英语PK台 第599期:来聊聊猫咪朋友

 　　Dialogue 1

　　Mark visits Jingjing at her office.

　　马克去京晶的办公室找她。

　　Mark: How's it hanging, Jingjing? Is that cat food on your desk?

　　马克：最近怎么样，京晶？你桌上放的是猫粮吗？

　　Jingjing: It sure is. I'm getting it ready in individual portions¹.

　　京晶：当然是了。我都把它们按单份准备好了。

　　Mark: Let me guess: you feed the cats that live freely² in your community.

　　马克：让我猜猜：你喂那些自由生活在你们小区的猫咪。

　　Jingjing: You got it. When I come home from work, they recognize me and crowd around.

　　京晶：对了。当我下班回家，它们认出我后就全部围过来了。

　　Mark: So, it's best to have the food ready, right?

　　马克：所以，最好是把食物都准备好，对吗？

　　Jingjing: Exactly. Individual portions are better, so that the cats can start eating right away, without struggling to get food.

　　京晶：非常正确。单份分装好特别好，这样的话，猫咪们就可以直接开始吃，不用费劲争抢。

　　Mark: Do you they also hunt mice and rats?

　　马克：你觉得它们也捉老鼠吗？

　　Jingjing: I don't know that there are so many rodents³ in my community. I haven't seen any.

　　京晶：我不知道我们小区还有那么多啮齿类动物，我从来没见过。

　　Mark: Well, that's good, either because it's clean or because the cats got them all.

　　马克：嗯，那挺好的，要么因为小区整洁，要么因为猫咪们把它们都拿下了。

　　Jingjing: Yeah, my community is pretty clean, one way or another.

　　京晶：是的，不管怎么说，我们小区非常整洁。

　　Mark: Say, do the cats ever make noise at night?

　　马克：那，猫咪们晚上会发出吵人的声音吗？

　　Jingjing: I don't hear any, because my apartment is on a high floor.

　　京晶：我倒是没怎么听见，因为我的公寓是在高层。

　　Mark: I used to live in a first floor apartment, and had to bear the noise they were making just outside my window.

　　马克：我过去住在一个公寓的一层，不得不忍受它们在我窗外发出的干扰的声音。

　　Jingjing: Did it keep you up?

　　京晶：那会让你睡不着吗？

　　Mark: Only until I threw some water out the window. Then they went away, and I could sleep.

　　马克：除非直到我向窗外泼了一些水出去，它们才走开，然后我就可以睡觉了。

　　Jingjing: You meanie!

　　京晶：你这个刻薄的人！

　　Mark: Well, I'm usually nice to cats. Tell me more about the cats in your care next time I see you.

　　马克：那什么，我通常对猫咪挺友好的。下次我见你的时候你再给我讲讲你照顾的那些猫猫。

　　Jingjing: Count on it.

　　京晶：放心没问题。

　　New words: 习语短语

　　individual portions 单份（食物或水）

　　a serving of food or drink, enough for one person

　　(to) crowd around 围拢过来

　　many people gather around a person, too closely⁴, so that the person cannot move freely

　　one way or another 无论如何

　　considering the result, without being too concerned about the cause

　　(i.e. We'll get to Shanghai one way or another, even if we have to take a taxi the whole way.)

　　keep (someone) up 让某人无法睡觉

　　prevent someone from sleeping

　　Meanie 粗鲁刻薄的人

　　a rude or hurtful person

　　Dialogue 2

　　Mark sees Jingjing next time.

　　马克和京晶又见面了

　　Mark: Déjà vu: getting the cats' dinner ready again?

　　马克：这情景似曾相识啊！又在给猫猫们准备晚饭了吗

　　Jingjing: Yeah. I don't do this every day, though—just once or twice a week.

　　京晶：是啊，我也不是每天都这么做，一周就一到两次吧。

　　Mark: So, our feline⁵ friends have to go hungry or hunt the other days?

　　马克：所以我们的猫咪朋友们其他日子里就不得不饿着肚子或者自己去猎食了？

　　Jingjing: No no no. There's a group of retirees in my community. They do most of the work. I just take care of it sometimes to reduce their burden⁶.

　　京晶：并不并不并不。我们小区还有一群退休人士，主要是她们在负责照顾，我只是有时候帮忙照顾它们以减轻她们的负担。

　　Mark: I admire you for it.

　　马克：我很欣赏你这么做。

　　Jingjing: Say, would you be open to adopting a cat?

　　京晶：那，你愿意领养一只猫吗？

　　Mark: Umm, I've had house cats before and was glad I did. But, right now, I can't take in a pet.

　　马克：嗯，我曾经养过一只家猫，我也很高兴我养过，但是现在，我不能把宠物养在家里。

　　Jingjing: That's too bad. Look at this cute cat.

　　京晶：那真不妙，你看这只可爱的小猫

　　Mark: That's a great picture. Who's taking care of it right now?

　　马克：图片真棒。现在谁在照顾它？

　　Jingjing: Someone in my community rescues cats that were injured⁷. This one had a broken leg and just needed to recover for a few weeks.

　　京晶：我们小区里有人救那些受伤的猫咪，这一只断了一条腿，需要几周时间恢复。

　　Mark: What'll happen if no one adopts it.

　　马克：如果没有人领养它们会怎么办呢？

　　Jingjing: It'll probably just get released⁸ back into the community yard.

　　京晶：很可能重新被放回小区了。

　　Mark: Hopefully it'll find a good home. Winter's coming.

　　马克：希望它能找到一个好的家，冬天快来了。

　　Jingjing: Yeah, that's why I showed you the picture. Let me know if you change your mind.

　　京晶：是啊，这就是为什么我给你看照片，如果你改变主意了的话就告诉我。

　　New words: 习语短语

　　déjà vu 一种似曾经历的感觉

　　the feeling that something happening now has happened already

　　feline 猫科动物类

　　of or relating to cats as a species⁹

　　retirees 退休的人

　　people who have reached a certain age and have stopped working for money

　　(be) open to (doing something) 愿意做某事

　　willing¹⁰ to, interested in, available for (This phrase¹¹ is usually used to first introduce an idea, rather than to get someone's later commitment¹².)

　　take in 收养 照顾

　　adopt, take care of

1 portions   

一部分( portion的名词复数 )； 一份遗产（或赠与的财产）； 分享的部份； 嫁妆

参考例句：

• Three portions of fish and chips, please. 请来三份炸鱼薯条。
• supersize portions of fries 超大份炸薯条

2 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

3 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

4 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

5 feline   

adj.猫科的

参考例句：

• As a result,humans have learned to respect feline independence.结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。
• The awakening was almost feline in its stealthiness.这种醒觉，简直和猫的脚步一样地轻悄。

6 burden   

n.负担，重载，担子，责任；vt.装货于，麻烦，使负担

参考例句：

• The burden fell on the eldest son.担子落在了长子身上。
• Too much praise is a burden.太多的赞扬是一种负担。

7 injured   

adj.受伤的

参考例句：

• Our best defender is injured and won't be able to play today.我们最佳的防守员受伤了，今天不能参加比赛。
• The injured men have been dug out of the snow.受伤人员从雪中被挖了出来。

8 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

9 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

10 willing   

adj.愿意的，自愿的，乐意的，心甘情愿的

参考例句：

• We never lack food and clothing if we're willing to work.如果我们愿意工作,就不会缺吃少穿。
• He's quite willing to pay the price I ask.他很愿意照我的要价付钱。

11 phrase   

n.短语，词组；成语，习语

参考例句：

• The phrase was caught on and immediately became popular.这个短语被采用后很快就流行了。
• That's exactly the phrase I was looking for.这就是我一直找的那个短语。

12 commitment   

n.奉献，忠诚，辛劳，委托，实行，承担义务，赞助

参考例句：

• The builder had a commitment to finish the work on time.那个承建商答应过准时完工。
• He made a commitment to pay the rent on time.他保证按时付房租。