2010年8月25日 星期三

3 ESL Podcast 601 – Paying an Unexpected Visit

Lorraine: Hi, this is a surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?

Terrance: Can’t I just drop in on my little sister unannounced to see how she is? I was just in this neck of the woods and thought I would pay you a visit.

Lorraine: Sure you were. Of course, I’m glad to see you, but this is just a little out of the blue.

Terrance: What do you mean?

Lorraine: I haven’t seen you in over five months, and you just happened to be in the neighborhood?

Terrance: Well, I wasn’t exactly in the neighborhood, but I wanted to see my favorite sister.

Lorraine: Your only sister. Okay, out with it. What are you doing here?

Terrance: Uh, well, I was thinking of taking a year off from school to pursue my art. I really feel I need to devote some time to my painting to see if I can make it as an artist.

Lorraine: Mom and Dad are not going to like that.

Terrance: I know and that’s where you come in.

Lorraine: You want me to run interference for you with Mom and Dad.

Terrance: Yeah, they would take it a lot better coming from you, don’t you think?

Lorraine: No, I don’t.

Terrance: You’ve always been the responsible one...I’m just saying...

Lorraine: And I’m just saying that I’m not going to do your dirty work for you!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==============================================================
drop in 突然造訪
unannounced 未通知的;未預告的;未打招呼的
neck of the woods a particular place or area 某地方;某地區
pay you a visit 訪問,拜訪;參觀,遊覽
out of the blue unexpectedly; without warning 出乎意料;突然;晴天霹靂
happened to be 碰巧
out with it 說出來吧,講講看。(tell me) (cf.v.片語).
to pursue 繼續探討(或追究、從事)
to devote 獻身;致力;專心
make it 成功; 做或完成某事
interference 干涉;干預;介入
take it 相信,同意
dirty work【俚】卑鄙勾當;不法行為

2010年8月16日 星期一

ESL Podcast 600 – Talking About Sight

Sue: This medication I’m taking is messing with my vision. Everything is blurry.

Hamed: That’s a good reason for you to stay home from work today.

Sue: I can’t. I have to give a presentation this afternoon and I can’t flake out on my coworkers.

Hamed: What good are you to them if you’re blind as a bat?

Sue: Everybody else will have crystal clear vision, so all I have to do is to put in an appearance. Things may not be as sharp as I’d like them to be, but I can still make out people and objects – as long as they’re really big.

Hamed: I don’t think your coworkers are going to want you to blindside them today with your strange behavior. You’re going to do more harm than good.

Sue: I can see well enough. I only see double if I move my head like this. Whoa…

Hamed: At this point, I don’t care if you have X-ray vision. That medication is affecting more than your vision. It’s impairing your better judgment!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==========================================================
sight 視力;視覺
medication 藥;藥物
messing with 妨礙
blurry 模糊不清的
flake out 行為古怪起來
flake 1.小薄片;(尤指)碎片 2.古怪的人;奇特的人;健忘的人
blind as a bat 看不見瞎的一樣
crystal clear 1.清澈透明的;晶瑩的 2.淺顯易懂的;顯而易見的
to put in an appearance 露面 ; 到場一會兒 ; 出席
make out 辨認 ; 區分
blindside 1.攻其不備;出其不意地襲擊 2.使遭受意外打擊
impair 1.削弱;減少 2.損害,損傷

2010年8月7日 星期六

ESL Podcast 599 – Shopping for Warm-Weather Clothes

Spencer: I would love to see you in this outfit: a tank top and a miniskirt.

Lauren: No way! I wouldn’t look anything like that mannequin. I’m too shy and I’d make a fool of myself wearing such revealing clothes.

Spencer: That’s where you’re wrong. You would look great on the beach in that outfit with a bikini underneath.

Lauren: I haven’t worn a bikini in years. I always wear a one-piece now. In fact, I’d feel more comfortable in a T-shirt, cut-offs, and flip- flops.

Spencer: Why would you want to hide that figure? If you want to do that, why don’t you just wear this Hawaiian shirt and these board-shorts. Then no one will know you’re a woman!

Lauren: Don’t get mad. Okay, you can pick out an outfit for me and I promise to wear it for you. Okay?

Spencer: Fine, but I’m warning you: I want to see some skin!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==============================================================
outfit 全套服裝,裝束(尤指為某場合或目的)
tank top 大條紋的無袖上衣; 背心裝
sleeve 袖子
mannequin /'mænəkɪn/ 時裝模特兒 ; (商店中用於陳列服裝的)人體模型
to make a fool of myself 讓自己顯得愚蠢
revealing 暴露的;使身體過分裸露的
That’s where you’re wrong 那就是你的錯誤所在
casual 休閒 => not formal 非正式的;隨便的
cut-off 剪短的褲子
flip- flop 人字拖鞋
board-short 衝浪褲
pathetic 可憐的;可悲的;令人憐惜的 ; 無力的;無用的;不成功的

2010年8月1日 星期日

English Café 250

Topics: Comic-Con; Famous Americans: Houdini; I just versus I have just; suit versus match versus fit; levity

Words:
convention 1.
(某職業、政黨等成員的)大會,集會 2.習俗;常規;慣例
comic book
animation
1.動畫片 2.生氣;活力;富有生命力
autograph (名人的)親筆簽名
fan
magician
escape artist
handcuffs
手銬
to debunk 批判;駁斥;揭穿…的真相
supernatural
medium
通靈的人;靈媒;巫師
séance 降神會(設法和亡靈說話)
to suit 適合 ; 適應
to match
to fit
levity
/'lɛvətɪ/ 輕率的舉止;輕浮;輕佻