【一起闲话英语】艰难的情形—Difficult situations

Transcript: 

A

Boy: Mum?

Mother: Yes?

Boy: You know that Economics¹ exam I had last week?

Mother: The one you didn’t revise² for?

Boy: I did revise for it. I was working on it all weekend. Don’t you remember?

Mother: Oh, yes, I remember. Apart from going out until four in the morning, you mean?

Boy: Well, I have to relax a little, even if I’m revising³. Anyway, I didn’t pass it.

Mother: You failed it! But wasn’t that an important one?

Boy: Yeah, I’m really sorry.

Mother: I’m really sorry too. What does that mean?

Boy: Well, I’ll probably have to retake the whole course.

Mother: Oh, Ryan! It’s a really expensive course. I’m not sure we can afford for you to take it again. Things are difficult enough as it is.

Boy: I know, Mum. I’m sorry. I’ll talk to the teacher again and see if I can retake it.

 

B

Girl 1: Hi, Megan. How are you?

Girl 2: Not feeling too good, actually.

Girl 1: Oh? Why’s that?

Girl 2: Well, something terrible happened this morning … (voice trembling)

Girl 1: What? Sorry, take your time, and tell me when you’re ready.

Girl 2: Well, I was playing with Bonzo in the garden with a ball, and the ball went over the hedge⁴ into the road, and …

Girl 1: Yes?

Girl 2: And Bonzo jumped over the hedge after it and he got hit by a car.

Girl 1: Oh, no! And is he … ?

Girl 2: Yes. We took him to the vet’s immediately, but there was nothing she could do.

Girl 1: Oh, poor Bonzo. And poor you. I know how much he meant to you.

Girl 2: We’d had him since he was a tiny puppy⁵. He was like one of the family.

Girl 1: I’m really sorry. At least he had a happy life.

Girl 2: His life was too short!

Girl 1: Well, yes, OK. I’m sorry, that was a really insensitive thing to say. I’ll come round and see you later, OK?

 

C

Boy: Hi, Dad.

Father: Hi, how’s it going?

Boy: Did you have a good day at work?

Father: Same as usual, really. What about you? Good day at school?

Boy: Yeah, pretty good. Except for one little thing …

Father: Why do I have a sinking feeling in my stomach?

Boy: Do you remember you lent me your phone?

Father: Yes?

Boy: Well, I was standing⁶ just outside school, texting Jack⁷, and somebody ran past and grabbed⁸ it.

Father: You let someone steal my phone?

Boy: I didn’t let them.

Father: No, I suppose not. But did you know that that might happen? Is that a dangerous spot?

Boy: Well, I had heard of that happening, but I’d forgotten. Anyway, I didn’t think it would happen to me.

Father: No, OK. Did you see who it was?

Boy: No. It was someone in a blue tracksuit, and there are loads of people who wear those. But there’s a CCTV camera on the entrance. It might have got a shot⁹ of the thief’s face.

Father: You reported it then?

Boy: Well, not yet, but I will tomorrow.

Father: All right. Don’t forget to report it tomorrow. I’ll have a look at the insurance and see if it’s covered.

1 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

2 revise   

vt.修订，校订，修正

参考例句：

• You should revise your opinion of him.你应该纠正对他的看法。
• In the light of these changes,we must revise our plan.鉴于这些变化，我们必须重新修订我们的计划。

3 revising   

v.修订( revise的现在分词 )；改变；修正；[主英国英语]复习

参考例句：

• He's now revising the first draft of his essay. 他目前正修改他的文章初稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Revising the procedure was an entirely profitless exercise. 对程序进行修改是徒劳无功的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 hedge   

n.树篱；障碍物；vt.用篱笆围；vi.避免直接回答

参考例句：

• The gardener trimmed the hedge.那位园林工人修剪了树篱。
• He squeezed through a gap in the hedge.他从树篱的缺口处挤过去。

5 puppy   

n.小狗，幼犬

参考例句：

• You must school your puppy to obey you.你要训练你的小狗服从你。
• Their lively puppy frisks all over the house.他们的小狗在屋里到处欢快地蹦跳。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 grabbed   

v.抢先，抢占( grab的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指匆忙地）取；攫取；（尤指自私、贪婪地）捞取

参考例句：

• He was grabbed by two men and frogmarched out of the hall. 他被两个男人紧抓双臂押出大厅。
• She grabbed the child's hand and ran. 她抓住孩子的手就跑。

9 shot   

n.炮弹，射击，射手；v.射击，发出，发芽；vbl.射击，发出，发芽

参考例句：

• He shot a wild duck.他射中一只野鸭。
• All the children shot out their hands for the money.所有的孩子突然伸出手来要钱。