英语听力精选进阶版 6459

Are you angry? Unhappy in your job? Wish you had an outlet¹ for those feelings?

Well, if you lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, you could go to Break Club. It's made up of a group of people who get together to smash² up rubbish as a way of venting³ their aggression⁴.

They can throw bottles at the wall, or take their frustration⁵ out on an old computer.

Mora, a club member, is a 22-year-old media producer who works hard and is always stressed out. She says: "I have to deal with deadlines, with so many people and so many things everyday... my nerves are at breaking point. Well, now it's time I break something too."

She wears overalls⁶, thick gloves and a visor to protect her eyes. In her hands there's a baseball bat ready for action. After trashing an old computer monitor, Mora is almost breathless but has a smile on her face. "I feel like a new person. I'm happy! After this, I'm ready for anything!" she says.

Do you fume⁷ when your own computer crashes? Perhaps you'd feel better if you could do what 27-year-old Yamilla did to her keyboard - attack it with a hammer!

The club's creator, Guido Dodero, says Argentinians are a bit angry by nature and they like psychoanalysis. He thinks the key to the club's success is being a mix of both.

About 85% of his clients are young women. Dodero explains: "This is still quite a macho country. Women feel they need to take certain roles in society. They need to break from that every now and then and the club is the place for that."

Some members bring a picture of an ex-fiancee to destroy. Others bring a picture of… well, it could be of you or me. Natasha works in a call centre and does to the old equipment what she might like to do to her callers. The young woman says her job drives her mad.

The Break Club's creator says this is the only one of its kind in South America, but he's heard that there are similar places in Spain, Japan and the US. Who knows, one day there might be one near you. Do you feel like breaking things?

Quiz 测验

1. What items are destroyed in the club?

Bottles and old computers.

2. What happens to Mora after she destroys things?

She feels breathless but happy and ready to go back to her stressful work.

3. What did Yamilla do to a keyboard?

She attacked it with a hammer.

4. What sort of people go to the club in large numbers?

Young - and very angry - women.

5. Which expression means 'occasionally'?

Every now and then.

Glossary 词汇表

an outlet （发泄情绪的）出口

to smash up (something) 砸碎（某物）

to vent 发泄，宣泄

aggression 进攻性

to take (someone's) frustration out on 把某人的沮丧宣泄于

stressed out 处于精神崩溃状态

nerves 神经

at breaking point 处于爆发点

to trash 彻底破坏（某物）

breathless 气喘吁吁

to fume 发怒

to crash (computer system) （电脑系统）崩溃

psychoanalysis 心理分析，精神分析

every now and then 时不时地

a call centre 电话呼叫中心

to drive (someone) mad 让（某人）发疯

1 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

2 smash   

v.粉碎，打碎；n.轰动的演出，巨大的成功

参考例句：

• We heard the smash of plates breaking in the kitchen.我们听到厨房里盘子破碎的声音。
• The gifted author wrote one smash after another.这个天才作家创作了一篇又一篇轰动一时的作品。

3 venting   

消除； 泄去； 排去； 通风

参考例句：

• But, unexpectedly, he started venting his spleen on her. 哪知道，老头子说着说着绕到她身上来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• So now he's venting his anger on me. 哦，我这才知道原来还是怄我的气。

4 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

5 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

6 overalls   

n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣

参考例句：

• He is in overalls today.他今天穿的是工作裤。
• He changed his overalls for a suit.他脱下工装裤，换上了一套西服。

7 fume   

n.(usu pl.)(浓烈或难闻的)烟，气，汽

参考例句：

• The pressure of fume in chimney increases slowly from top to bottom.烟道内压力自上而下逐渐增加，底层住户的排烟最为不利。
• Your harsh words put her in a fume.你那些难听的话使她生气了。