【英语趣味课堂】她在日本的生活-Her Life in Japan

Warren: So Antoinette, you’ve been living in Japan for a while now, right?

 

Antoinette: Yes, that's right.

 

Warren: Well, can you tell me, do you like to use chopsticks or forks and knives more?

 

Antoinette: It depends on what I’m eating really. For the most part, I enjoy using chopsticks. They are easy to use. I don’t have to worry about cutting anything. And especially if I’m eating Japanese food, which tends to be chopped¹ in small pieces, small bite-size pieces, chopsticks are perfect.

 

But when I’m eating Western food or spaghetti, I prefer using Western style utensils².

 

Warren: Oh okay, that makes sense. What about sleeping, do you like to sleep on like a Western bed or a Japanese futon?

 

Antoinette: Actually, it depends on the season.

 

Warren: Why is that?

 

Antoinette: Well, in summer, I prefer sleeping on a futon. It seems cooler than a bed. But in winter, I love a cozy³, plush bed with lots of pillows and quilts or duvets. And yeah, I like to feel cozy.

 

Warren: That sounds nice. Okay. How about having shoes on or off in the house?

 

Antoinette: Hmm, I like to go barefoot – well, with socks. My feet get cold.

 

Warren: Well, do you use slippers⁴?

 

Antoinette: No.

 

Warren: Okay.

 

Antoinette: I find slippers uncomfortable unless they are the kind that fit your foot. They’re not actually the correct size for my foot.

 

Warren: Oh, I see. So Japanese slippers are a different size from you.

 

Antoinette: They are one-size fits all and I just feel like kicking them off anytime.

 

Warren: Right. Okay. How about, you know, in Japan, a lot of times people sit on the floor, but you don’t really do that very much in the United States. Do you like sitting in chairs or on the floor more?

 

Antoinette: I like both actually. Again, it depends on the season. The floor is so nice and cool in summer, and I like just feeling that coolness. But in winter, I want fabric⁵ underneath⁶ me, and I want cushions that tend to act – provide a barrier for cold wind.

 

Warren: Right, right. Eating out is a little different, too. I think in Japan, you tend to share all the meals that you have but maybe back home you usually just buy one meal.

 

Antoinette: That’s true. Maybe I’m a germ-phobic American – I don’t know. I like eating my own food. I don’t like to share. If it’s one huge serving plate that’s meant for several people, then fine. But I like just having my own plate of food.

 

Warren: Oh, okay. There’s one more. What about having a shower or a bath? I think in Japan, they usually have like a detachable⁷ shower-head and you can shower yourself before going into the bath. What do you prefer?

 

Antoinette: Well, I like showers, either way as long as the water is hot. Whether it’s detachable or not, as long as the water is hot, I like showers. And I like having water run down my body. That’s a pleasant feeling. But I also like sitting in a hot tub⁸ of water but not for too long.

 

Warren: Well, what about the bathtubs because I think they are different sizes, aren’t they?

 

Antoinette: They are. I like the fact that Japanese baths allow you to sit in water up to your neck. But I also like the fact that Western style baths allow you to recline in the water.

 

Warren: Right. You can stretch out more.

 

Antoinette: So you can stretch out, yeah.

 

Warren: Oh, okay. I see.

 

Antoinette: That’s a hard call.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn vocabulary from the lesson below.

 

plush

 

But in winter, I love a cozy, plush bed.

 

When something is plush, it is made with very nice material, such as wool or leather. Notice the following:

 

The house had plush furniture.

This chair is plush.

duvet

 

I love a bed with lots of pillows and quilts or duvets.

 

A duvet is a big, soft cover for a bed. Notice the following:

 

The girl is hiding under the duvet.

It is too hot to sleep under the duvet.

kick off

 

I just feel like kicking them off anytime.

 

When you kick off your shoes, you take off your shoes. Notice the following:

 

Is it OK if I kick off my shoes?

I kick off my shoes as soon as I get home.

run down

 

I like having water run down my body.

 

Here, 'run down' means 'move down.' Notice the following:

 

A drop of water ran down the window.

Sweat ran down her cheek.

recline

 

Western style baths allow you to recline in the water.

 

When you recline, you lean back. Notice the following:

 

I hate people who recline their seats on a plane.

This chair does not recline.

stretch out

 

You can stretch out more.

 

When you stretch out, you extend⁹ your arms and legs. Notice the following:

 

My cat likes to stretch out on the floor.

It is hard to stretch out on a small bed.

1 chopped   

[医]剁碎的

参考例句：

• He chopped some wood for the fire. 他劈了些柴烧火。
• Finish by sprinkling some chopped almonds over the cake. 最后在蛋糕上撒些剁碎的杏仁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

3 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

4 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

5 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

6 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

7 detachable   

可拆卸的

参考例句：

• a coat with a detachable hood 带有活风帽的外套
• a jacket with a detachable hood 有可拆卸风帽的夹克

8 tub   

n.桶，塑料杯，纸杯；盆，洗澡盆，浴缸

参考例句：

• The girl washed clothes in a tub.那女孩把衣服放在木盆里洗。
• The tub needs fixing too.It leaks.浴盆也得修了。它漏。

9 extend   

v.伸开；展开，伸展；扩大；加大

参考例句：

• Can you extend your visit for a few days more?你能把你的访问再延长几天吗？
• The examinations extend over two weeks.考试持续两个星期。