【英语趣味课堂】晨起-Waking Up in the Morning

 Todd: Michael, what time did you get up this morning?

 

Mike: About 7, no 6.

 

Todd: Really, is that like your normal schedule?

 

Mike: I usually get up around 6. (Yeah) Yeah. Go to bed around 11. Get up at 6. On a good day, sometimes go to bed later.

 

Todd: Yeah, do you have to have an alarm clock when you get up?

 

Mike: I sometimes set an alarm if it's a really important day, but I almost never need it, you know what I mean. It's like a back up.

 

Todd: Right. Right. Yeah, I always wake up at first sunlight¹, like I can't sleep once it's light outside.

 

Mike: You're like a natural animal.

 

Todd: Yeah, exactly, actually I never use an alarm clock. Now you have a beautiful dog. I saw your dog.

 

Mike: She will sometimes wake us up.

 

Todd: Yeah, that is what I was wondering.

 

Mike: Because, like, she has a natural cycle so at six in the morning, bam, you start to hear her wagging² her tail or scratching³, or trying to get attention. Time to get up.

 

Todd: That's so cool. I want a dog. Yeah, so do you walk your dog in the morning?

 

Mike: Yeah, and that's another ritual⁴ I have is she needs a walk in the morning, so I've got this route⁵. It's about a two mile walk that we go on. Almost the exact same route every morning. It takes about 30 minutes or so to do, yeah.

 

Todd: And so, in some countries or places you need a leash⁶ for your dog, so your dog can't get away from you. Do you have a leash for your dog?

 

Mike: Yeah. I keep her on a leash when we're walking were there are other people because you know, a lot of people are not comfortable with big dogs (right) but she'll stay close to me, even without a leash (right) but I do it for their comfort, but if we're in an open area, I'll let her off the leash and she loves that.

 

Todd: That's so good, because you know I'm a runner and it always freaks me out when I see people with their dogs and their big and the dogs aren't on a leash.

 

Mike: You kind of wonder, is this dog safe to go past?

 

Todd: Well, yeah, and plus, I'm running behind the owner of the dogs and so I might startle⁷ the owner, and startle the dogs, and the dogs might be protective⁸ and attack me, so sometimes I'll holler in advance, "Hey, I'm coming. I'm coming."

 

Mike: Right, right.

 

Todd: So. Yeah, cool. Thanks Mike.

1 sunlight   

n.日光，阳光，日照

参考例句：

• The room was flooded with warm and golden sunlight.房间充满着温暖、金色的阳光。
• In the bright sunlight she had to narrow her eyes.在强烈阳光下她必须眯着双眼。

2 wagging   

adj.（左右）摆动，摇摆，摇动v.（使）摇动，摇摆( wag的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The dog ran up, wagging its tail. 那条狗摇着尾巴跑上前去。
• A dog reacts to kindness by wagging its tail. 狗摇尾巴以报答人们的爱护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 scratching   

刮痕

参考例句：

• It wasn't easy scratching out a living in those hard times. 在那段艰难的日子里，糊口真不容易。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has this irritating mannerism of constantly scratching his nose. 他老是挠鼻子，这个习惯真让人不舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ritual   

adj.例行的，老规矩的，惯常的

参考例句：

• This was the monthly ritual.这是每月一次的例规。
• I realized that here the conventions required me to make the ritual noises.我意识到此时按照惯例我应该说些客套话。

5 route   

n.路径，途径，路线；vt.确定路线，按规定路线发送

参考例句：

• On the way home, we took an indirect route.回家的路上，我们绕了一个大圈。
• The plane did not fly the usual commercial route.飞机没有沿通常的商业航线飞。

6 leash   

n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住

参考例句：

• I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳，但被狗挡住了路。
• The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带，想挣脱开去。

7 startle   

v.（突然受）惊吓，使吃惊，吓得一跳

参考例句：

• Sorry,I didn't mean to startle you.对不起，我不是故意想吓你一跳的。
• I hope I didn't startle you.但愿我没有吓着您。

8 protective   

adj.防护的，保护的

参考例句：

• A mother naturally feels protective towards her children.做母亲的天生要保护自己的孩子。
• We feel safe with a protective device in the house.我们因为家里有了防护装置而感到安全。