【一起闲话英语】对于吸烟的态度—Attitudes Towards Smoking

 Passage Transcript¹

sometime earlier this year i took a trip to, England and France. uh, my family helped me out. uh... because i wanted to go see some friends in France. and i also had three people that i went to school with at Oxford². now, it was a wonderful trip, i really loved it. uh... but one thing that struck me... was how different_ i guess, i guess this would strike anyone_ uh, whene- whenever they travel, is how different cultures are... uh from your own. not just how different they are but how similar, but th- i suppose it is the differences that really stand out. uh... one of the things that, struck me very much was the difference in attitudes towards smoking. there is_ as uh_ as, many people know there's a, a growing antismoking sentiment in this country. and, you see smokers³ huddled⁴ out- outside of their office buildings, in front of doors, with their cigarettes in their hands and, shuddering⁵. uh keeping_ wrapping their coats close about them shuddering and, getting a drag off a cigarette. and, almost embarrassed, al- almost like they are fixers of, uh, illegal drugs. and uh. i al- i, i feel sorry for them in a way, but i don't like smoking personally. so i don't feel too sorry for them.

however when i went to, England and France, i got a new perspective, on this issue. uh... to be blunt, people in Europe smoke like chimneys. in my point of view, from what i could see. there are antismoking signs all over the place, but no one seems to pay, much attention to them. uh... uh, people seem to smoke anywhere and everywhere, and even though there's antismoking campaigns. in fact, uh, when i was in England there was controversy⁶, that i heard several times over the radio about, a member of the world cup team, the world cup soccer team, who smoked. and people were actually saying, "well he shouldn't be on the team because he's a bad example for our children." well i think, if they want to look at bad examples for their children with smoking, they should just go out on the street, or go into the subways, or look in the mirror, even, because so many of them are smoking in very inappropriate places. i went to a Chinese restaurant in London, the food was very bad but that's beside the point, and they had a buffet⁷. uh, they had a buffet in which people could take whatever_ take what they wanted for a certain price. and there was this one woman, uh, this one English woman who ,uh, had her cigarette in her hand, lit cigarette. and she was blowing smoke, and holding her cigarette directly over the buffet food. and... i was appalled⁸, that this would even be allowed. i thought, in America this person would be kicked out at a moments_ you know would be kicked out, immediately. ah... and, the, the other Americans at the table were really appalled too. and actually when i talked to an English person later, they, they were pretty appalled too. and they said that's even ru- that's rude for even British standards.

but.. it didn't just, give me_ it didn't just make me... feel that the, the Europeans are bad. and, uh, it just, it didn't just have a negative effect. it almost_ it also had conversely a positive effect on my attitudes toward American smokers. there are a lot of American smokers who... have attitudes, and, you know, they will uh... you know, they will proclaim their right to smoke whenever they want, and they will ch- they will chafe⁹, they will complain about antismoking rules. but, they will follow the rules, generally. if they cannot smoke in a s- in a public building. if the law_ if there is an_ no smoking sign, they will go outside. and they will not smoke where they are asked not to smoke. and, in general they do... have consideration for other peo- for nonsmokers. they will ask "can i smoke?" whereas it seems to me at least in Europe that people, just smoked. they didn't ask for permission or anything. so this experience in Europe gave me more of a respect, for... for people who smoke in this country, even though i still don't like smoking. i respect the fact, that they_ that even when they do_ when they do smoke they follow the rules, and try to respect other people's feelings.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

3 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

4 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

5 shuddering   

v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？

8 appalled   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 chafe   

v.擦伤；冲洗；惹怒

参考例句：

• The foaming waves chafe against the rocky shore.汹涌的波涛猛烈地冲击着礁岸。
• A stiff collar may chafe your neck.硬的衣领会擦伤你的脖子。