【英语趣味课堂】公德-Social Morality

 There are two things which really annoy me. Actually I experience both of them, sometimes, on public transport. Often when I travel I go on buses and on trains and both of these things seem to occur quite often. Firstly is when other people listen to music, they listen to their CD player or their MP3 player and the music is really loud. I mean, I don't mind if other people want to listen to music. In fact, I also really like listening to music and I often take my MP3 player to different places with me but I don't like listening to other people's music so I wish they would just turn the volume down a bit.

 

The other thing which really peeves² me is when people leave their mobile³ phones on in public and the phones ring and ring and people never know whose phone it is because often people have the same ringtone. But the worst thing is when people have long conversations in public on their mobile phones. I don't really want to hear everybody else's gossip⁴. I mean, obviously⁵ sometimes it is necessary to make a phone call to arrange a lift or to organise⁶ something. That's different. But when people have lengthy⁷ conversations I really get annoyed. I wonder what you think about that?

 

学习内容：

 

public transport

 

Actually, I experience both of them, sometimes on public transport. 

'Public transport' is a way of moving yourself around if you don't have a car.  Common methods of public transport are buses, trains, metros⁸ and taxis. Notice the following:

 

Is the public transport system good here?

I actually prefer to use public transport in the city.

turn the volume down

 

I don't like listening to other people's music, so I wish they would just turn the volume down a bit. 

 

When you 'turn down the volume' on something, you make it not as loud. Notice the following:

 

I always have to ask him to turn down the volume when he watches TV.

Can you turn down the volume a little bit?  I hate shouting like this.

peeves

 

The other thing which really peeves me is when people leave their mobile phones on in public. 

 

A 'peeve¹' is something that bothers you. Notice the following:

 

People chewing with their mouth open is one of his peeves.

It is one of my peeves when people try to have a conversation with you when they are on the phone with someone else.

ringtone

 

People don't know whose phone it is that's ringing because often they have the same ringtone. 

 

A 'ringtone' is the sound that your cellphone makes when it rings.  Notice the following:

 

I like your ringtone.  What song is that?

I can almost never hear this ringtone.

arrange a lift

 

Obviously, sometimes it's necessary to make a phone call to arrange a lift or to organize something. 

 

When you 'arrange a lift' you contact someone to pick you up at a certain place. Notice the following:

 

Since I don't have a car right now, I spend a lot of time trying to arrange lifts.

We are trying to arrange a lift from the airport on Tuesday.

lengthy

 

But when people have lengthy conversations, I really get annoyed. 

 

When a conversation is 'lengthy,' it takes place for a long period of time.  Notice the following:

 

The movie was good, but it was a bit lengthy.

I don't know why the meeting was so lengthy.

1 peeve   

v.气恼，怨恨；n.麻烦的事物，怨恨

参考例句：

• She was in a peeve over it.她对这很气恼。
• She was very peeved about being left out.她为被遗漏而恼怒。

2 peeves   

n.麻烦的事物，怨恨，触怒( peeve的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It peeves me to be ordered out of my own house. 命令我从自己的家中出去，真太气人了。 来自辞典例句
• Write down two of your pet peeves about home or any other situation. 写下两个你厌烦的家务事或其他的情况。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

3 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

4 gossip   

n.流言蜚语，爱说长道短的人；vi.传播流言

参考例句：

• She broadcast the gossip all over the town.她将这个流言传遍全镇。
• They spread a lot of tacky gossip about his love life.关于他的爱情生活，他们散播了许多不堪的闲言闲语。

5 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。

6 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

7 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

8 metros   

n.地下铁路( metro的名词复数 )；（尤指）巴黎地铁

参考例句：

• The map says the highest peak in this vicinity is 1500 metros. 地图显示附近最高点是1500米。 来自互联网
• Cuando estaba en el equipo de atletismo, siempre corría 400 metros. 我在田径队时，总是跑400米。 来自互联网