【英语趣味课堂】第一份工作-First Job

 Todd: OK, Charlotte. You've been a teacher for quite awhile.

 

Charlotte: Yeah, I started about three years ago. My first job was in Jessif, in the east of Poland. I was promised that I wasn't going to have to teach any beginners or any little children because it was my first job. I was promptly¹ given the beginner infants². My first day of teaching³ I was given a book which said, 'Ah! Go into the classroom and say "Hello" to the children and they'll all say "Hello" back to you and wave. I walked into a class of five four-year olds, followed by all their mothers and grandmothers and I said, "Hello" and they all burst⁴ into tears. I spent half the lesson trying to get them to say,"Hello" to each other and stop them from crying while all the grandmothers stood around and stared at me. I finally finished off my singing the whatever Happy Princess Song, all on my own, with crying infants to accompany me. It was one of the worst days of my life. I could identify with all the children though, because I wanted to sit on the floor and cry with them by the end of it. I think that that was when I realized that teaching kids was never going to be my vocation⁵. I had some other classes as well but quick soon after that and moved onto adults who cry slightly less. Yeah, that was my first teaching experience. Not the best.  

 

学习内容：

quite awhile

You've been a teacher for quite awhile.

If you have been doing something for 'quite awhile' you have been doing it a long time.  Notice the following:

 

Have you been working here for quite awhile?

I need a break. I've been studying for quite awhile.

burst into tears

I said hello and they all burst into tears.

If you 'burst into tears' you start to cry intensely⁶ without any warning⁷.  Notice the following:

 

She burst into tears when she saw her terrible grades.

I was so happy to see my family that I burst into tears.

try to get them to

I tried to get them to stop from crying.

If you 'try to get' someone to do something you make an effort to change his mind or behavior.  Notice the following:

 

Will you try to get them to stay here for the night?

She tried to get the students to study.

finished off

I finished off singing all on my own.

If you 'finish off' doing something you complete the task.  Notice the following:

 

Can you finish off washing the dishes?

She never finishes off what she starts.

identify with

I could identify with the kids because I wanted to cry too.

If you 'identify with' someone you understand how they feel because you have similar feelings.  Notice the following:

 

I can identify with how you're feeling.

It is nice to have co-workers you can identify with.

1 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

2 infants   

婴儿，幼儿( infant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a nursery for infants under two 两岁以下婴幼儿的托儿所
• Infants were rent from their mother's arms. 婴儿从母亲手里被夺走。

3 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

4 burst   

vi.（burst，burst）爆炸；爆破；爆裂；爆发；vt.使…破裂；使…炸破；n.突然破裂；爆发

参考例句：

• We all held our breath till the bomb burst.我们屏住呼吸直到炸弹爆炸。
• She suddenly burst into song.她突然唱起歌来。

5 vocation   

n.职业，行业

参考例句：

• She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
• She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。

6 intensely   

adv.强烈地

参考例句：

• I was intensely curious to know more about him. 我迫不及待地想更多地了解他的情况。
• Her parents were intensely ambitious for her and her younger sister. 她的父母对她和她妹妹有着很高的期望。

7 warning   

n.警告，告诫，训诫，警戒，警报

参考例句：

• The other side paid no attention to our warning.对方不重视我方的警告。
• He realized that his doctor was warning him off drink.他意识到医生在告诫他戒酒。