美語情景對話 第1036期:Homegrown Foreigner 土生土長的外國人

Abidemi: So Jeremy, we both work in Japan, and I was just talking about how it feels like to go home. How does it feel like for you, Jeremy?

阿比德米：傑里米，我們現在都在日本工作，我之前談了我回家時的感受。傑里米，你的感受呢？

Jeremy: Well, when I go back to Canada, really the first thing that I notice is the air. And it's a funny thing to think but I know when I arrive in Vancouver and I walk out of the airport, I can smell West Coast Canada air. And it really gives a kind of positive feeling to me. You know, it's a small thing but you notice how clean. I know it's a stereotype with Canada but it really is such a clean place. And also, Vancouver, you have the smell of the ocean and you have the mountains right there. So that's the first that I always notice. But when I go back and I visit my parents, it takes me about 10 minutes to get used to where I am being back home. You know, it doesn't take long at all. And I think it's because that's the house that I grew up in and just the feeling that I grew up with, it returns immediately. You know, it goes away when I'm away, when I'm living in Japan but as soon as I get back home, that feeling of comfort comes back within minutes. And I look forward to the same thing that everybody looks forward to when they go back home, and food is right at the top of that list. You know, I honestly look forward to turkey dinner, maybe more than anything in the world, or prime rib or those types of things. But it's just the small things; having mom make a snack or something like that. And just the feeling of being completely at ease and without a worry in the world is kind of what I most look forward to going back home. There's other things when you go out and you go to the stores and you circulate around town. It does feel a little bit like you're an alien in your own town. And I mean—but that's a feeling that I never mind. I have no problem being a foreigner in my own home now. I kind of enjoy the feeling. And sometimes, I even wish that I didn't speak the language everybody else was speaking because I don't want to hear everybody's conversations to be honest. But you know the feeling of being in my house or my parent's house is really a feeling that is just complete comfort.

傑里米：我回加拿大時，我首先注意到的是空氣。想想其實很有趣，我抵達溫哥華以後，走出機場時我可以聞到西海岸的空氣。這給我一種積極向上的感覺。這雖然是件小事，但是你能注意到空氣有多清潔。我知道這是大家對加拿大的固有印象，而加拿大確實是一個非常乾淨的地方。另外，除了海洋的味道以外，溫哥華還有高山。這是我首先注意到的。我回家看望父母時，大概要花10分鐘的時間適應家裏的情況。不用花太長時間。我想這是因爲那是我成長的家，所以我馬上就會找回那種伴隨我成長的感覺。在我離開家在日本生活時，這種感覺也消失了，但是我一回到家中，這種舒適的感覺在幾分鐘內就回來了。我所期盼的事情，和其他人在回家時所期盼的一樣，其中食物佔首要位置。說實話，我對火雞晚餐和肋排的期待可能勝過世界上的一切。其實讓媽媽做點心只是小事。回家讓我最期待的就是那種完全放鬆、什麼都不用擔心的感覺。還有，就是去外面散步，去家鄉的商店，在鎮上閒逛。不過雖然那是我的家鄉，但感覺自己像個外人。不過我並不在意這種感覺。現在，在自己的家鄉卻感覺自己像外國人，這並不會讓我苦惱。我其實有些享受這種感覺。有時，我甚至希望我不會說其他人說的語言，說實話這是因爲我不想聽到其他人的對話。不過，在我家裏或是在我父母家裏的感覺真的非常舒服。

Abidemi: How often do you get to back home now?

阿比德米：你現在多久回家一次？

Jeremy: Well, just because of the cost, I can probably only go back once a year. And also, we have an infant boy and traveling with a one-year old on a 10-hour flight is—until you do it, you really never realize how terrible it is. But it is uncomfortable. It is really uncomfortable. So yeah, we're only able to make it back to Canada probably once a year now but his grandparents love seeing him so much that we want to do it as much as we possibly can.

傑里米：因爲費用問題，我一年只能回家一次。而且我的孩子只有10個月大，讓不到1歲的孩子坐10個小時的飛機，你嘗試過才知道那有多可怕。而且非常不舒服，很不舒服。所以，目前我們一年只能回一次加拿大，不過我父母非常想孫子，所以我們會盡可能多回家。

Abidemi: I guess the fact that you can't go as often as you would like makes it even much more worthwhile when you do get to go.

阿比德米：我想你不能經常回家是因爲你希望使這件事更值得。

Jeremy: It's true. It's true, yeah. Just the expense and the time that we have to put in, while you're there you basically savor every second. You don't want to sleep. You just want to enjoy it. So yeah, it's a pretty special experience going back home now.

傑里米：沒錯，你說得對。考慮到我們投入的費用和時間，我們要享受每一秒。根本不想睡覺，只想享受這一切。所以，現在回家是種極其特別的經歷。

Abidemi: That's awesome.

阿比德米：那真是太棒了。

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重點講解：
1. get used to sth. 開始習慣於；
例句：I've got used to this kind of life.
這種生活我已經習慣了。
2. as soon as 一…就…；
例句：They set to work as soon as they arrived.
他們一抵達就開始工作。
3. at ease （使）自在；（使）安逸；（使）不拘束；
例句：It is essential to feel at ease with your therapist.
在治療師面前放鬆下來是很重要的。
4. to be honest 老實說；說實在的；
例句：To be honest, I think they're kind of weird.
老實說，我認爲他們有點怪異。