英语博客(A cup of English):Rain, rain, go away

Beginners.

Baseball season has started. 'Fall Ball' is the title of the season's activities, and the town is busy and buzzing with the sport. Usually, when a child is signed up for baseball, he will have two practices per week, and then two games at the weekend. It is a big commitment because the games last for two hours each. Preparation has to be made: the rest of the family comes along to the game bringing chairs, hats, blankets in case it is cold, cold drink in case it is hot. The weather is changeable, so you never know what you will get. Even with a very consistent climate as we have here, September can bring surprises. The boys involved in baseball have to arrive at the baseball park about an hour early, in order to practice. They generally carry a bag, inside which you will find: a baseball glove (or mitt), a ball, a bat, a hat, and drinks. They stretch, run up and down the field, practice throwing and catching¹, and then listen to instructions from the coach. As the boys get older, they become more knowledgeable² about the game, faster, and stronger. The games become more interesting and competitive. All goes well unless the weather does something unusual. Coming from a rainy country, the kids are used to playing in the rain; it's really no big deal. If you come from a very dry area, like Wenatchee, rain can seem quite intimidating³.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: intimidating, commitment, consistent.

Exs:

The boxer⁴ looked intimidating. He was very muscular and hairy.

She took her commitment to her family seriously: she took care of her grandmother for three years.

The sauce is not consistent. Some of it is smooth, and some of it is lumpy.

Advanced.

There was a downpour the other day during a weekend baseball game. I loved it, but, I think, most people found it irritating. The coaches kept on calling a time-out, which is when the game stops for a while. The players would run into the dug-out (their shelter), and get dry and rest. It is difficult to play baseball in the rain because you play on hard soil, and what happens to that when it rains? Mud, mud, and more mud. So, even though this English girl was secretly loving the rain and feeling very at home in it, the players, coaches, and referees⁵ were frustrated⁶ and impatient. The sight of an umbrella is quite rare in this town, and their random⁷ colors cheered the look of the baseball park. Well, our team eventually won the game, and everyone went home to get warm and dry. People talked about how awful the weather was, but I think that it made the day more interesting. A friend of mine during the Summer was going to take her daughter to a swimming lesson, "It might be cancelled because of the rain," she said to me. I looked in the sky and barely saw a drop of water anywhere. Gosh, what different ideas people have about the weather. I suppose it is all to do with your childhood and expectations. "You people are soft," I once said to my father-in-law, "a bit of water in the sky, and you have to run home and cancel everything!" If we cancelled for rain in England, we would never do anything!

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: awful, to cancel, impatient, and the subjunctive.

Exs:

The play was awful. It was poorly written and the actors were amateurs!

I had to cancel my appointment with the dentist in order to go to the doctor.

The train was late for the third time this week. Everyone on the platform was very impatient.

Subjunctive.

If the train had been on time, noone would have been grumpy.

If I were you, I wouldn't talk like that to the principal.

When the town grows more, the counsel might build a theatre.

 

1 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

2 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

3 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

4 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

5 referees   

n.裁判员( referee的名词复数 )；证明人；公断人；（专业性强的文章的）审阅人

参考例句：

• The fiery player has had numerous run-ins with referees. 这位脾气暴躁的队员曾和裁判员发生过无数次争吵。
• If you want to appeal, the Court of Referees will decide. 如果你要上诉，可以由仲裁法庭去判决。 来自辞典例句

6 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。