EZCNN 易英网

Are You a Best Pal or a Good Parent? 不只做朋友

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Sally is in her favorite clothes store, talking to Neville, the sales assistant:  莎莉在她最爱的服饰店里和业务助理奈维尔说话：

N: I think this is the first time I’ve seen you out shopping without your little girl.

我想这是头一次我看到你没带你的小女孩出来逛街。

S: Savannah? Yes, she’s at her grandma’s today with a friend from school.

莎凡娜？没错，她和她学校的朋友在她阿嬷家。

N: But I thought you two were like best friends, always doing things together.

但我以为你们就像最好的朋友一样，不管做什么都在一起。

S: That was the problem: savannah started to lose respect for me as a parent; she kept answering me back.

所以问题来啦：莎凡娜开始不尊敬我这个做妈的；她老是顶嘴。

N: Oh, dear. So, is missing out on the shopping trip her punishment?

喔。所以，这次逛街不带她出来，就是在处罚她啰？

S: No, not at all: I’m just teaching her that it’s OK to spend time away from me once in a while; I want her to start branching out and developing her own social circle.

不，没那个意思：我只是在教她，偶尔不必跟我在一起没关系；我想要她开始向外发展，扩展她自己的社交圈。

N: How did she handle being told that she couldn’t come out with you? I bet she was really upset.

你告诉她不能跟你出来时她怎么受得了？我猜她一定忿忿不平。

S: She was at first, but kids are remarkably quick at getting over disappointments; she became quite excited about having a friend over.

起初是，但小孩子克服失望的速度快得出奇；有朋友过来，她兴奋得不得了呢。

N: I guess she also needs to learn that you’re the one calling the shots, right? Children do tend to feel much more secure when they know they have a leader.

我想她也需要了解你才是发号施令的人吧？孩子一旦知道有人领着他们，就会有安全感得多。

S: Absolutely! She knows she’s not in charge anymore, and I feel like I’ve just promoted myself!

当然！她知道没办法再掌控局面，而我觉得好像给自己升了官！

Vocabulary

单词发音

pal [pæl] n.【口】伙伴；好友

answer someone back 顶嘴, 为自己辩护, 辩白 to reply rudely to someone in authority

miss out on something 未得到某物 to fail to participate in something; to fail to take part in something

once in a while 偶而

branch out 扩大〔兴趣﹑活动〕范围﹐ 开辟新的领域 to expand or extend one's interests

at first 起先; 起初,

remarkably [rɪˋmɑrkəblɪ] adv. 不寻常地; 突出地

get over 恢复常态(如病后、受惊之后、结束与某人的某种关系后等) to prevail against; overcome.

call the shots 发号施令 If you call the shots, you are in charge and tell people what to do.

Sentence of the Day

They’re still very buddy-buddy.

他们还是像哥俩，好得很。

buddy-buddy [ˋbʌdɪˋbʌdɪ] adj.【俚】很亲密的; 【美﹐非正式】十分友好的

课文朗读

课文讲解

Sally heads to the sales counter with Neville:  莎莉随奈维尔朝柜台走去：

N: You know, maybe I need to assert my authority more with my eight-year-old son.

你知道吗，或许我得对我八岁大的儿子表明我有更大的权力。

S: You having problems, too?

你也遇到难题了吗？

N: Sometimes: he’s prone to tantrums, especially if he’s losing a game. Last night he deliberately messed up the board.

有时候啦：他太容易乱发脾气了，尤其是在游戏玩输人的时候。昨晚他故意把棋盘弄乱。

S: What did you do?

你怎么办？

N: I stupidly laughed it off.

我很笨地一笑置之。

S: When Savannah does that now, I tell her that she needs to calm down and then repair the damage she’s done or I’ll have to put the game away.

如果莎凡娜现在这么做，我会告诉她她非得冷静下来，弥补她所造成的损害不可，要不然我就要把游戏收起来了。

N: So she must control her behavior and respect your authority or she punished herself—I get it; I’ll give it a try tonight.

所以她必须控制自己的言行举止，尊重你的权力，否则她就自讨苦吃──我知道了；今天晚上我会试试看。

S: It’s difficult being assertive, but it’s much better than ignoring the problem or –worse—getting angry.

要义正词严很难，但那总好过忽视问题不管或是──更糟的──生气起来。

N: Oh, I agree. My kid always used to join in the conversation when I had friends over; I explained to him that it’s fine to say hello, but grown-ups sometimes like to talk alone. He’s fine with it, now.

喔，我赞成。以前我有朋友过来的时候，我儿子老是加入我们的谈话；我解释给他听，打个招呼可以，但是成年人有时候喜欢单独讲话。现在他就好多了。

S: It’s funny, but I really thought that being my child’s best friend would guarantee a close relationship, but it just serves to blur the boundaries between adult and child.

说来好笑，但我以前真的以为做孩子最好的朋友就是亲密关系的保证，但那正恰恰模糊了大人和小孩之间的界线。

N: It’s fun to be a pal—but it’s vital to be a good parent.

做孩子的朋友是很有趣──但最重要的还是做个好爸妈。

－by Sean McCormack

Vocabulary

单词发音

assert [əˋsɝt] v. 维护，坚持；主张拥有

authority [əˋθɔrətɪ] n. 权力；职权

be prone [pron] to  易于; 有...倾向的

tantrum [ˋtæntrəm] n. 发脾气；发怒

deliberately [dɪˋlɪbərɪtlɪ] adv. 故意地，蓄意地

mess up 弄坏﹐毁掉〔尤指重要物品或精心策划的事情〕

laugh off  对...一笑置之  to treat or dismiss lightly

assertive [əˋsɝtɪv] adj. 武断的，独断的

grown-up [ˋgron͵ʌp] n. 成年人

serve [sɝv] v. 适合（特定用途或目的）[+to-v]；help

blur [blɝ] v. 变模糊

vital [ˋvaɪt!] adj. 极其重要的

Sentence of the Day

Like father, like son.

有其父必有其子。