实战口语情景对话 第339期:Dorm Life 宿舍生活

 　　Todd: Miki, when you were in college where did you live?

　　托德：美琪，你上大学的时候住在哪里？

　　Miki: My first year I lived in the dormitory that was quite close to the campus¹. It was about a five minute walks so it was very convenient but I'm not sure that that many people actually enjoyed living in the dormitory because there were so many of us packed into such a small space that one did not get a sense of privacy² at all. I shared a room with two other girls and 24 hours a day there was always someone near you, next door, down the hall if not in your own room, and a very small space. In Japan perhaps this wouldn't have been such a large problem because the sense of personal space and privacy perhaps isn't as strong growing up, but really in the United States if you grow up with you own room, if you grow up with your own sense of self and if, you know, you have personal space that you define³ just instinctively⁴ which, you know, maybe three feet in front of you, a meter, or if you have your own personal room itself, it's very difficult to move from that sort of sense of individuality and personal private space, to move into the dorms, and to have to share, all of that, and then always have a smile on your face, if you don't want to be considered a bitch.

　　美琪：我大一的时候住在宿舍里，离校园非常近。步行5分钟就可以到学校，非常方便，但是我不确定是不是大部分人都喜欢住在宿舍里，因为我们太多人住在一个小地方，实际上完全没有隐私。我和另外两个女孩住在一个宿舍里，一天24个小时你附近都有人，如果你不在自己的房间里，那你的隔壁和楼下大厅也全是人，地方非常小。这在日本可能不是大问题，因为日本人在成长过程中的个人空间感和隐私感可能并不那么强烈，但是实际上在美国，如果你成长的阶段拥有自己的空间，如果你成长的阶段有自我感觉，如果你有个人空间，那你就会本能地认为距离你三英尺或是一米的距离就是你的个人空间，如果你拥有自己的个人空间，那从那个个人感和私人空间离开，然后搬进宿舍，和他人共享空间非常难，如果你不想被看成是讨厌的人那你的脸上就要一直挂着笑容。

　　Todd: Yeah, so what about food? What did you eat for food? Did you have a kitchen? Did you cook?

　　托德：那食物怎么样？你吃什么？宿舍里有厨房吗？你做饭吗？

　　Miki: In the dormitories, no! We had a dining hall. I don't quite remember what it was called, but it was a common area where everyone went downstairs at the same time. It was only open, three hours in the morning, 3 hours in the evening, and we all shared our time together, kind of like a family, I suppose, and we must have eaten just normal American food. I don't remember.

　　美琪：在宿舍里不做！我们有餐厅。我不太记得那具体叫什么，不过就是一个公共区域，所有人都同时去楼下用餐。那里只在上午开放三个小时，晚上开放三个小时，我们会一起共度时光，像一家人一样，我们吃的一定是普通的美国食物。我不记得了。

　　Todd: Yeah! Yeah! How about your laundry? How would you wash your clothes?

　　托德：好吧！那怎么洗衣服？你是怎么洗衣服的？

　　Miki: That I forget! I think we had laundry machines every other floor in the dorm building. But I actually don't remember. Sorry!

　　美琪：我忘了！我想宿舍楼每层都有洗衣机。不过实际上我真的不记得了。对不起！

　　Todd: And what would students do for fun? for socializing?

　　托德：那学生的娱乐活动都有什么呢？社交活动？

　　Miki: Oh, I think the bigger question is whether students did anything besides socialize, you know, right, I mean, if you're a freshman⁵ the chances of you actually doing work are actually quite small, especially in that sort of a social setting⁶ where,

　　美琪：我想更大的问题是学生们除了社交活动还有什么活动，你知道，我的意思是，如果你是大一新生，那你实际上学习的机会非常小，尤其是在那些社交场合……

　　Todd: Even at Beckley?

　　托德：伯克利大学也是吗？

　　Miki: Oh, are you kidding me? Yes! Berkley is highly⁷ competitive⁸ but it's also highly, it's a highly social atmosphere, especially in the dorms, well, and then once you move into a communal⁹ area, if you're there with your friend, then I don't think a whole lot of studying goes on.

　　美琪：你在跟我开玩笑吗？没错，伯克利分校竞争非常激烈，但是那里的社交氛围也很强，尤其是在宿舍里，一旦你进入公共区域，如果你和朋友一起，我认为你们不会一起进行很多研究工作。

　　Todd: Wow! That's funny! Oh, thanks!

　　托德：哇！那真有趣！谢谢你！

　　Miki: Surely!

　　美琪：不客气！

1 campus   

n.大学校园，学校校园；大学　

参考例句：

• They spoke of the old days on the campus.他们谈起昔日的校园生活。
• The campus covers an area of twenty square kilometres.这个校园占地二十平方公里。

2 privacy   

n.私人权利，个人自由，隐私权

参考例句：

• In such matters,privacy is impossible.在这类事情中，保密是不可能的。
• She wept in the privacy of her own room.她在自己房内暗暗落泪。

3 define   

vt.解释，下定义，阐述，限定，规定

参考例句：

• Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。
• It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。

4 instinctively   

adv.本能地

参考例句：

• As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

6 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

7 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

8 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

9 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。