生活英语对话 Episode 47: A call from Germany

本单元是关于从德国打来的电话的对话

Helen: Hello?
Alice: Gutenmorgan. Hi Helen, it's Alice.
Helen: Hey, how are you? What's Germany like? Are you having fun?
Alice: I'm fine, it's fab and yes, yes, yes! How are things back home?
Helen: Great. We've just come back from Brighton and Michal was a complete star!
Alice: Oh how so?
Helen: Well this guy stole my purse while we were on the beach and he ran after him like a bat out of hell, caught him and got my purse back! He was a real hero!
Alice: Oh quite the Superman, I'm sure! So have you made up with him then?
Helen: What do you think? Of course ... Oh, her money must have run out.


Vocabulary:（字汇）

like a bat out of hell (idiom): （跑得飞快）
run very quickly

make up: （重修旧好）
become friends again after having a disagreement or fight

run out: （用完，用光，殆尽）
come to the end of something, have no more of something left

a legend: （传奇）
a story that is passed down from generation to generation. Most people regard the story as truthful¹ but there is usually no historical basis for it

本单元的语言点是文学作品中的人物，我们经常使用故事书，电影，电视里面的虚构人物来形容一些行为相同的真实人物。举例来说，Michal 的行为非常勇敢，因此 Alice 说" Oh quite the Superman, I'm sure!" ，因为虚构人物"超人"的行为也很勇敢。下面介绍一些书中或电影里面比较让人熟知的虚构人物，他们的出处以及人物个性。

Fictional² characters

Some fictional characters from books, films and TV are so familiar that their names are used to describe people who have similar characteristics or who behave in similar ways. For example, Michal acted very bravely so Alice said " Oh quite the Superman, I'm sure!" because the fictional character Superman is known for his courageous³ actions.

Here are some more well-known characters, the book, film etc. they are from and their key characteristics.


按照字母顺序排列

Name: Big bad wolf （大野狼）
Origin: Children's story "The Three Little Pigs"
Characteristics: Evil, sly and dangerous

Name: Big brother （老大哥）
Origin: The Novel "1984" by George Orwell
Characteristics: Closely monitoring or supervising the work or activities of others in a secretive way

Name: Cinderella （灰姑娘）
Origin: Children's fairy story "Cinderella"
Characteristics:Poor, unloved and overworked. Rescued by a great love

Name: Dracula （吸血鬼德古拉）
Origin: The Novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Characteristics: Like a vampire⁴. Sucking ideas or enthusiasm from people

Name: Homer Simpson （荷马·辛普森）
Origin:American cartoon TV series "The Simpsons"
Characteristics: Badly behaved, has bad manners

Name: Jekyll and Hyde
Origin: The novel "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson
Characteristics: Unpredictable. Tends to have mood swings - sometimes very nice, other times very angry and violent

Name: The Mad Hatter
Origin: Children's story "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll
Characteristics: Unconventional, strange, crazy

Name: Peter Pan （小飞侠彼得潘）
Origin: Children's novel and stage play "Peter Pan" by J M Barrie
Characteristics: Childlike, refuses to grow up and act maturely

Name: Pinocchio （小木偶皮诺切）
Origin: Children's novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio" Carlo Collodi
Characteristics: Tells lies

Name: Robin⁵ Hood⁶ （罗宾汉）
Origin: The legend of Robin Hood
Characteristics: Like an outlaw⁷, wants to take money from the rich and give it to the poor. Concerned with issues of justice

Name: Scrooge
Origin: From the novel "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens
Characteristics: Mean, ungenerous, doesn't want anyone to have any fun

Name: Sherlock Holmes （侦探福尔摩斯）
Origin: From the detective novels, including "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", by Arthur Conan Doyle
Characteristics: Observant and logical

Name: Walter Mitty
Origin: From the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber
Characteristics: A day-dreamer, fantasizes about having great adventures

Name: Wonder Woman
Origin: The comic book "Wonder Woman" and TV series of the same name
Characteristics: Confident and physically powerful

1 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

2 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

3 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

4 vampire   

n.吸血鬼

参考例句：

• It wasn't a wife waiting there for him but a blood sucking vampire!家里的不是个老婆，而是个吸人血的妖精！
• Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampire.由于听过许多有关吸血鬼的传说，孩子们晚上不敢去睡觉。

5 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

6 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

7 outlaw   

n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法

参考例句：

• The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
• The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。