【英语趣味课堂】形形色色的情感-Mixed Emotions

Vella: Hey Daniel. So I was wondering can you remember any time when you were really mad, sad or embarrassed?

Daniel: Well, I think I have a couple of those, a couple of each of those actually. But I don't know recently, I've, well I had an episode¹ that I was really sad and it was that I was applying to, I was applying for a scholarship and I was putting all the effort and I spent a lot of time and a lot of energy in it and finally it was rejected so that, that was really, really bad for me and for that year and I was really sad and I was really angry because that was my big project for that year so the fact that I couldn't get it, it made me really sad.

 

And also you asked me about being embarrassed. I think most of the times when I was embarrassed when I was a little kid, I always was trying to do cool stuff², I don't know, hang out with friends but something, like all the time, something went wrong. For example, I don't know, I remember I was trying to play football or something and suddenly I just fell and I don't know once actually I broke my hand and that was pretty embarrassing³ in front of all my mates⁴ in school.

 

Vella: OK, so you say you were really mad and angry because you didn't get the scholarship, I was wondering how do you usually express your anger?

 

Daniel: Well, it's, I don't think it's better to find that out. I was very bad at it. I was, I used to express it like, I don't know, shouting or hitting stuff but now that I'm a bit older I learned⁵ how to control that and I learned that not always things depends on you. Sometimes you get the results from like, I don't know, from other factors so you have to take it and you have to learn to live with that and, but that takes time. So, yeah, at the beginning I was really mad and I was really sad but then I understood that probably it wasn't the time so when you understand and when you go through that kind of stuff you learn and then you learn not to get that emotional⁶ at the beginning and to think over it.

 

Vella: I agree after you learn from those experiences and you just become better.

 

Daniel: Well, I don't know if better but I definitely⁷ learned something.

 

Vella: You'll know, you know, how to handle things when you face them again.

 

Daniel: I hope I don't have to handle that kind of stuff again but in case I do I think I'm prepared to do it now.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

episode

 

I had an episode when I was really sad.

 

Here, 'episode' refers to an incident or period of time when Daniel was really sad. Notice the following:

 

You just have to leave him alone if he starts having one of his angry episodes⁸.

It's hard to watch when older people start having episodes of forgetfulness.

reject

 

 

I was rejected from that school.

 

'Rejected' is the opposite of accepted.  Notice the following:

 

Her book was rejected by a number of publishers before she found one who would say yes.

I don't think anyone should be rejected from a study abroad program.

factor

 

 

There are other factors you have to consider.

 

A 'factor' is a small element or part of something larger. For example, if you are looking for a good school, the factors you have to consider are location, cost, education, etc. Notice the following:

 

How long it will take you to get to work is an important factor to think about when you are looking for a new house.

When voting, some people get very focused on just a few factors.

live with

 

 

After getting rejected, I had to learn to live with it.

 

If you learn to 'live with' something, you accept it and change your life in such a way that you can be happy with your new situation. Notice the following:

 

When you get older, you realize that you have to live with the decisions you make.

It is hard to live with guilt⁹ if you feel responsible for something.

handle

 

 

You need to learn how to handle things when you face them.

 

The way you 'handle' something is the way you manage, deal or cope¹⁰ with it. Notice the following:

 

It is very difficult for people to handle it when loved ones die.

I don't know how you handle a house as big as this one.

1 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

2 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。

3 embarrassing   

adj.使人尴尬的，令人为难的v.（使）窘迫，（使）局促不安( embarrass的现在分词)

参考例句：

• His jokes didn't even raise a smile, which was embarrassing. 听了他讲的笑话，都没人笑一下，真是太尴尬了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was in the embarrassing position of having completely forgotten her name. 当时我完全忘记了她的名字，很是尴尬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mates   

[英]伙伴( mate的名词复数 )； 同伴； （非正式）配偶； （熟练工人的）助手

参考例句：

• He's out boozing with his mates. 他和他的朋友们喝酒去了。
• They've been best mates since school. 他们从上学时期以来就是最要好的朋友。

5 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

6 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。

7 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。

8 episodes   

插曲，片断( episode的名词复数 )； 一集

参考例句：

• The novel deals with the romantic episodes of her early life. 小说叙述了她早期生活的浪漫插曲。
• Three episodes have been telescoped into a single programme. 把叁集的内容压缩成了一个节目。

9 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

10 cope   

v.(with)竞争，对抗；对付，妥善处理

参考例句：

• He had a lot of work,but he was able to cope.他的活虽多，但还能应付得来。
• They have to cope with a mountain of problems.他们得应付成堆的问题。