2015年ESL之日常生活 14 Reading Poor Handwriting

Reading Poor Handwriting 

Lily: Can you make out what this says? 

Hassan: Geez, who wrote that? 

Lily: My doctor. She wrote down some instructions for me, but I can’t read her handwriting. 

Hassan: I have no idea what that chicken scratch says. 

Lily: I think that’s a “T,” but maybe it’s an “F.” 

Hassan: Face it. Those scribbles¹ are illegible². Why don’t you take a photo of that and email it to her nurse? Maybe she can decipher it for you. 

Lily: I feel like if I just keep at it, I’ll be able to work it out. 

Hassan: Patients shouldn’t have to try and read a doctor’s sloppy³ writing. What if they misinterpret it and do the wrong thing as part of their treatment? 

Lily: This note isn’t that bad. I think I might have the first two words figured out already. 

Hassan: Then you’re better at reading bad penmanship than I am. Maybe you should have a try at these English essays. I have 60 of them to grade. 

Lily: Wow, looking at these, I’d say you have 60 future doctors in the making! 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 scribbles   

n.潦草的书写( scribble的名词复数 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下v.潦草的书写( scribble的第三人称单数 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下

参考例句：

• The scribbles on the wall must be the work of those children. 墙壁上的涂鸦准是那几个孩子画的。 来自辞典例句
• There are scribbles on the wall. 墙上有胡乱涂写的字迹。 来自辞典例句

2 illegible   

adj.难以辨认的，字迹模糊的

参考例句：

• It is impossible to deliver this letter because the address is illegible.由于地址字迹不清，致使信件无法投递。
• Can you see what this note says—his writing is almost illegible!你能看出这个便条上写些什么吗？他的笔迹几乎无法辨认。

3 sloppy   

adj.邋遢的，不整洁的

参考例句：

• If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎，我话说在头里，可要给你打不及格了。
• Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。