和老外聊天的地道口语第18期:你是独生子女吗?

I: hi, Natasha, how's life?

N: great. My family came to visit me.

I: oh, you must be very happy. How many people are there in your family?

N: my immediate¹ family is very large. It's my mother, my father, my two older brothers, my younger sister and me.

I: I have a small family. They are my parents, my younger brother and me.

N: I thought you were the only child in the family. Didn't China practice the only-child policy in the early 1980s?

I: yes, it did. But my parents are ethnic² minority people. It's a preferential policy for an ethnic minority family to have two children.

N: interesting. What do you think about families with only one child?

I: the child must feel very longly. My younger brother is 10 years younger than me. Before he was born, I used to be the only child and always dreamed that I would have a younger sister or brother one day.

N: do you get along well with each other?

I: yes, we are very close. He is 12 years old and very smart. He always makes us laugh a lot.

N: you are very lucky to have such a nice family.

I: thank you.
嗨，娜塔莎，最近怎么样？
挺好的，我家里人来了。
那你一定很高兴了。顺便问一下，你们家有几口人？
我的直系亲属很多，有妈妈，爸爸，两个哥哥，妹妹和我。
我家人不多。父母，弟弟和我。
我以为你是独生子女呢。中国不是从20世纪80年代早期就开始实行计划生育政策了吗？
是的，的确是，不过我父母是少数民族的。少数民族极家庭可以享受优惠政策生2个孩子。
挺有意思的，那你怎么看待独生子女家庭呢？
我觉得孩子一定很孤独。我弟弟比我小十岁。他出生之前，我一直是家里的独生子，那时我一直希望自己能有个弟弟或妹妹。
那你们相处的好吗？
是的，我们俩关系很好。他今年12岁了，很聪明。经常逗得大家笑个不停。
你真幸运，有这么幸福的家庭。
谢谢你。
practice  实行
Our income has decreased and now we must practise strict economy.
我们的收入减少了,现在我们必须厉行节约.

prefernetial  优惠的
Don't expect to get preferential treatment.
不要指望受到优待.
Bank employees usually get preferential rates of interest.
银行职员通常享受优惠利率.

policy  政策
One of the new government's policies is to cut taxes.
新政府的政策之一是减税.

interesting  有趣的
It is an interesting book for children.
那是一本有趣的儿童读物.
We had a long and interesting talk.
我们作了一次很有意思的长谈.

lonely  孤寂的
When his wife died, he was very lonely.
太太死后他非常孤独.

lucky  幸运的
A lucky person won the contest.
一个幸运儿赢了比赛.
You are lucky to be alive.
你活着算是幸运的了.

by the way  顺便问一下
By the way, do you have any idea where the post office is?
顺便问一下,你知道邮局在哪儿吗?

immediate family  直系亲属

only child  独生子(女)

ethnic minority  少数民族

used to  过去常常

I have an excellent marriage.
我的婚姻很幸福.

East, west, home is best.
金窝,银窝,不如自己的狗窝.

Home is where the heart is.
家就是有个人牵挂着你.

There is no place like home.
家是世界上最美的地方.

He can never shun³ obligations⁴ to his parents.
他不能放弃对父母的责任.

I am an only child.
我是独生子(女).

Children are the glue that keeps a family together.
孩子是家庭的粘合剂.

Like father, like son.
有其父必有其子.

Whenever I'm in trouble, I know I can count on my family.
每当我身处困境,我知道家人总会在背后支持我.

We had our big family get-together⁵ on New Year's Eve.
我们全家人聚在一起庆祝除夕之夜.

My younger brother is the black sheep of the family.
我弟弟是我们家的败家子.

Do you get along with your in-laws?
你和你的亲家相处的好吗?

I have a tight-kint family.
我的家庭关系很亲密.

You two will be bound⁶ even closer together.
你们俩会更加亲密无间.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 shun   

vt.避开，回避，避免

参考例句：

• Materialists face truth,whereas idealists shun it.唯物主义者面向真理，唯心主义者则逃避真理。
• This extremist organization has shunned conventional politics.这个极端主义组织有意避开了传统政治。

4 obligations   

n.债务( obligation的名词复数 )；义务；[法律]债券；合约

参考例句：

• Belgium replied that she had always been faithful to her international obligations. 比利时政府答复说，比利时一贯忠实履行其国际义务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It would never do to neglect official obligations. 玩忽职守是绝对不行的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 get-together   

n.(使)聚集；(使)集合

参考例句：

• Well,Miss Huang,we are planning to have a casual get-together.嗯，黄小姐，我们打算大家小聚一番。
• Will you help me prepare for the get- together of the old classmates?你能否帮我为这次老同学聚会做好准备工作？

6 bound   

adj.一定的，必然的；受约束的，有义务的

参考例句：

• I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
• If he signs that paper,he will be bound hand and foot.如果他签署那份文件，他就会受到束缚。