ESL Podcast 486 – Having Limited Mobility

Gail: Oh! Mike: Are you okay? Gail: Yeah, I’m just not used to these crutches1 yet. The doctor said I should start using them if I ever want to get out of this wheelchair, but I don’t have the strength to stand up. Mike: You’ll get the hang of it. Don’t lose heart. Gail: It should be easy now that my arm is out of the cast, but it just seems impossible. I feel I’m going to lose my balance each time I try to stand up. Mike: Try again, and this time lean on me and I’ll try to serve as your legs until you can find your balance. Gail: I wish I didn’t feel so utterly2 useless. It’s so frustrating3! Mike: I know. Just keep your eye on the ball and give it another try. The next thing you know, you’ll be limping along and then running a marathon. It’s just a matter of time before you get your mobility4 back. Gail: Yeah, right. Okay, first things first. Let’s see if these useless legs of mine will cooperate this time. Script by Dr Lucy Tse

 

1 crutches   

n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑

参考例句：

• After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
• When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。

2 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

3 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。