2014年ESL之餐饮娱乐 08 Describing Duration

 

Describing Duration 

Kathryn: Are you still watching that movie? It’s been over three hours! 

Martin: Yeah, it’s a little long for a feature film. 

Kathryn: A little long?! It’s interminable. How can you continue to watch it? 

Martin: Well, the first half was interesting and moved at a clip¹. The middle section did drag a little, but it’s picked up again. It’s nearly over. 

Kathryn: I would’ve turned it off long before this. I like movies that are short and sweet. After about 90 minutes, my mind starts to wander, and after two hours, I check out. 

Martin: It depends on the movie. Sometimes I watch a movie and it’s so engrossing² that time zips by. With other movies, though, time moves at a snail’s pace. This movie is somewhere in between. 

Kathryn: Hey, the credits are rolling. You missed the ending. 

Martin: No big loss. I knew how it was going to end after the first hour. 

Kathryn: Then why did you stick it out and watch the rest of the movie? 

Martin: One word: procrastination³. 

Kathryn: Ah, enough said. 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 clip   

n.夹子，别针，弹夹，片断；vt.夹住，修剪

参考例句：

• May I clip out the report on my performance?我能把报道我的文章剪下来吗？
• She fastened the papers together with a paper clip.她用曲别针把文件别在一起。

2 engrossing   

adj.使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He told us an engrossing story. 他给我们讲了一个引人入胜的故事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It might soon have ripened into that engrossing feeling. 很快便会发展成那种压倒一切的感情的。 来自辞典例句

3 procrastination   

n.拖延，耽搁

参考例句：

• Procrastination is the father of failure. 因循是失败的根源。
• Procrastination is the thief of time. 拖延就是浪费时间。