时尚英语话题 116

　　116: Time Off—Vacation
I haven’t had a vacation in a while. I think I’ll take off soon. I’m not sure where I’ll go or what I’ll do. But I can learn a tourism place where I can go for a long lox, breathe fresh air and take some nice pictures.
When I was a kid, I really look forward to vacations. Some of vacations were the best. It was care free time. As I became older, and I have to pay for my vacations. Planning became important. Time and money are always the big issues. After having a family of my own, vacations are more complicated¹. If I go, my boss to said to when. My wife to said to where, and my kids to said how. A vacation is supposed to be a time when you get away from work and recharge. It’s a time to see something new. It’s a time to extend² your horizons, especially if you travel. But it’s easy for the opposite to happen. You can come back from a vacation feeling really tired. You can finish a vacation thinking “I can’t wait to get back to work.” And rather than extend your horizons, you might merely dipping your bad. Vacations aren’t cheap.
It’s been a while since to have a vacation. I might take one soon.
Talk about it:
When was the last time you had a vacation?
Do you look forward to your next vacation?
How long is your ideal³ vacation?
Do you prefer vacation in the country, or an urban tour vacation?
Do you mind travelling with a group of people on a package tour?
Would you rather design your own vacation?
Do you find it’s often more tired after vacation than you thought it will be?
Do you prefer an active vacation of touring, or just tuning⁴ out in a beach, doing nothing?
Would you rather travel frequently and cheaply, or save up for a rare and expensive trip?

1 complicated   

adj.错综复杂的，麻烦的，结构复杂的

参考例句：

• The poem is so complicated that I cannot make out its meaning.这首诗太复杂，我理解不了它的意思。
• This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.这是我所处理过的最为复杂的案子。

2 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。

3 ideal   

adj.理想的，完美的；空想的，观念的；n.理想

参考例句：

• The weather at the seaside was ideal—bright and breezy.海边的天气最宜人，风和日丽的。
• They promised to be faithful to their ideal for ever. 他们保证永远忠于自己的理想。

4 tuning   

n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》