2015年ESL之日常生活 08 Speaking About the Future

Speaking About the Future

Robert: These designs are really futuristic- looking. 

Mara: I’m trying to be forward-thinking and imagine what the world will be like in 50 to 100 years. 

Robert: You think that the world will be filled with space-age gadgets¹ like these? 

Mara: That’s the natural evolution of technology for the next 100 years, I think. We will continue to develop labor-saving devices, simpler ways of doing everyday tasks, and to improve artificial intelligence. 

Robert: I’m not sure I want to live in a world that looks like that. It seems so cold and impersonal². 

Mara: That’s only because most of us have a fear of the unknown. 

Robert: That’s me in a nutshell. I’d rather return to a simpler way of life with as little innovation and technology as possible. 

Mara: Like modern sanitation³ and transportation? 

Robert: Well, I want to go back in time with some things, but keep my conveniences. 

Mara: So you want to pick and choose? That shouldn’t be a problem when we figure out time travel. 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

2 impersonal   

adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的

参考例句：

• Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
• His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。

3 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。