【英语趣味课堂】他和他的狗-He and His Dog

Todd: Hey, Greg, you got a great dog. Where did you get your dog?

Greg: Actually, my dog and I sort of found each other. I was moving from one house to another and as I was moving from the parking lot to my house, I saw this really skinny dog that looked like he really needed food and also affection¹. I petted him. He followed me back and forth². The next day, he was out in front of the gate to the house. The next day, he made it inside the house to the genkan, the area we leave our shoes. The next day, he made it to the top of the bed.

 

Todd: Wow. So wait a minute. You're saying that you didn't choose your dog. Your dog kind of chose you.

 

Greg: Yes. It was fate³. Destiny⁴.

 

Todd: So, what's cool about your dog?

 

Greg: Well, basically⁵ my dog is the world's greatest dog. I'm very unbiased. He understands English and Japanese and French. He almost never barks. He likes lots of people. He's very intelligent, sensitive human being ... ah, dog!

 

Todd: So your dog speaks three languages?

 

Greg: He doesn't speak them, but he understands them.

 

Todd: So, can your dog do any special tricks?

 

Greg: Actually, like I didn't teach him to do any tricks, but he's amazing, like I walk him for ... I can walk for miles with him. He's always by my side and I don't need a leash⁶. No leash whatsoever⁷. He listens to me. He stops when I tell him to stop. If I tell him to go quickly, he runs quickly.

 

Dog: Wow! Sounds like a pretty good dog. ... So could you live without your dog? Is your dog invaluable⁸?

 

Greg: My dog is invaluable. Actually, he's getting old now. He's thirteen years old now and I know that some day he will pass away, and when I think of that it makes me really, really sad. I dread⁹ it.

 

Todd: Yeah, that would be pretty tough. ... but in the future, you know, maybe after your dog is passed away, would you get another dog?

 

Greg: I think it would take me many years probably to recover from the loss of Dancer. His name is Dancer.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

fate

 

It was fate. Destiny.

 

Fate is power that some believe controls what happens in our lives.  Note the following:

 

My wife and I met on vacation. It was fate.

It was fate that I got fired and then started my own company.

unbiased

 

I'm very unbiased about my dog.

 

The word 'unbiased' means to judge things fairly, not by our own opinions.  Note the following:

 

Police need to be unbiased when investigating crimes.

It is hard for teachers to be unbiased towards cheery students.

invaluable

 

Is your dog invaluable?

 

We use the word 'invaluable' to talk about people or things that are very useful or important to us.  Note the following:

 

The internet is now an invaluable resource that cannot be replaced.

His contribution to the company is invaluable.

pass away

 

Some day he will pass away.

 

'Pass away' means to die.  We use it because it sounds softer and more repectful than 'die'.  Note the following:

 

Sadly, his grandfather recently passed away.

My friend cannot come because his aunt recently passed away.

dread

 

When he dies I will dread it.

 

'Dread' is a strong feeling of worry about something bad happening.  Note the following:

 

I dread taking tests.

Most people dread filing their taxes.

1 affection   

n.喜爱；爱慕，感情；倾向，意向

参考例句：

• The handsome young man excited affection in a girl.那位英俊的年轻男子引起了一个女孩的爱慕之情。
• He has a deep affection for his old friend.他对老朋友感情很深。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• 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 fate   

n.命运；结局，结果；将来，前景

参考例句：

• The Titanic met her fate by crashing into a huge iceberg.泰坦尼克号客轮因撞上一个大冰山而沉没。
• Your future is bound up with the fate of your motherland.你的前途同祖国的命运紧密相联。

4 destiny   

n.命运，定数，天命

参考例句：

• Nobody knows his own destiny.没有人知道自己的命运。
• It was her destiny to become famous.她命里注定出名。

5 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。

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 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

8 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

9 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。