Rebecca: Look, there’s smoke coming from six stories up.
Hugh: Yes, I know. Didn’t you hear the fire alarm go off upstairs a few minutes ago?
Rebecca: No, but I’m really glad there’s a fire station only a few blocks away. Hey look, there’s the fire engine. Here come the firefighters!
Hugh: Yeah, let’s get back to work. I’m sure they’ll have the blaze under control pretty quickly.
Rebecca: How can you work with all of this excitement? Maybe I should get the fire extinguisher from the hallway and go upstairs to help.
Hugh: I think that’s a really bad idea. You can see for yourself that the firefighters are getting ready to fight the fire. They’re getting the ladder out and attaching the fire hose to the hydrant. Anyway, it’s probably just a false alarm.
Rebecca: If the smoke detector went off then I’m sure there’s a fire. We’ll know if we start to see something burning near a window or ashes coming down.
Hugh: I’ve never seen you like this before. Why are you so excited?
Rebecca: I wanted to be a firefighter when I grew up. I’ve always had a fascination with fire.
Hugh: Ah, that explains it. Would it make you feel better if I lit up a cigarette?
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==============================================================
storey 樓層
go off （警報器等）突然發出巨響
blaze 烈火；火災
excitement 激動；興奮；刺激
fire extinguisher 滅火器
hallway（大樓內的）走廊
ladder 梯子
hydrant /'haɪdrənt/ 消防栓
false alarm 假警報；虛驚
ash 灰；灰燼
fascination /ˈfæsə'neʃən/ 魅力；極大的吸引力
had a fascination with 對...有一種迷戀
lit up 亮了起來
2010年12月28日 星期二
2010年12月21日 星期二
ESL Podcast 637 – Planting Flowers and Trees
Zuly: Hurry up! Mom will be home any minute and we’re not done planting.
Eric: Whose idea was it anyway to plant a garden for Mom for her birthday? We’ve been working under this hot sun all day and the smell of the fertilizer is really getting to me.
Zuly: It was our idea, remember? We both wanted to give Mom something special this year. Look, we’re almost done. We’ve already picked the weeds, prepared the soil, and dug the holes for the new seeds and flowers. I’m taking the flowers out of their pots now and I’ll have them in the ground in a minute. After that, all we have left to do is to plant the new tree. Keep digging!
Eric: Are you sure the hole needs to be this deep?
Zuly: Yes, the book says that the roots need to have room to grow. That’s the perfect place for it, too. It’ll get a lot of direct sunlight.
Eric: Great, but my arms are so tired, they’re about to fall off.
Zuly: Move over. I’ll dig for a while. Why don’t you water the new flowers?
Eric: Sure, right after I take a little break. In the meantime, I’ll supervise. Come on. Keep digging. You’re almost there...
Zuly: I think you’d better keep your mouth shut, or I’ll think of some new uses for that fertilizer!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
planting 種植；栽種；栽種物
getting to me 讓某人心煩
weed 雜草，野草（尤指莊稼或花園中的）
soil 土壤
dig => dug
pot 陶盆；陶罐；碗
supervise 監督；管理；指導；主管
Eric: Whose idea was it anyway to plant a garden for Mom for her birthday? We’ve been working under this hot sun all day and the smell of the fertilizer is really getting to me.
Zuly: It was our idea, remember? We both wanted to give Mom something special this year. Look, we’re almost done. We’ve already picked the weeds, prepared the soil, and dug the holes for the new seeds and flowers. I’m taking the flowers out of their pots now and I’ll have them in the ground in a minute. After that, all we have left to do is to plant the new tree. Keep digging!
Eric: Are you sure the hole needs to be this deep?
Zuly: Yes, the book says that the roots need to have room to grow. That’s the perfect place for it, too. It’ll get a lot of direct sunlight.
Eric: Great, but my arms are so tired, they’re about to fall off.
Zuly: Move over. I’ll dig for a while. Why don’t you water the new flowers?
Eric: Sure, right after I take a little break. In the meantime, I’ll supervise. Come on. Keep digging. You’re almost there...
Zuly: I think you’d better keep your mouth shut, or I’ll think of some new uses for that fertilizer!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
planting 種植；栽種；栽種物
getting to me 讓某人心煩
weed 雜草，野草（尤指莊稼或花園中的）
soil 土壤
dig => dug
pot 陶盆；陶罐；碗
supervise 監督；管理；指導；主管
2010年12月20日 星期一
ESL Podcast 636 – Being Lazy and Energetic
Carmen: Wake up! You’re supposed to be working.
Elias: Shhh, I’m trying to sleep. The boss is out of the office today, so I consider it a holiday. Today, I can be a little out of it if I want to be.
Carmen: Out of it? You’re sleeping on the job – literally!
Elias: So what? Aren’t you feeling a little tired on a Monday morning?
Carmen: I admit I’m a little sluggish, but that’s no reason to fall down on the job. We both have work to get done and I’m doing it.
Elias: What’s wrong with you? Why are you so hyper? I’m as hard working as the next guy, but I’m not going to jump through hoops when the boss is away.
Carmen: You, hard working? Don’t make me laugh! You’d better get back to work or when the boss gets back, he’ll call you a slacker again.
Elias: Okay, I’m learning by your example. I’m now as energetic and productive as you are.
Carmen: Yeah? Doing what?
Elias: Telling my co-worker she’s a pain in the neck!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
Elias: Shhh, I’m trying to sleep. The boss is out of the office today, so I consider it a holiday. Today, I can be a little out of it if I want to be.
Carmen: Out of it? You’re sleeping on the job – literally!
Elias: So what? Aren’t you feeling a little tired on a Monday morning?
Carmen: I admit I’m a little sluggish, but that’s no reason to fall down on the job. We both have work to get done and I’m doing it.
Elias: What’s wrong with you? Why are you so hyper? I’m as hard working as the next guy, but I’m not going to jump through hoops when the boss is away.
Carmen: You, hard working? Don’t make me laugh! You’d better get back to work or when the boss gets back, he’ll call you a slacker again.
Elias: Okay, I’m learning by your example. I’m now as energetic and productive as you are.
Carmen: Yeah? Doing what?
Elias: Telling my co-worker she’s a pain in the neck!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=========================================================================
out of it （因酒或藥物作用而對周圍事情）茫然不覺，昏昏然
literally（強調事實可能令人驚訝）真正地，確實地
sluggish 緩慢的；遲緩的；懶洋洋的
fall down on the job 沒把工作做好
hyper 既興奮又緊張的；精力過旺的
to jump through hoops（為達到目的而）經受磨難
Don’t make me laugh（認為不可能或愚蠢）別讓我笑掉大牙了，別開玩笑了
slacker 偷懶的人；怠惰的人
energetic 精力充沛的；充滿活力的；需要能量的；積極的
productive 生產的；（尤指）多產的
a pain in the neck 極討厭的人（或事物）
2010年12月14日 星期二
ESL Podcast 635 – Arranging Airport Transfer
My wife and I bought a vacation package and we thought that it included everything. We should have double-checked that it included airport transfer to our hotel as well. Hindsight is 20/20, they say.
My wife wanted to take a taxi, but I nixed that idea. It would cost an arm and a leg. I wanted a cheaper option so we went to ask about it at the airport information desk.
...
Don: Hello, my wife and I need to get to our hotel downtown. What are our options?
Clerk: Well, you could take a taxi.
Don: We’re hoping to find a cheaper option.
Clerk: Okay, in that case, a limo service would be out, too. There are private shuttle services, but since you’re so far from downtown, you’ll be making a lot of stops and it will take a long time to get there. You could also take public transportation – the bus or the subway – but that’ll take even longer. Doesn’t your hotel have a courtesy shuttle?
Don: I never thought of that.
Clerk: Many downtown hotels do. Call your hotel and they’ll be able to tell you. They’ll probably have the best suggestion on how to get there, too, if they don’t have their own shuttle. If you decide on a private shuttle service or to take public transportation, come back and I’ll give you more information.
Don: Thanks a lot. I’ll give the hotel a call right now.
...
Lucky for us, the hotel had a courtesy shuttle and it was on its way. Good thing, too, since I didn’t relish spending any more time at the airport after a long red-eye!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==============================================================
Hindsight 事後聰明；後見之明
nix 阻止；拒絕
cost an arm and a leg （使）花一大筆錢
limousine（往返機場接送旅客的）中型客車，小型公共汽車
courtesy 免費乘坐（或使用）的 noun=>禮貌；謙恭；彬彬有禮
on its way 在路上；在行進中
relish 享受；從…獲得樂趣；渴望；喜歡
red-eye 夜間航班；紅眼夜航
My wife wanted to take a taxi, but I nixed that idea. It would cost an arm and a leg. I wanted a cheaper option so we went to ask about it at the airport information desk.
...
Don: Hello, my wife and I need to get to our hotel downtown. What are our options?
Clerk: Well, you could take a taxi.
Don: We’re hoping to find a cheaper option.
Clerk: Okay, in that case, a limo service would be out, too. There are private shuttle services, but since you’re so far from downtown, you’ll be making a lot of stops and it will take a long time to get there. You could also take public transportation – the bus or the subway – but that’ll take even longer. Doesn’t your hotel have a courtesy shuttle?
Don: I never thought of that.
Clerk: Many downtown hotels do. Call your hotel and they’ll be able to tell you. They’ll probably have the best suggestion on how to get there, too, if they don’t have their own shuttle. If you decide on a private shuttle service or to take public transportation, come back and I’ll give you more information.
Don: Thanks a lot. I’ll give the hotel a call right now.
...
Lucky for us, the hotel had a courtesy shuttle and it was on its way. Good thing, too, since I didn’t relish spending any more time at the airport after a long red-eye!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==============================================================
Hindsight 事後聰明；後見之明
nix 阻止；拒絕
cost an arm and a leg （使）花一大筆錢
limousine（往返機場接送旅客的）中型客車，小型公共汽車
courtesy 免費乘坐（或使用）的 noun=>禮貌；謙恭；彬彬有禮
on its way 在路上；在行進中
relish 享受；從…獲得樂趣；渴望；喜歡
red-eye 夜間航班；紅眼夜航
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