【英语趣味课堂】棒球先生-Mr. Baseball

 Todd: OK. Kevin, we're back here in the forest. We're gonna talk about sports.

Kevin: OK. Great. I love sports.

 

Todd: What sports do you like?

 

Kevin: Well, my favorite sport is baseball. Obviously¹, I grew up and my father was a baseball player so I was always around baseball.

 

Todd: Wow.

 

Kevin: My whole life.

 

Todd: You mean your father was a player in the Major Leagues?

 

Kevin: Yeah, exactly. Not only was he a player in the Major Leagues, he was fortunate enough to play in the World Series² twice with the New York Mets.

 

Todd: Wow! That's amazing.

 

Kevin: Yeah, The Amazing Met's. 1969.

 

Todd: Wow, that's great. Did you play baseball yourself?

 

Kevin: Yeah, I played baseball pretty much my whole life up through college and university.

 

Todd: OK. Why did you stop?

 

Kevin: Well, it wasn't exactly by choice. I wasn't drafted³ high enough in professional⁴ baseball to.. in order for me to sign, so I ended up retiring from baseball and pursuing⁵ other things.

 

Todd: OK. Great. Do you like any others sports?

 

Kevin: Yeah. I actually, I enjoy all competition. You know I enjoy the other typical American sports of basketball and American football and so on, but I also try to learn about and enjoy the national sport of the countries that I'm in. For example now I'm in Japan and I've actually gotten quite into Sumo wrestling⁶.

 

Todd: Oh, really?

 

Kevin: Yeah.

 

Todd: Nice. Have you ever seen a sumo match live?

 

Kevin: Yes, I have. I've been to two sumo bashos as they call them, or matches in Tokyo.

 

Todd: Nice. Yeah, I wanna go. I wanna go myself.

 

Kevin: Yeah, let's go sometime⁷.

 

Todd: OK. Let's do it.

 

学习内容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

always around

My father was a baseball player, so I was always around baseball.

If you are always around someone or something it is a big and important part of your life. Notice the following:

 

She was always around famous athletes.

He was always around music as a young boy.

fortunate enough

My father was fortunate enough to play in the World Series.

If you are 'fortunate enough' to do something you are lucky to have an special experience.  Notice the following:

 

I was fortunate enough to remember my umbrella today.

Were you fortunate enough to go to college?

up through

I played baseball up through college and university.

The phrase⁸ 'up through college and university' means⁹ throughout¹⁰ the whole time you were in those places.  Notice the following:

 

I worked as a lawyer up through 2006.

I lived in Boston up through sixth grade.

get into

Now that I'm in Japan, I've gotten into sumo wrestling.

When you 'get into' an activity or a topic you become interested in it and direct¹¹ your energy and attention toward¹² it.  Notice the following:

 

I remember I got into making my own clothes for a while.

He is really getting into reading.

seen (something) live

Have you ever seen a sumo match live?

To 'see something live' means to go and watch it happening in front of you instead of on television.  Notice the following:

 

Did you see any live plays?

We saw U2 live in concert a few weeks ago.

1 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

2 series   

n.连续；系列

参考例句：

• The students have put forward a series of questions.学生们提出了一系列问题。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 drafted   

v.起草( draft的过去式和过去分词 )；制定；征募；拟稿

参考例句：

• The government has drafted out its plan for future laws. 政府已草拟了未来法律的规划。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was drafted last autumn by the Detroit Lions. 他去年秋天被底特律雄狮队选作队员了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 professional   

adj.专业的；职业的；n.专业人员；职业运动员

参考例句：

• He is a professional tennis player.他是一名职业网球运动员。
• I need a professional to sort out my finances.我需要专业人士为我管理财务。

5 pursuing   

v.继续( pursue的现在分词 )；追求；进行；追捕

参考例句：

• He has accused the media of pursuing a vendetta against him. 他指责媒体长期跟他过不去。
• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies. 他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 wrestling   

n.摔跤；摔角

参考例句：

• There is a wrestling match tonight.今晚有摔交比赛。
• He defaulted in the wrestling tournament.他在摔跤比赛中弃权了。

7 sometime   

adv.将来某一时候；改天

参考例句：

• He came sometime last month.上个月某个时候他曾经来过。
• It will happen sometime and somewhere.有朝一日这总会在什么地方发生的。

8 phrase   

n.短语，词组；成语，习语

参考例句：

• The phrase was caught on and immediately became popular.这个短语被采用后很快就流行了。
• That's exactly the phrase I was looking for.这就是我一直找的那个短语。

9 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

10 throughout   

adv.到处，自始至终；prep.遍及，贯穿

参考例句：

• These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
• Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。

11 direct   

adj.直接的；直达的；v.指挥；知道；监督；管理

参考例句：

• This train is direct,you do not have to change.这辆火车是直达的，你不必换车。
• The army is under the king's direct command.军队由国王直接统帅。

12 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。