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Summertime: For Work or Play? 暑假：安排读书或玩乐？

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课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Morgan and his wife Iris are discussing their son’s summer vacation:  摩根和太太爱丽思正在讨论如何安排儿子的暑假活动：

M: Robbie’s final report card was atrocious, especially in math! We should send him to cram school this summer.

罗比的期末成绩真是糟糕，尤其是数学！今年暑假我们应该送他去补习班。

I: But he’s had such a rough year. Don’t you worry that applying academic pressure over the summer might turn him off school altogether?

但是他这一年已经够辛苦了，难道你不担心暑假再继续给他课业上的压力，有可能使他完全都不想上学了？

M: So should we let him do whatever he wants this summer? If we do that, I guarantee he’ll spend all summer playing video games.

难道我们就让他整个暑假为所欲为？如果真是这样，我保证他一定整个暑假都花在打电动上。

I: You’re probably right. Perhaps, we should hire a tutor. That way he can do some focused work at home three or four morning a week, and spend the rest of his time having fun.

或许你是对的，或许我们应该请一位家教，这样他可以每周有三个或四个上午专心在家做功课，剩余的时间才玩。

M: That’s a compromise! But how are we going to find a good teacher?

这样折衷安排不错！不过我们如何找到好老师呢？

I: Well, when we interview teachers, we can let them know what Robbie’s strengths are, like geography, and also what his weaknesses are.

跟老师面谈时，我们可以把罗比擅长的科目告诉他，像是地理科，同时也让他知道罗比弱的科目。

M: Exactly! That way they’ll have an immediate opportunity to address his problems and we’ll see if their teaching style will fit Robbie’s needs.

就这样，这样老师可以立刻针对罗比的问题表示意见，我们也可以了解老师的教学方式是否适合罗比。

I: Hopefully, our investment will pay off in straight A’s on Robbie’s next report card.

希望如此，希望我们对罗比的投资能有所回报，他下回成绩能拿全A。

M: Straight A’s aren’t as important as academic confidence. I hope Robbie takes interest in school for his own sake, not ours!

各科全A还不如他在课业上有自信重要，我希望罗比是自己对念书有兴趣，而不是为了我们。

－by Francoise Raunet

Vocabulary

单词发音

atrocious [əˋtroʃəs] adj.【口】非常恶劣的，糟透的

cram school 补习班，补习学校

turn someone off 【非正式】〔尤指在性方面〕使人失去兴趣的东西  cause someone to lose interest

tutor [ˋtjutɚ] n. 家庭教师，私人教师

focused [ˋfokəst] adj. 专心的；集中精力的

compromise [ˋkɑmprə͵maɪz] n. 妥协方案，折衷办法

address [əˋdrɛs] v. 对付；满足

pay off【口】(尤指冒风险的政策、做法等)带来好结果, 成功, 行得通

confidence [ˋkɑnfədəns] n. 自信，信心

Sentence of the Day

Let's handle it with kid gloves.

我们要小心处理这件事。

handle something with kid gloves 以温和的或圆通的手段对待某事