in school, and the health side of the curriculum is often taught in the classroom, and of course the P.E. side often taught outside the classroom, and there's always debate about how much kids should be doing inside school. In fact very recently, now that it has become quite a big problem in New Zealand for teenagers, there has been talk about increasing the number of P.E. lessons that students have, but the current Prime Minister I think believes that the emphasis should be put on out-of-school activities like clubs and encouraging students to become more involved in that side of things.

 

　　Todd: What do you feel? Do you think it should be?

 

　　Monica: I actually agree to be honest, because I think if you increase the number of P.E. lessons that students have in a week, it doesn't actually necessarily increase their motivation to be involved in physical activity, but if like he's suggesting, you increase the opportunities outside of school, students maybe become involved in a sport that they choose, that they'd like to do and they hopefully can take it on as a lifetime sport. Yeah, which is important.

 

　　Todd: Butt² wouldn't the counter argument be that only kids that have a natural inclination³ to play sports would want to join those clubs and if the kids that are more sedentary or don't enjoy physical activity won't join a club, so you need to actually make them do fitness at school?

 

　　Monica: Yeah, that's true. That is a counter argument, and a very good one … to argue on some other occasion. Of course I can talk about that side of the argument as well if you want me to.

 

　　Todd: No, it's Okay. Basically, you saw there's … both sides make a good point.

1 amalgamated   

v.（使）（金属）汞齐化( amalgamate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）合并；联合；结合

参考例句：

• The company has now amalgamated with another local firm. 这家公司现在已与当地一家公司合并了。
• Those two organizations have been amalgamated into single one. 那两个组织已合并为一个组织。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

3 inclination   

n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好

参考例句：

• She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
• I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。