【英语趣味课堂】加拿大的城镇-Canadian Town

Todd: So, Rina, where are you from?

 

Rina: I am from Davidson, Saskatchewan, and it's a small town in Saskatchewan, about 1,000 people, and I grew up there.

 

Todd: Now, Saskatchewan, that's a part of Canada that doesn't have a lot of people, right?

 

Rina: There's, in the whole province, there's a million people.

 

Todd: That's it.

 

Rina: In all of Canada there is only 33 million, so yeah.

 

Todd: And you only have one?

 

Rina: One. There's 33 million.

 

Todd: Yeah, actually, is there any major Canadian cities in Saskatchewan?

 

Rina: Well, the capital is Regina. (Really) Yeah, if you've heard of that.

 

Todd: No

 

Rina: But I live in, right now my parents live in Saskatoon.

 

Todd: Oh, OK.

 

Rina: And that's, my town is between Regina and Saskatoon, called the midway town.

 

Todd: What's it like growing up in a very small rural¹ setting²?

 

Rina: It was awesome³. My parents, because they immigrated⁴ from Lebanon were very strict with me so I really wasn't allowed to do very much until I was about in grade 11, when my brother was old enough to come with me, but it was, once I was able to start going out and going to dances and things like that I loved it.

 

Todd: Oh, really, even in your small town?

 

Rina: In my small town, yeah. Cause I had it, I was very close with a lot of, like a very small class, very very close with a lot of people there, yeah.

 

Todd: Sounds good. So, in all of Canada, like when you go back and you settle⁵ down and you live in Canada, do you want to live in Saskatchewan?

 

Rina: No.

 

Todd: No.

 

Rina: No, it's not, it's, I've developed a lot more since I was that age and it's just not the same anymore. I'd like a bigger center, preferably Vancouver, or Montreal, on one of the coasts. Yeah. So.

 

Todd: Not Toronto?

 

Rina: No, I'm not a big fan of Toronto.

 

Todd: Ah, why?

 

Rina: Because I'm a little jaded⁶. When I was, in 94, we went to Niagara Falls, and we drove⁷ through Toronto and it was just so, it looked so busy and smoggy and just crazy, and so I never really liked it since then. I have that image in my head still of that.

 

Todd: Yeah, well, that's how I feel about L. A.

 

Rina: Yeah.

 

Todd: Yeah. I don't like Los Angeles. OK, well thanks.

 

1 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

2 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

3 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

4 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

5 settle   

vi.安家；定居；停留；vt.使定居；安排；解决

参考例句：

• I have to settle my affairs before leaving here.离开这儿以前，我得把一些私人的事情安排妥当。
• She has decided how she should settle the matter.她已做出决定如何来了解这件事。

6 jaded   

adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的

参考例句：

• I felt terribly jaded after working all weekend. 整个周末工作之后我感到疲惫不堪。
• Here is a dish that will revive jaded palates. 这道菜简直可以恢复迟钝的味觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。