美語情景對話 第1002期:Southern Style 南部特色

Peter: So Sarah, what's so unique about people in the south? You often hear about that.

彼得：薩拉，美國南部地區的人爲什麼如此特別？經常聽到別人這樣說。

Sarah: Yes. We're often known for being very laidback and easygoing. And we're also known for a certain accent which usually has a lot to do with the vowels in our speech as well as talking slower. We seem to be not as fast-paced as society in the north and just more friendly and laidback.

薩拉：對。我們通常以悠閒隨和聞名。而且我們的口音也很出名，我們說話時使用很多元音，而且我們說得很慢。我們的生活節奏不像北方人那樣快，我們更友好更慵懶。

Peter: Okay. Why do you think that is? I'm just curious about it now that you say it.

彼得：好。爲什麼會這樣？我對你說的情況很好奇。

Sarah: I really have no idea, it just seems to be the way it is. So it's kind of a slower lifestyle, it's not very urban, there's not so much traffic or things going on, it's more rural, very family-oriented. You spend a lot of time with your family and food is also very important. And those are the things that we value the most in life, is probably family and food and time, and so we don't rush through things.

薩拉：我也不知道，情況就是這樣。我們的生活方式更慢，不太城市化，我們的交通流量也不大，我們偏向田園生活，以家庭爲重。我們會花很多時間陪伴家人，而且食物對我們來說很重要。我們在生活中最看重的是家人、食物和時間，所以我們不會匆匆忙忙地生活。

Peter: Sounds like a really easy lifestyle in many ways.

彼得：從很多方面來看，這都是非常簡單的生活方式。

Sarah: Yeah.

薩拉：對。

Peter: Comfortable living there. So you spoke about the lifestyle — some of the lifestyles that you can see in the south. What kind of things, what social activities do people get involved in? Why is family life so important?

彼得：在那裏生活很舒適。你剛纔談了南方的生活方式。那一般人們會參與哪些社交活動？爲什麼家庭生活如此重要？

Sarah: Well, something that's also very important in the south is Christianity. So there's a lot of people who are very involved in their churches. And churches usually have a lot of social gatherings, so besides going to church on Sunday and Bible study on Wednesday night, there's usually picnics and get-togethers and fundraisers and all sorts of things, so very involved with not only our family but our communities as well as church communities.

薩拉：基督教在南方也非常重要。有許多人會參加教會活動。教堂通常會舉行許多社交聚會，除了週日去做禮拜以外，週三會組織《聖經》學習，還有野餐、聚會和籌款等活動，所以人們不止注重家庭活動，也會廣泛參與社區活動和教會活動。

Peter: I've heard the term Bible belt being used before, would South Carolina and North Carolina be part of the Bible belt in America?

彼得：我聽說以前有“聖經地帶”這個詞，南卡羅來納州和北卡羅來納州屬於“聖經地帶”嗎？

Sarah: Yes, absolutely. Most southern states are a part of this, and that's how it got its name.

薩拉：當然了。大部分南方州都屬於“聖經地帶”，所以才得此名。

Peter: Aside from those social family events and activities, what other things do people like doing? If the weather's really mild, do they get out and do a lot of outdoor activities?

彼得：除了家庭社交活動以外，人們還會參與哪些活動？如果天氣溫暖，人們會不會參與戶外活動？

Sarah: Absolutely, people love to fish, people love to hunt, so a lot of outdoor activities like that, and depending on where you live, if you live in the mountains of course a lot of hiking. And if you live on the coast then a lot of spending time on the beach, laying in the sun, drinking beer, that's what a lot of people do.

薩拉：當然會，人們喜歡釣魚和打獵，有許多種戶外運動，這要取決於你住在哪裏，如果你住在山區，可以去徒步旅行。如果你住在海岸地區，那就可以在海灘上享受美好時光，躺在陽光下，喝啤酒，許多人都這樣做。

Peter: So you mentioned that you travelled a lot across America, do you notice whether people in other parts of the country are very different to people from the south?

彼得：你之前提到過你去過美國很多地方，你有沒有注意到其他地方的人與南方人有什麼不同？

Sarah: Oh, definitely.

薩拉：哦，當然注意到了。

Peter: In what ways?

彼得：有哪些不同？

Sarah: People in the north are very time-oriented, they seem to be very scheduled, and very planned out because they have very, maybe strict jobs with times and very little free time because they work a lot and lots of ... if they live in a big city then lots of traffic and lots of ... I don't know, I think of schedules and meetings and time when I think of the north.

薩拉：北方人非常看重時間，他們把一切都安排得井井有條、計劃得非常好，因爲他們的工作時間非常嚴格，沒有很多自由時間，他們要做很多工作……如果他們生活在大城市，那就會有很多交通問題，提到北方，我就會想到日程安排、會議和時間。

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重點講解：
1. be known for 以…聞名的；
例句：He is well known for his honest dealing.
他以真誠待人而著稱。
2. rush through 加急處理；匆忙處理；
例句：The government rushed through legislation aimed at Mafia leaders.
政府匆忙通過了針對黑手黨首領的立法。
3. be involved in 捲入的；參與的；與…有密切關聯的；
例句：All the children were involved in the school play.
所有孩子都參加了學校排練的戲劇。
4. all sorts of 各種各樣的；形形色色的；
例句：There are all sorts of commodities in the shop.
在商店裏有各種各樣的商品。