【英语趣味课堂】他会改变什么-What He Could Change

Sarah: So Adam, today we’re talking about do-overs. So what is something that you wish you would have done over? For example, maybe something in your university life?

 

Adam: Yeah. There are a few things. I might change my major. I studied education, and while I enjoy what I’m doing right now, my free time I really like watching movies about science and astronomy¹. And if I would go back to school and start my studies over, I’d probably study something along those lines, astronomy and metaphysics or something.

 

I think that those topics are really interesting and on the cutting edge of science and just fascinating to explore.

 

image

 

Sarah: Interesting. Anything else you wish you would have done?

 

Adam: I might have been more involved in the sports clubs at my school. For example, the American football team. I played in high school but in college, I wanted to play but I didn’t have the motivation to push me over the edge to actually go out and really put my heart into it.

 

I went to one training day and kind of tried out, but I didn’t really pursue² it as much as I would have liked. I think it would have been fun to be a part of that culture and that environment.

 

Sarah: How about something that you did do that maybe now you wish you hadn’t?

 

Adam: I pierced³ my ears in high school because that was the cool thing to do. But now I don’t wear earrings⁴. And yeah, looking back on it, kind of just a silly thing to do that I’m trying to follow the trends, that, you know, trends usually pass.

 

So yeah, that would be something that I wouldn’t do again.

 

Sarah: Nice. Anything else you would have changed?

 

Adam: I might have made different decisions about my girlfriends at the time. I had a really good girlfriend in the beginning of college, and things didn’t work out because of a variety of reasons. But I think if we would have worked on it, we could have. We could have made it, made it happen. So yeah, that’s something I think about sometimes about life in college.

 

It’s always, you know, college love is kind of a crazy thing. So yeah, we’re too much like kids, I guess, I think at that age.

 

Sarah: Okay. Thanks, Adam.

 

[End of Transcript]

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn vocabulary from the lesson below.

 

along those lines

 

I’d probably study something along those lines.

 

Here, 'along those lines' means 'similar to' something already mentioned. Notice the following:

 

He hopes to create a new web business or something along those lines.

I want to build a house or cabin⁵ or something along those lines.

cutting edge

 

Those topics are on the cutting edge of science.

 

The 'cutting edge' is the most advanced state of something. Notice the following:

 

The ad campaign is on the cutting edge of marketing⁶.

Punk rock was once on the cutting edge of music experimentation⁷.

push me over the edge

 

I didn’t have the motivation to push me over the edge.

 

Here, to 'push over the edge' means to reach a point where success becomes likely. Notice the following:

 

We never quit. We pushed ourselves over the edge when things looked bad.

I did not want to continue, but she pushed me over the edge.

put your heart into

 

I really put my heart into it.

 

When you put your heart into something, you are very committed to making something succeed. Notice the following:

 

If you do not put your heart into your education, you will not learn very much.

He never put his heart into his job.

try out

 

I tried out for the football team.

 

When you try out for a team, you audition⁸ to be one of the players. Notice the following:

 

He tried out for the team, but was cut.

She plans to try out for the cheerleaders.

pass

 

Trends usually pass.

 

When somethings passes, it ends or stops existing. Notice the following:

 

Babies cry a lot, but it is a phase⁹ that will pass.

All music trends pass over time.

1 astronomy   

n.天文学

参考例句：

• Mathematics is connected with astronomy.数学与天文学有联系。
• Astronomy is an abstract subject.天文学是一门深奥的学科。

2 pursue   

vt.继续，从事；追赶，追踪；追求

参考例句：

• He began to pursue an easy and comfortable life.他开始追求安逸舒适的生活。
• This is the path that we shall continue to pursue.这是我们要继续走的道路。

3 pierced   

v.刺入，刺穿，穿透( pierce的过去式和过去分词 )；冲破，突破

参考例句：

• The arrow pierced his shoulder. 箭头射入他的肩膀。
• He pierced the skin of cooking Frankforts with a fork. 他用叉子在要烹调的香肠上扎了孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 earrings   

n.耳环( earring的名词复数 )；耳坠子

参考例句：

• a pair of earrings 一对耳环
• These earrings snap on with special fastener. 这付耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 cabin   

n.(结构简单的)小木屋；船舱，机舱

参考例句：

• They threw up a new cabin in a couple of hours.在几小时之内他们就建起了一座新的小屋。
• It's very hot in the cabin;let's go on deck.舱室内很热，我们到甲板上去吧。

6 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

7 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

8 audition   

n.(对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱等)

参考例句：

• I'm going to the audition but I don't expect I'll get a part.我去试音，可并不指望会给我个角色演出。
• At first,they said he was too young,but later they called him for an audition.起初，他们说他太小，但后来他们叫他去试听。

9 phase   

n.相位，时期，局面，阶段；vt.逐步执行，实行，按计划进行

参考例句：

• The first phase of the project has been completed.第一期工程已经告一段落。
• It was a very important phase of history.它是一个非常重要的历史阶段。