ESL Podcast 538 – Finding the Perfect Gift

Fae: Help! I still need to buy a gift for my mother and I can’t seem to think of the perfect present, something that’ll really knock her socks off.

Pablo: Why don’t you just get her a gift certificate¹ or a gift card? That way, she can pick out her own gift.

Fae: Oh, she would hate that. She would think that I didn’t put any thought into buying her a present at all, while I’ve been racking² my brain³ to think of something she’ll like. Maybe I should buy her a car!

Pablo: Now, don’t get carried away. You get like this every year. I know you want to please your mother, but remember, it’s the thought that counts.

Fae: I wish that were true. If I get her the wrong gift, I’m afraid she’ll be disappointed⁴, or worse, she’ll hold it against me for the rest of my life.

Pablo: It boggles my mind how you can work yourself up like this every year.

Fae: How can I not? You know my mother.

Pablo: Yes, I do, and I have one piece of advice for you: Buy her a gift she can return.


Script⁵ by Dr⁶. Lucy Tse

1 certificate   

n.证书，证明书；vt.发给证明书，认可，鉴定

参考例句：

• She proudly displayed her degree certificate to her parents.她自豪地向父母展示了学位证书。
• No one had seen her marriage certificate.没人看到过她的结婚证书。

2 racking   

拷问的，痛苦的

参考例句：

• All night I have been tossing and turning racking my brains to think what could have possessed the young man to kill himself. 整整一晚我辗转反侧，绞尽脑汁，想弄明白是什么原因竟能促成这个年轻人自杀。
• He was racking his brains for a course of action. 他在脑子里拼命寻找一条行动的道路。

3 brain   

n.头脑，电脑，智慧

参考例句：

• The brain needs a continuous supply of blood.大脑需要不断供给血液。
• Her brain has no room for math.她没有数学头脑。

4 disappointed   

adj.失望的，不满意的，不如意的

参考例句：

• He seemed disappointed when the man refused his request.当那个人拒绝了他的要求时他看起来很失望。
• He was disappointed so often that he became hopeless.他屡次失望，以致变为了绝望。

5 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。

6 Dr   

n.医生，大夫；博士(缩)（= Doctor）

参考例句：

• Dr.Williams instructs us in botany.威廉博士教我们植物学。
• The ward of the hospital is in the charge of Dr.Green.医院的这间病房由格林医生负责。