美語情景對話 第1192期:Life Then and Now 生活 過去和現在

Todd: Hey Meg, so I thought we would talk about then and now, the present and the past.

託德：嘿，梅格，我們來談談那時和現在，現在和過去。

Meg: Sounds good.

梅格：聽上去不錯。

Todd: So, it's very easy to compare things, compare things now, and sometimes people think things were better in the past, or things were worse in the past, so let's see what you think. The first one is are you happier now than you were last year?

託德：現在很容易對事情進行比較，有時人們認爲以前更好，也有人認爲以前更糟糕，我們來聽聽看你的想法。第一個問題是，你現在比去年更幸福嗎？

Meg: Am I happier now? I think I'm about the same happiness level, so last year I was happy with my job and my family and my friends and this year I'm still happy. What about you? Are you happier now than last year?

梅格：我現在更幸福嗎？我想我的幸福程度和去年差不多，去年我對我的工作、家庭和朋友感到滿意，今年我依然感到很滿意。你呢？你現在比去年更幸福嗎？

Todd: I am happier because last year I was still in college in graduate school and I finished.

託德：我今年更幸福，因爲去年我還在讀研究生，而現在我已經畢業了。

Meg: Congratulations.

梅格：祝賀你。

Todd: Yes, and I have more free time now and because of that, I'm happier this year. Less stressed.

託德：嗯，我現在的空閒時間更多，所以我今年更幸福。壓力更少。

Meg: Less stressed always makes up happier.

梅格：壓力少通常就會更幸福。

Todd: OK, so the next one is do you think you are healthier these days than you were before, say ten years ago?

託德：好，下一個問題是你現在比以前更健康嗎？比如和10年前的健康狀況相比？

Meg: Actually no. I think I am not healthier than I was about ten years ago. Lately I've been so busy that I haven't been taking enough time to exercise or cook healthy food, so I would say I was probably healthier ten years ago. What about yourself? Are you healthier now or before?

梅格：實際上並不是。我認爲我現在並不比10年比更健康。最近我一直非常忙，沒有足夠的時間鍛鍊或烹飪健康的食物，所以我想我可能10年前更健康一些。你呢？你現在比以前更健康嗎？

Todd: I think I'm healthier actually. Even though I'm a little fatter than I was ten years ago, I drink less and I eat more vegetables. I eat less fast food. I think I get more sleep, and I feel less stressed, so I think I am a little bit healthier than I was ten years ago.

託德：我認爲我現在更健康。雖然我現在比10年前胖一些，不過我喝酒少了，而且我現在吃的蔬菜更多。我現在很少吃快餐。另外，我的睡眠時間更多了，我感覺壓力少了，所以我想我現在比10年前更健康一些。

Meg: Yeah, that definitely sounds healthier.

梅格：對，聽起來你現在肯定更健康。

Todd: But I'm older so that's ... you know.

託德：不過我年齡大了，你懂的。

Meg: Right, well older and healthier.

梅格：對，年齡大了，但是更健康了。

Todd: Right. OK, so how about stress? Are you more stressed now than you were five years ago?

託德：好。那壓力呢？你現在的壓力比5年前大嗎？

Meg: That's a hard question. Probably I'm about the same, so I wouldn't say that I'm more stressed now, but five years ago I was finishing my master's degree, so that was also a stressful time, and lately I've been quite busy so I'm probably at the same stress level as five years ago. What about yourself? Are you more stressed now?

梅格：這是個很難回答的問題。可能我的壓力差不多一樣，我不會說我現在的壓力更大，不過5年前我即將完成碩士學位，那時也是壓力很大的時刻，而最近我一直很忙，所以我現在的壓力程度可能和5年前一樣。你呢？你現在壓力更大嗎？

Todd:I think I'm less stressed now actually because now I worry less than I did before, so before I was more stressed because I worried about everything, and now I've learned to let it go, let things go. I don't let them bother me.

託德：我想實際上我現在的壓力更小，因爲我現在擔心的事情比以前少了，以前我壓力更大，因爲我對所有事情感到擔心，而現在我學會了放手，讓事情順其自然。我不會再讓那些事情煩擾我了。

Meg: That sounds like a good policy.

梅格：聽起來是個不錯的方法。

Todd: Yeah.

託德：對。

Meg: So, you think you're less worried now, but what about your future. Are you more worried about your future than before?

梅格：你認爲你現在擔心的更少了，那未來呢？相比於以前，你現在對未來更擔心嗎？

Todd: Ooh, you know what, yeah I do think I'm more worried about my future now because I'm older so I'm more worried about money. I'm more worried about what I'll be doing in ten years, job security, things like that, so sadly I am a little more worried about that.

託德：哦，你知道，我認爲我現在更擔心我的未來，因爲我年紀大了，所以我對錢越來越擔心。我對未來10年我要做的事情、還有就業保障等等感到越來越擔心，不幸的是，我現在更擔心這些事情。

Meg: There's a lot more to think about.

梅格：有很多要考慮的事情。

Todd: Yeah, so but I'm less worried about my life day to day. Everything happening around me, so I guess that's why I feel less worried than I was say five years ago.

託德：對，不過我現在對自己日常生活的擔心比以前少了。現在我對周圍所發生事情的擔心更少了，我想這就是我的擔憂比5年前少了的原因。

Meg: Right.

梅格：沒錯。

Todd: How about you? Are you more worried about your future these days?

託德：你呢？你現在對未來的擔心比前多了嗎？

Meg: I don't think so. I have a good job and I like where I live so I don't feel too worried about what I'll be doing next year or in five years, but probably I should plan ahead a bit more. Maybe I should be a little more worried, but I feel OK about the future.

梅格：我想並不是。我的工作不錯，我喜歡我所生活的地方，所以我對明年或未來5年要做什麼不太擔心，不過可能我應該提前計劃一下。也許我應該多擔心一些，不過我對未來感覺還好。

Todd: Well, that's a very healthy attitude to have.

託德：嗯，這是一個非常健康的態度。

Meg: Yeah, it helps with the stress level as well.

梅格：對，那也有助於減少壓力。

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重點講解：
1. even though 即使；儘管；縱然；
例句：Victoria was strangely undisturbed by this symptom, even though her husband and family were frightened.
儘管丈夫和家人都嚇壞了，維多利亞卻對這一症狀出奇地淡定。
2. let go 不予理會；放走；
例句：I'll let it go if you forgive Lana for what she did.
如果你原諒拉娜，我就算了。
3. day to day 每天；天天；逐日；
例句：And I just enjoy day-to-day working life here.
我喜歡這兒的日常生活和工作。
4. as well 也；還；
例句：He speaks French, and Spanish as well.
他說法語，也會說西班牙語。