英语PK台 第1040期:冬天来了 暖气还没来?

 

Dialogue 1

Jingjing: Good afternoon, Mark. Have you been keeping warm these days?

京晶：马克，下午好。这些天你有注意防寒保暖吗？

Mark: Mostly, this autumn has been chillier¹ than the last few years.

马克：大体上看，今年秋天比前几年更冷。

Jingjing: You said that last year, didn't you?

京晶：你去年也是这么说的，不是吗?

Mark: I might have. Each year, the cold weather comes suddenly, this far north.

马克：可能吧。每年，来自遥远北部的冷空气都会突袭。

Jingjing: Right. You've managed to avoid getting sick so far, haven't you?

京晶：对啊。到目前为止，你已经想方设法避免生病了，对吧?

Mark: Nope. I was fighting off a cold for almost a week.

马克：没有。近一个礼拜我都在和感冒做斗争。

Jingjing: I didn't know! Sorry to hear that. I would have recommended some medicine.

京晶：呀，我不知道！很遗憾听说你病了，早知道我会给你推荐一些药的。

Mark: I know you're the one to ask about healthy living. But I don't usually do medicine unless I'm really sick.

马克：我知道你是个养生专家。不过，除非我病得很重，我通常不吃药。

Jingjing: Well, you know I was under the weather pretty bad a few weeks back, right?

京晶：那你知道几周前我身体很不舒服，对吧?

Mark: Yeah. That sounded like it was pretty severe. Again, we missed each other when one of us was sick. Did you take medicine?

马克：是的。好像有点严重。再说了，我们各自生命的时候，都没见到面啊，那你吃药了吗?

Jingjing: I had no choice. It was getting worse and worse. And I didn't want to be out of commission² for too long. Anyway, I can recommend some of those if you get sick again this season.

京晶：我别无选择。情况越来越糟。而且我也不想停工太久。无论如何，如果你在这个季节又生病了我可以推荐一些药。

Mark: Touch wood. I hope I don't come down with anything else in 2019. Same for you.

马克：千万别病！我希望在2019年我不再病倒了。你也是。

Jingjing: Thanks. Anyway, the central heat will be on in another week or two. The official date for that is Novermber 15 every year.

京晶：谢谢。不管怎样，再过一两个星期就集中供暖了。国家规定的开始日期是每年的11月15日。

Mark: You don't have to tell me. I've been counting down the days.

马克：这个不用你告诉我了。我一直在倒计时。

Jingjing: Really? I thought autumn was your favorite season.

京晶：真的吗？我以为秋天是你的最爱。

Mark: It is. I don't like the part about being cold when I'm inside the house though.

马克：的确是。但我很不喜欢待在家里时觉得冷那种感觉。

Jingjing: Why don't you buy a portable³ heater?

京晶：为何不买一个轻便的取暖器呢？

Mark: I said I disliked being cold. I didn't say I disagreed with the idea of waiting until the middle of November for heat.

马克：我只是说我不喜欢冷。我并没有说我不同意等到11月中旬才来暖气。

Jingjing: Ha ha, OK. Enjoybeing chilly⁴ indoors⁵ for the next few days, then.

京晶：哈哈,好的。好好享受接下来的几天里，室内的寒冷吧.

New words : 习语短语

have/need/be (something) pretty bad 做/有一些非常不好的事

In this idiom, bad is used instead of badly, with intentional⁶ grammatical⁷ inaccuracy, to show that even in a very crude⁸ view someone's need or condition is very obvious and possibly also urgent⁹.

out of commission 退出现役的；损坏的；退役的；不能使用的

not in good enough condition to work, be given leave (This is also used for military aircraft, police vehicles, etc: The B-17 has been out of commission for decades.)

Touch wood 触木避邪 但愿走好运

come down with

Dialogue 2

Jingjing: Mark, do you have any tips for keeping warm this time of year?

京晶：马克，每年这个时候你有什么保暖的小妙招吗?

Mark: What, you mean besides “wear more clothes”?

马克：什么？你是指除了“多穿衣服”以外的?

Jingjing: Yeah, I was hoping for something I hadn't considered yet.

京晶：是的，我仍在期待一些我还没想到的办法。

Mark: Well, you're looking at someone who has many years of experience keeping warm. I grew up in Vermont.

马克：哈，你面前的正是一个有多年御寒保暖经验的人。我是在佛蒙特州长大的。

Jingjing: OK. So, hit me with some of your best stuff¹⁰.

京晶：好啊。那秀一秀你的好点子吧。

Mark: Sure. You should consider buying a pair of wool slippers¹¹ with leather soles¹². Those breathe better than the synthetic¹³ ones and tend to be closer to your body temperature when you first put them on and when you've had them on for a while.

马克：当然可以。你应该考虑买一双皮底的羊毛拖鞋。它们比人造革更透气，不论你是第一次穿还是已经穿了一段时间，它们也更趋向于接近你的体温。

Jingjing: I'll keep my eyes open for a good pair of slippers then—natural materials, right?

京晶：那我会留意买双好拖鞋——天然材质，对吗?

Mark: Right. The same goes for the clothes you wear around the house. Almost everyone has a nice old sweater or a pair of comfortable pants that are now mostly suitable for lounging¹⁴ around the house.

马克：对。同理，你在家里穿的衣服也一样。几乎每个人都有一件主要适合宅在家穿的很温暖的旧毛衣或者一条舒适的长裤。

Jingjing: I'm not short on those kinds of clothes. Is that all?

京晶：那种衣服我不缺。还有其他的吗？

Mark: Keep a set of them on your night-stand. That way, when you get out of bed, you can slip them under the covers and change into them before throwing your quilt to the side. 

马克：在你的床头柜上放一套吧。这样，当你起床的时候，掀开被窝前，你可以先把他们塞到被子里穿上。

Jingjing: Ha ha. I'll have to remember to do that. Got time for one more?

京晶：哈哈。我得记下来这么做。还有时间再来一条吗?

Mark: Yep, I've saved the best for last. You should reuse a few plastic water bottles, and fill them up with hot water at bedtime. That way, there's a little extra heat coming from all sides when you hit the sack¹⁵.

马克：是的，最好的在最后。你可以重复利用一些塑料水瓶，并在睡前用热水灌满它们。这样当你睡觉时就能感受到一些额外的来自被窝四处的热量。

Jingjing: Mark, I knew that one already. I think everybody does.

京晶：马克，这条我早就知道了。我想每个人都知道。

Mark: Really? I mean, instead of just one hot water bottle, use 3, 4, or 5.

马克：真的？我的意思是，不是仅仅用一个热水瓶，而是用3、4或5个。

Jingjing: Yeah, everybody knows: the more the better, unless they leak.

京晶：是的，地球人都知道：只要不漏水，多多益善。

Mark: Well, OK then. I guess my best advice is: get used to it, it's getting cold out there.

马克：那好吧。我想我最好的建议是: 外面越来越冷了，还是慢慢习惯吧。

Jingjing: You're quite the guru, Mark.

京晶：马克，你可真是个专家啊。

Mark: Ha ha. I'm happy to help.

马克：哈。我很乐意帮忙。

New words : 习语短语

tend to be <adj> 往往是，通常是

is/are usually <adj.>

the same goes for (something) 同样适用于；同理

What I described before also applies to what I'm mentioning now.

lounging around the house 待在家里舒服宅

relaxing at home, not prepared to go out in public

short on (something) 缺乏, 缺少, 短缺

don't have enough of something

night-stand (床边带抽屉的)小桌 床头柜

a small table or cabinet on the right or left side of a bed, near the head

guru 古鲁（印度教或锡克教的宗教导师或领袖） 专家；权威；大师

a person who gives wise advice, typically a very old man (sarcastic usage here)

1 chillier   

adj.寒冷的，冷得难受的( chilly的比较级 )

参考例句：

• Something colder and chillier confronted him. 他正面临着某种更加寒冷、更加凄凉的东西。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

2 commission   

n.委托，授权，委员会，拥金，回扣，委任状

参考例句：

• The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
• The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成，其中包括两名妇女。

3 portable   

adj.轻便的，手提式的；n.便携的东西

参考例句：

• I have a portable typewriter.我有一个便携式打字机。
• There is a pretty portable pair of steps in one corner of the room.屋角放着一架小巧玲珑的折梯。

4 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

5 indoors   

adv.(在)室内，(在)户内

参考例句：

• Because of the coldness of the weather we stayed indoors.我们因天气寒冷呆在家里。
• It is very cold outside,you'd better come indoors across the board.外面很冷，你们所有人最好都进屋。

6 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

7 grammatical   

adj.语法的，符合语法规则的

参考例句：

• His composition is excellent except for some grammatical mistakes.他的作文写得很好，只有几处语法错误。
• He can barely form a grammatical sentence.他几乎造不出合乎语法的句子。

8 crude   

adj.粗鲁的，简陋的，天然的，未加工的；n.原油

参考例句：

• The cottage wears a very crude appearance.那幢农舍外观颇为简陋。
• Gasoline is distilled from crude oil.汽油是从原油中提炼出来的。

9 urgent   

a.紧急的，急迫的，紧要的

参考例句：

• He asked to see the manager for something urgent. 他有急事求见经理。
• A part of this urgent task was allotted to us. 这项紧急任务的一部分分给了我们。

10 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

11 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

12 soles   

n.鞋底( sole的名词复数 )；有…底的 -soled；脚掌；鳎（可食用比目鱼）

参考例句：

• The soles are made of leather. 鞋底是皮革做的。
• The grit beneath her soles grated harshly on the wooden deck. 粘在她鞋底的沙砾蹭在木甲板上发出刺耳的声音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

14 lounging   

闲逛（lounge的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Several students were lounging around, reading newspapers. 有几个学生懒洋洋地坐着看报。
• She enjoys lounging around the pool. 她喜欢绕水塘漫步。

15 sack   

n.袋子，劫掠；vt.解雇，劫掠，把...装入袋子

参考例句：

• They made him pay for his offence by giving him the sack.他们解雇了他，从而使他因自己的过错而受到了惩罚。
• If you're late again tomorrow,you'll get the sack!如果你明天再迟到，那就卷铺盖走吧！