ESL Podcast 550 – Differences in Male and Female Friendship

Lauren: Did you see what Stephanie was wearing? She looked like a wet dog!

Quentin: Why do women do that?

Lauren: Do what?

Quentin: Why do women put other women down? Is it to make themselves feel superior?

Lauren: It was only a joke. I didn’t mean anything by it.

Quentin: Do you really think she would find it funny if she had heard you?

Lauren: What about you men? You guys are always bantering¹ and trying to one-up each other. Aren’t you guys trying to see who’s superior and who’s inferior?

Quentin: Women are catty and talk behind each other’s backs. We men make fun of each other in a good-natured way while we’re together. That’s the difference: You women are laughing at each other and we men are laughing with each other.

Lauren: Oh yeah? Was Tim laughing with you guys when you threw him into the lake last weekend?

Quentin: That was very funny, and yes, he thought it was funny, too. What you women don’t understand is that we give as good as we get. Next time, Tim will play a trick on someone else.

Lauren: So it’s a vicious cycle of pranks².

Quentin: Yeah, you could say that. That’s how men bond. That’s something you women don’t seem to understand.

Lauren: We understand, all right. You take turns torturing each other and call it male bonding.

Quentin: See what I mean? You women stick to your ways and we’ll stick to ours.


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 bantering   

adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄

参考例句：

• There was a friendly, bantering tone in his voice. 他的声音里流露着友好诙谐的语调。
• The students enjoyed their teacher's bantering them about their mistakes. 同学们对老师用风趣的方式讲解他们的错误很感兴趣。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 pranks   

n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Frank's errancy consisted mostly of pranks. 法兰克错在老喜欢恶作剧。 来自辞典例句
• He always leads in pranks and capers. 他老是带头胡闹和开玩笑。 来自辞典例句