美国文化口语-消遣

DARREN: So, you have three days off. What are you going to do?
SCOTT: I don't know. Probably I'm just going to hang around here and relax.
DARREN: Watch MTV, huh?
SCOTT: Not just MTV. I will probably rent some movies with Sylvia.We'll order some pizzas. Just relax.
DARREN: That's pathetic¹.
SCOTT: Huh? What do you mean "pathetic"? What's wrong with it?
DARREN: Spending three days like that is a kind of vegetable life.
SCOTT: Hey, listen. I work hard. If I want to relax on a long weekend, that's my business.
DARREN: Of course it's your business. But you should have better recreation² than TV.
SCOTT: Yeah? Like what?
DARREN: You should get out of the house. Go out into nature.Or you should learn to play an instrument or something. Or learn to draw.But just sitting here and watching TV--that's idiotic³. You're wasting your life.When you are older, you will have no memories. Your whole life will be all TV.
SCOTT: And you, Mr. Righteous, what do you do on the weekends?
DARREN: Well, this weekend Betty and I are going to a wine tasting on Saturday.And you know I'm in an archery club. Probably I'll do some practice on Sunday.And maybe I'll do some windsurfing with my friend Lou on Sunday or Monday.But the weather might not be good, so I don't know.
SCOTT: And you think all that is better than watching TV?
DARREN: Of course. For one thing, it requires some movement.For another, I do those things with my wife or my friends. There is some activity together.That's what recreation should be. Not just sitting in front of a screen.Sometimes I think TV is a kind of parasite⁴.It attaches⁵ to people's brains, and sucks⁶ away their lives. SCOTT: I don't know.I don't watch much TV during the week. So I think it's all right on the weekend.
DARREN: But three days, Scott. You have three days here.You should have some better plans. SCOTT: I'll think about it.
戴伦：你有三天的假期，要做什么？
史考特：我不知道，或许在这里闲晃，休息休息。
戴伦：看音乐电视吗？
史考特：不只是音乐电视，也许和丝维亚去租电影。订披萨，好好休息。
戴伦：真是可怜。
史考特：什么？你说“可怜”是什么意思？有何不对吗？
戴伦：三天那样过，真的是活得很乏味。
史考特：嘿，听着，我工作得很辛苦，如果我要休息一整个周末，那是我的事。
戴伦：当然是你的事。但是你应该有比看电视还要好的消遣。
史考特：是吗？像是什么？
戴伦：你应该离开屋子，走向大自然。或者学点乐器之类的，或是学画画。单单坐在这里看电视是很蠢的，是在浪费生命。等你再老一点，你将没有回忆。你的整个人生就是电视。
史考特：那么你呢？正义之士，你周末都做些什么？
戴伦：这个星期六贝蒂和我要去品酒。而且我也参加了箭术俱乐部，星期天可能要去练习。还有星期天或星期一要和我的朋友鲁去冲浪。但是天气可能不乐观，还不知道。
史考特：你认为那些比看电视更有益吗？
戴伦：那当然。理由之一，那需要运动。理由之二，我和太太或朋友一起做那些事，一起活动。消遣活动理当如此，而不是干坐在屏幕前。
有时候我觉得电视是寄生虫。它附着在人的大脑，并且榨干人的生命。
史考特：我不知道。我平常工作日不太看电视，所以我觉得周末看看还好。
戴伦：但是三天耶，史考特,你三天都在这里。你应该有更好的计划。
史考特：我会考虑看看。

1 pathetic   

adj.悲哀的，可怜的，感伤的，不足的，差强人意的

参考例句：

• The animal gave a pathetic little whimper.这只动物低声哀叫，令人怜悯。
• I refused to go along with their pathetic charade.我拒不跟他们摆出那副可悲的装模作样的姿态。

2 recreation   

n.娱乐，消遣，休养

参考例句：

• What kind of recreation do you go in for?你在文娱方面有什么爱好？
• Saturday afternoon is for recreation and outings.周六午后是休闲和外出游玩的时间。

3 idiotic   

adj.白痴的

参考例句：

• It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。
• The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。

4 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。

5 attaches   

贴上，系，附上( attach的第三人称单数 )； （有时不受欢迎或未受邀请而）参加； 把…固定； 把…归因于

参考例句：

• Mother attaches a great deal of value to good manners. 妈妈很重视礼貌。
• No suspicion attaches to him. 他无可怀疑。

6 sucks   

v.吸，吮( suck的第三人称单数 )；舐，吮吸

参考例句：

• She still sucks her thumb when she's worried. 她在忧虑时仍然会吸吮大拇指。
• Plant sucks from the soil. 植物从土壤中吸取养分。 来自《简明英汉词典》