一分鐘聽力 We are What We Choose(1), Jeff Bezos－Verb Master 動詞達人

#一分鐘英語聽力訓練

We are What We Choose(1), Jeff Bezos

亞馬遜總裁Jeff Bezos，媽媽的私生子，隨媽媽改嫁，然後一路讀書到畢業，接著去上班，沒有棄學從商之類的瘋狂舉動，他這生唯一的瘋狂，就是放棄華爾街工程師的高薪，拿30萬美金積蓄投入互聯網，成立亞馬遜書店。現在的亞馬遜，已經不是當年的亞馬遜，Jeff Bezos作風嚴謹，重視細節，亞馬遜曾經一度衰退，現在已經打垮eBay，並將取而代之。

從Jess Bezos的演講知道，這個人，不囉嗦，不講排場，單刀直入進入主題，我「阿公阿媽…」

【聽力挑戰1】

【聽力挑戰2 英文原文】

As a kid, I spent my summer with my grandparents on their ranch in Texas. I helped fix windmills, vaccinate cattle, and do other chores. We also watched soap operas every afternoon, especially Days of our Lives. My grandparents belonged to a Caravan Club, a group of Airstream trailer owners who travel together around the US and Canada. And every few summers, we’d join the caravan. We’d hitch up the Airstream trailer to my grandfather’s car, and off we’d go, in a line with 300 other Airstream adventurers. I loved and worshipped my grandparents and I really looked forward to these trips. On one particular trip, I was about 10 years old. I was rolling around in the big bench seat in the back of the car. My grandfather was driving. And my grandmother had the passenger seat. She smoked throughout these trips, and I hated the smell.

At that age, I’d take any excuse to make estimates and do minor arithmetic. I’d calculate out gas mileage – figure out useless statistics on things like grocery spending. I’d been hearing an ad campaign about smoking. I can’t remember the details, but basically the ad said, every puff of a cigarette takes some number of minutes off of your life. I think it might have been two minutes per puff. At any rate, I decided to do the math for my grandmother. I estimated the number of cigarettes per day, estimated the number of puffs per cigarette and so on. When I was satisfied that I’d come up with a reasonable number I poke my head into the front of the car, tapped my grandmother on the shoulder, and proudly proclaimed, “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nine years off your life.”

【聽力挑戰3 英文加中文提示】

As a kid, I spent my summer with my grandparents on their ranch(大牧場) in Texas.

Ranch [ræntʃ]

【農】美國西部和加拿大西的大型牧場

I helped fix windmills(風車), vaccinate cattle(給牛接種疫苗), and do other chores(雜務). We also watched soap operas every afternoon, especially Days of our Lives(我們的日子).

Day of our Lives

【美劇】我們的日子(1965-Present), 美國罕見的長壽影集

* 喜歡Friends(六人行, 1994-2004)的人一定會記得裡面的Joey，他醫生最光榮的事情就是參加Day of Our Lives的演出，沒多久就被踢出

My grandparents belonged to a Caravan Club, a group of Airstream trailer(拖車) owners who travel together around the US and Canada. And every few(偶爾一次) summers, we’d join the caravan(拖車隊).

Trailer ['trelɚ]

【車】【美】拖車，英國是Caravan

* Trailer本身沒有動力，靠前面的車頭(Cab)來拉的

Caravan ['kærəvæn]

【旅】【美】商隊、拖車

* 特別是講跨越沙漠的商隊，一群商人為了自衛共同旅行，要搭配交通工具，例如駱駝

* 在英國，Trailer有兩個意思，拖車(trailer)，馬車(wagon)，例如卡通「小英的故事」，馬車裡面可以住人

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuYeQ3XW1aw (中文主題曲)

We’d hitch up(掛上) the Airstream trailer to my grandfather’s car, and off we’d go(出發), in a line with 300 other Airstream adventurers. I loved and worshipped my grandparents and I really looked forward to(期盼) these trips.

On one particular trip, I was about 10 years old. I was rolling around in the big bench(長板凳) seat in the back of the car(後座).

My grandfather was driving. And my grandmother had the passenger seat(副駕駛座). She smoked throughout these trips, and I hated the smell.

At that age, I’d take any excuse to(隨便找理由) make estimates(做估算) and do minor arithmetic(加減乘除). I’d calculate out(算出) gas mileage(每加侖汽油跑幾英哩), figure out(領悟出) useless statistics(沒用的統計數字) on things like grocery spending(雜貨支出).

Arithmetic [ə'rɪθmətɪk]

【數】加減乘除的四則運算，數學是Math或Mathematics

I’d been hearing an ad campaign(宣傳廣告) about smoking. I can’t remember the details, but basically the ad said, every puff(呼一口) of a cigarette takes some number of minutes(幾分鐘) off of your life. I think it might have been two minutes per puff. At any rate([口語]= anyway, 無論如何、至少), I decided to do the math(計算) for my grandmother. I estimated the number of cigarettes per day, estimated the number of puffs per cigarette and so on.

Puff

【名】【動】哈(菸)、泡芙

When I was satisfied that I’d come up with(想出來) a reasonable number I poke(戳刺、捅) my head into the front of the car, tapped(輕拍) my grandmother on the shoulder, and proudly proclaimed(正式宣告), “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nine years off your life.”

Come up with 和 Figure out

中文都是想出來，英文意思差很多

Come up with an idea 想出一個辦法

Figure out an idea 理解某辦法的用意

【聽力挑戰4 中譯加英文提示】

小時候，暑假都會去住在德州大牧場的外婆家

我幫忙修風車(windmill)，給牛(cattle)接種疫苗(vaccinate)，做其他雜務(chore)，我們每天下午也會看電視劇(soap opera)，特別是Days of our Lives

外公是拖車俱樂部會員(Caravan CLub)，一群Airstream拖車(trailer)的車主(owner)組成，在美加之間來回旅遊，我們幾個暑假偶爾會參加一次(every few summers)

我們把Airstream拖車掛好在外公汽車的後面，這就出發(off we go)，跟著一行三百人的Airstream冒險家，我對外公外婆既喜歡又崇拜(worship)，我好期待這些旅行。

在一次特別的旅程，當時我大約十歲，在後座大長椅滾來滾去

阿公開車，外婆坐在副駕駛座(passenger seat)，外婆整個旅程都在抽菸(smoke throughout the trips)，我很討厭菸味

我在那年紀，喜歡動不動就找理由做些估算或簡單算數，我算出外公的車每加侖跑幾英里，算出些沒用的統計數字，比方雜貨花了多少等等。

我聽過一個廣告(ad campaign)，不記得細節，基本上廣告說，每哈(puff)一口菸口，壽命就會少幾分鐘(some number of minutes)，我想有可能是一口兩分鐘，不管怎麼樣(at any rate)，我幫我外婆做了數學計算(do the math)，我先估計他一天抽多少菸，估計一支菸要哈幾口，諸如此類。

我很滿意得到(come up iwth)一個合理的答案，把頭探到(poke into)前座，拍(tap)我外婆的肩膀(on the shoulder)，驕傲地宣告，「哈一口兩分鐘，妳的壽命少九年了(take 9 year off your life)。」

【聽力挑戰5 中英對照】

As a kid, I spent my summer with my grandparents on their ranch in Texas.

小時候，暑假都會去住在德州大牧場的外婆家

I helped fix windmills, vaccinate cattle, and do other chores. We also watched soap operas every afternoon, especially Days of our Lives.

我幫忙修風車(windmill)，給牛(cattle)接種疫苗(vaccinate)，做其他雜務(chore)，我們每天下午也會看電視劇(soap opera)，特別是Days of our Lives

My grandparents belonged to a Caravan Club, a group of Airstream trailer owners who travel together around the US and Canada. And every few summers, we’d join the caravan.

外公是拖車俱樂部會員(Caravan CLub)，一群Airstream拖車(trailer)的車主(owner)組成，在美加之間來回旅遊，我們幾個暑假偶爾會參加一次(every few summers)

We’d hitch up the Airstream trailer to my grandfather’s car, and off we’d go, in a line with 300 other Airstream adventurers. I loved and worshipped my grandparents and I really looked forward to these trips.

On one particular trip, I was about 10 years old. I was rolling around in the big bench seat in the back of the car.

在一次特別的旅程，當時我大約十歲，在後座大長椅滾來滾去

My grandfather was driving. And my grandmother had the passenger seat. She smoked throughout these trips, and I hated the smell.

阿公開車，外婆坐在副駕駛座(passenger seat)，外婆整個旅程都在抽菸(smoke throughout the trips)，我很討厭菸味

At that age, I’d take any excuse to make estimates and do minor arithmetic. I’d calculate out gas mileage – figure out useless statistics on things like grocery spending.

我在那年紀，喜歡動不動就找理由做些估算或簡單算數，我算出外公的車每加侖跑幾英里，算出些沒用的統計數字，比方雜貨花了多少等等。

I’d been hearing an ad campaign about smoking. I can’t remember the details, but basically the ad said, every puff of a cigarette takes some number of minutes off of your life. I think it might have been two minutes per puff. At any rate, I decided to do the math for my grandmother. I estimated the number of cigarettes per day, estimated the number of puffs per cigarette and so on.

When I was satisfied that I’d come up with a reasonable number I poke my head into the front of the car, tapped my grandmother on the shoulder, and proudly proclaimed, “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nine years off your life.”