【英语趣味课堂】在智利长大-Growing Up in Chile

 Vella: So Daniel, let's talk about childhood memories. Do you have any fond memory?

Daniel: Well, yeah, I do. I had a great time when I was a kid but definitely¹ my best memory is, well, holidays. When I was a kid in Chile, we used to have a three month summer holiday and it was brilliant because I used to go to the countryside to my great-grandma's house and she had kind of a hostel² at that time and it was brilliant because you had people coming in and out all the time, new people. The town was like really, really small and everything was so natural so I got to spend three months every summer in a really nice place doing nothing but playing with my friends all the time, going to the beach every day and like having amazing food. It was too good to be true, seriously. Unfortunately like then I grew older and I couldn't have the three months so I was going like, I don't know, two weeks and stuff³ like that. And then lately I couldn't go any more so it's shame but at the same time it's a great, it's really good that I got the chance to do it and I got the chance to experience it and I think that's one of my great memories of my childhood.

 

Vella: So you go there every summer?

 

Daniel: Well, not any more but I used to go there when I was a kid every, pretty much every summer, yeah.

 

Vella: So how did you spend the time? Like what did you do? Did you just play with friends or...?

 

Daniel: Well, yeah, I used to get up really late every day then I don't know go for a football game with friends then, I don't know, having an amazing lunch. In the afternoon going to the beach, coming back, have dinner and then go out and play again. It was really like the same thing every day but at the same time since I was playing every day it didn't feel like a routine⁴ so, I don't know, three months doing that every year was amazing.

 

Vella: I mean food and friends, my definition⁵ of having fun.

 

Daniel: Yeah, yeah, it is definitely, yeah.

 

Vella: So you had three months holiday?

 

Daniel: Yeah.

 

Vella: Summer holiday? That's pretty long.

 

Daniel: Yeah, it's because, well we finish everything in December before Christmas and New Year so you have pretty much the whole of December plus January and February. That's the summer in Chile.

 

Vella: Interesting, summer in December.

 

Daniel: Well, yeah, it is actually.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

hostel

 

 

I used to go to my great-grandmother's house in the countryside, and she had a hostel.

 

A 'hostel' is an inexpensive⁶ and basic place to stay when you are traveling. Notice the following:

 

I've stayed in the hostel down the road before, and it's really nice.

Do you know of a good hostel near here?

too good to be true

 

 

Going to the beach every day and having amazing food; it was too good to be true.

 

When a situation is 'too good to be true,' it is either fantastic or so good that it can't possibly be the truth. Notice the following:

 

I think her boyfriend is a little too good to be true.

If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

it's a shame

 

 

Lately I couldn't go anymore, so it's a shame.

 

You can say 'it's a shame' if you are sad or disappointed⁷ about something. Notice the following:

 

It's a shame that you didn't get tickets to the concert.

It's a shame that you couldn't make it to the party last night. It was a good time.

routine

 

 

Since I was playing every day, it didn't feel like a routine.

 

Your 'routine' is like your schedule that you do most of the time. Notice the following:

 

What is your exercise routine?

It will probably take you a while to adjust⁸ to the schedule and get into a routine.

my definition of

 

 

I mean food and friends, definitely my definition of having fun.

 

You can use the phrase⁹ 'my definition of' to show what a particular phrase means¹⁰ to you. Notice the following:

 

What is your definition of spicy¹¹ food?

Dinner and a long walk is my definition of a perfect date.

1 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

2 hostel   

n.（学生）宿舍，招待所

参考例句：

• I lived in a hostel while I was a student.我求学期间住在青年招待所里。
• He says he's staying at a Youth Hostel.他说他现住在一家青年招待所。

3 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。

4 routine   

n.例行公事，惯例；adj.例行的，常规的

参考例句：

• It is everyday routine.这是每天的例行公事。
• She found the hospital routine slightly dull.她感到医院的工作有点枯燥乏味。

5 definition   

n.定义；限定，确定；清晰度

参考例句：

• The book attempts a definition of his role in world politics.该书要阐明的是他在世界政局中的作用。
• I made a definition for this word.我给这个字下了定义。

6 inexpensive   

adj.花费不多的，费用不昂贵的

参考例句：

• Those shoes are very inexpensive.那些鞋子很便宜。
• This kind of car is inexpensive.这种汽车便宜。

7 disappointed   

adj.失望的，不满意的，不如意的

参考例句：

• He seemed disappointed when the man refused his request.当那个人拒绝了他的要求时他看起来很失望。
• He was disappointed so often that he became hopeless.他屡次失望，以致变为了绝望。

8 adjust   

vt.调整，使适应于，校准；vi.调整，适应于，校准

参考例句：

• Foreigners take some time to adjust to our way of life.外国人要花一些时间才能适应我们的生活方式。
• It is difficult to adjust one's habits to someone else.一个人很难使自己的习惯适于他人。

9 phrase   

n.短语，词组；成语，习语

参考例句：

• The phrase was caught on and immediately became popular.这个短语被采用后很快就流行了。
• That's exactly the phrase I was looking for.这就是我一直找的那个短语。

10 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

11 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。