【英语趣味课堂】夏威夷的生活-Hawaiian Life

Todd: So, Mitchell, you are Hawaiian, right, and Hawaii is part of the United¹ States but, what would you say, that most Hawaiians are similar to people in the mainland² or quite different to people in the mainland?

 

Mitchell: Ah, that's a tough question. They're the same because they speak English but they look different. They're more of a, more darker complexion³. They speak in a more pidgeon, we call it "pidgeon English." It's broken English, so it's not, if I go to, for example, if my friends, we'll go to the mainland, lot of them don't really understand them, like, "Can you repeat what you said, please?" 

 

Todd: Right

 

Mitchell: But I guess anywhere you go everyone's different, so?

 

Todd: How about, can you say there's a difference in culture in how people are, like in personality⁴, people on Hawaii and people in the mainland?

 

Mitchell: I tend to think that people from the mainland talk more. 

 

Todd: Right.

 

Mitchell: Like, yeah they'll just talk about anything, and Hawaiian culture they don't talk as much. they talk when you have to talk real talk, in general, but.

 

Todd: Have you ever actually considered moving to the mainland, or would you prefer to live in Hawaii forever.

 

Mitchell: Well, yeah, I've considered it many times. Actually, my middle brother right now is working in New York City. (Oh, wow) and my oldest brother was working in Boston, (uh-huh) but now he's back in Hawaii working, and my middle brother is still in New York working. Yeah, I would like to live in the mainland, but I'd like to pick a place with nice weather, you know, a warm culture.

 

Todd: Right, right. You can't beat that warm weather in Hawaii. That's for sure. How about the foods? What's some food that's really good in Hawaii?

 

Mitchell: Oh, man, don't get me started on food! Since Hawaii has mixed culture, we call it local food, like it's called a plate lunch. Like for example, you'll pay five bucks⁵, and you'll get whatever you want, you just choose, for example, steak, rice, salad, for all five bucks. The food is I think, is way better than mainland because like, it's, the food is mixed, so like, you can get anything you want. For example, if you go to a food court in Hawaii, we have every section. Chinese, Korean, Hawaiian, Philliphino, so you get to choose whatever you want, you know, Mexican, and I think the portions⁶ are big too.

 

Todd: Oh, wow, sounds good man. I haven't had lunch yet. You're making me hungry.

 

Mitchell: I'm hungry myself.

 

Todd: Thanks Mitchell.

 

学习内容：

 

mainland

 

Would you say that most Hawaiians are similar to people in the mainland? 

People from Hawaii use the term 'mainland' to talk about the large part of the United States that is connected to Canada and Mexico. Notice the following:

 

Where would you like to live on the mainland?

He went to his first semester⁷ of university on the mainland.

pidgin English

 

The Hawaiians speak in what we call "pidgin English" or broken English. 

'Pidgin English' is a simplified⁸ form of the English language which doesn't necessarily⁹ used correct grammar. A pidgin language is created when speakers of two different languages try to find a way to communicate with each other. Notice the following:

 

The whole book was written in pidgin English.

We speak the same language, but sometimes I don't understand because he speaks a pidgin English.

talk real talk

 

Hawaiian people don't talk as much; they talk when you have to talk real talk. 

'Talk real talk' refers to a type of communication where people only talk when they have something important to say, not just to fill the silence. Everything you say should have a purpose. Notice the following:

 

He doesn't say much unless he's talking real talk.

She can talk for hours, but she almost never talks real talk.

plate lunch

 

Since Hawaii has mixed culture, we call it local food, like it's called a plate lunch. 

A 'plate lunch' is where you pay a set amount of money and you can choose exactly whatever you want to fill up your plate. Notice the following:

 

Plate lunch is the best way to try many different types of local food.

Whenever I get plate lunch I always eat too much.

food court

 

If you go to a food court in Hawaii, we have every section: Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Hawaiian. 

A 'food court' is a place in the mall where they serve food. There are many different restaurants, usually fast food, in a food court and a big room full of tables to sit at.. Notice the following:

 

I'm hungry. Let's go to the food court.

Wow. The mall is really busy today. There is no place to sit in the food court.

1 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

2 mainland   

n.大陆，本土

参考例句：

• The new bridge will link the island to the mainland.新的桥梁将把该岛与大陆连接在一起。
• Hong Kong's prosperity relies heavily on mainland.香港的繁荣在很大程度上依赖于大陆。

3 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

4 personality   

n.个性，人格，名人

参考例句：

• Einstein was a great personality.爱因斯坦是个伟大的人物。
• She has a powerful personality.她有坚强的个性。

5 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 portions   

一部分( portion的名词复数 )； 一份遗产（或赠与的财产）； 分享的部份； 嫁妆

参考例句：

• Three portions of fish and chips, please. 请来三份炸鱼薯条。
• supersize portions of fries 超大份炸薯条

7 semester   

n.一学期，半学年，六个月的时间

参考例句：

• A student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester.每个学生一学期可能要修四五门课程。
• I had an especially rough time during my first semester.我第一个学期的日子难受极了。

8 simplified   

使（某事物）简单[简明]，简化( simplify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The application forms have now been simplified. 申请表格现已简化了。
• He presents the theory in a grossly simplified form. 他极其简明地陈述了这个理论。

9 necessarily   

adv.必要地，必需地；必定地，必然地

参考例句：

• More work does not necessarily call for more men.增加工作量不一定就要增添人员。
• A voter must necessarily be no younger than eighteen.选民必须在18岁以上。