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BBC Learning1 English
London Life
Friendliness2 on the tube
Yvonne: I'm Yvonne Archer3 and this is London Life from
bbclearningenglish.com.
Hello! In today's programme, we're talking about
friendliness on London's tubes. Is there any?
As you probably know, the tube is also known as 'the
underground' because the trains run on tracks which are
mainly under the ground or streets. There's usually nothing
to see out of the windows unless we've stopped in a station
and many people read books or newspapers – but talking is
not the done thing!
Now sadly, this lack of friendliness on the tube is
something that tourists to London notice very quickly. So
why aren't people friendlier towards each other? What
reasons do these three American tourists give?
Vox
A. There's not really any reason to talk to anyone. B. I
think it's because it's too loud.
C. It just doesn't feel like the right thing to do.
Yvonne: The first tourist said that passengers don’t have
any real 'reason' to talk to each other – so talking isn't
necessary. And perhaps you agree… after all, we live in a
noisy world so, should we be pleased that we don't have to
listen to other people's voices on the tube?
Vox
A. There's not really any reason to talk to anyone.
Yvonne: Our second tourist gave us a more practical reason
which actually makes sense to me. Do you remember what she
said?
Vox
B. I think it's because it's too loud.
Yvonne: Tube trains are so noisy inside that perhaps
passengers don't bother to talk to each other because it's
difficult for them to hear what's being said. I know that's
true for me some of the time. Now let's hear from our third
tourist who talked
more about how people feel when they're on the tube.
Vox
C. It just doesn't feel like the right thing to do.
Yvonne: We heard there how talking on the tube doesn't feel
like 'the right thing to do' – so he would feel
uncomfortable if he talked to strangers on the tube. As we
know, most people like to fit in and behave like the other
people around them - so if Londoners aren't talking to each
other on the tube, why should tourists? And this Englishman4
agrees – he'd never talk to strangers on the tube and
doesn't believe that others should either…
Vox
Never, I mean I wouldn't have no reason to – we're
English. It doesn't work that way – it doesn't work that
way here; I think they need to know that.
Yvonne: Oh dear – luckily not all English people feel that
way!
Now as a Londoner, when I'm on a busy tube train, a little
smile, a quiet 'good morning' or even a short, polite
comment from another passenger on how full the tube is can
really help to brighten5 my day – perhaps because it's so
unexpected6. So how are those 'friendly' people seen on the
tube? Listen out for
the noun7 this London based traveller uses as she tries to
answer the question: Why aren't we more friendly on the
tube?
Vox
I don't know. I suppose there's nothing to say to other
people on the tube and then you come across like a weirdo
if you start talking to anybody about anything.
Yvonne: Did you catch the noun she used there? Yes, it was
'a weirdo' – which is a rather rude way to describe
someone who we find strange, odd9 or different from most
other people. In her opinion, if we start talking to other
tube passengers, we could 'come across like' – give the
impression that - we're
'weirdos'.
Vox
I don't know. I suppose there's nothing to say to other
people on the tube and then you come across like a weirdo
if you start talking to anybody about anything.
Yvonne: But there's one man who decided10 to risk 'coming
across as a weirdo' on the tube when he tried to share his
sweets. Steve called BBC Radio London's Breakfast show and
explained to Jono and Jo – the show's presenters11 – what
happened as a result. Was it good or bad? During his phone
call, Steve uses the phrase 'absolutely packed' to describe
the tube he was on. Try to work out what he means by that…
Steve
Yeah, I once got on a tube and it was absolutely packed.
And I had a packet of Opal Fruits on me and I turned around
to everybody and said "Oh, anybody fancy12 an Opal Fruit?"
And then I sang the jingle13 "Opal Fruits, made to make your
mouth water".
(Jo: Oh, I'd fall in love with you if you did that!) The
whole tube went completely quiet.
Yvonne: Poor Steve! His tube was 'absolutely packed' so it
was extremely full of passengers but they greeted his offer
with total silence – as he put it, they went
'completely quiet' – so they probably thought that Steve
was a weirdo. Luckily, one passenger did accept a sweet
from Steve but after that, Steve was so embarrassed that he
decided to get off the tube – even though it wasn't his
stop!?
So, was Steve wrong to try to be friendly on the tube? Hmmm
– I wonder about his singing. Perhaps that was a little
1 learning | |
n.学问,学识,学习;动词learn的现在分词 | |
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2 friendliness | |
n.友谊,亲切,亲密 | |
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3 archer | |
n.射手,弓箭手 | |
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4 Englishman | |
n.(pl.Englishmen)英国人;英国男人 | |
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5 brighten | |
vt.使发亮,使开颜;vi.发光,发亮,生色 | |
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6 unexpected | |
adj.想不到的,意外的 | |
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7 noun | |
n.名词 | |
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8 weird | |
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的 | |
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9 odd | |
adj.奇特的;临时的;奇数的;n.[pl.]机会 | |
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10 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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11 presenters | |
n.节目主持人,演播员( presenter的名词复数 ) | |
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12 fancy | |
n.想像力,幻想;喜好,爱;adj.想像的,时髦的,华丽装饰的,奢侈的;技巧的;vt.想象,自认为,喜好 | |
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13 jingle | |
n.叮当声,韵律简单的诗句;v.使叮当作响,叮当响,押韵 | |
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