美語情景對話 第790期:Household Chores 家務活

Todd: Looking back I think other roles were kind of traditional like I have two sisters and they usually had the responsibility of doing the cleaning, and I had the responsibility of , you know, mowing the lawn, and taking out the trash and cleaning up the yard and stuff like that. Was it similar in your house?

託德：回想過去，我認爲我家裏的分工很傳統，我有兩個姐姐，她們負責打掃工作，我負責修剪草坪，倒垃圾，打掃院子之類的工作。你家裏也是這樣嗎？

Buddhi: Well, dad used to do stuff like that and my brother and I didn't do much work.

布迪希妮：一般是我爸爸做這些家務，我哥哥和我不太做家務。

Todd: You were spoiled.

託德：你們被寵壞了。

Buddhi: Very, very, very, very .... yeah. Did you ever decide to shift work with your sisters?

布迪希妮：我爸爸非常非常非常寵我們。你有和你姐姐們交換做家務嗎？

Todd: No, of course, it never even occured to me. I mean, when you're young, you just do they tell you to do, and to be honest I was very happy. I think I loved doing yardwork. I loved mowing the grass and pruning the trees and, you know, taking about the trash — anything that was physical I enjoyed. I didnt enjoy cleaning. But you never had to do that?

託德：當然沒有，我從來沒想過這點。小的時候，一般你只會做被要求做的事情，說實話，當時我很開心。我想我喜歡整理庭院。我喜歡修剪草坪、修剪樹枝，還有倒垃圾，所有體力活我都喜歡。我不喜歡打掃工作。你從沒做過家務嗎？

Buddhi: Well, I cleaned my own room and my brother cleaned his own, and I mean, it's obvious and it's ... I mean... it's something we really should do, like at home. When we eat, you clean your dish, and maybe we ... when I grew up, I'd wash ... I'll do the dishes, and even if I didn't do my mom wouldn't expect me to do it, and make sure I do it somehow. If it's not done, she'd do it. If I do it, well, she'll be thankful.

布迪希妮：嗯，我要打掃我的房間，我哥哥打掃他自己的房間，顯然這是我們在家裏要做的事情。我們吃完飯以後，要洗碗，可能是在長大以後，我會去洗碗，但即使我不洗碗的話，我媽媽也不指望我洗碗，只是有時我會洗。如果沒人洗碗的話，我媽媽就會去洗。如果我洗碗的話，我媽媽會很欣慰。

Todd: So, in your household, who mops the floor?

託德：那你家裏誰擦地？

Buddhi: My dad would.

布迪希妮：我爸爸。

Todd: Your dad would. Who washes the windows?

託德：你爸爸做。那誰擦窗戶？

Buddhi: My dad, yeah.

布迪希妮：我爸爸。

Todd: Oh, your dad! He's hardworking. OK, who does the laundry?

託德：哦，又是你爸爸做！他真勤勞。那誰洗衣服？

Buddhi: My mom or myself.

布迪希妮：我媽媽和我。

Todd: Or yourself? Really! OK. What does your brother do?

託德：你自己洗衣服？真的嗎？那你哥哥做什麼？

Buddhi: Most of the time, like, he's about eight years older than me, so as soon as he graduated from high school he went abroad for high studies, so when he was doing the usual stuff, I was a kid, so I was not doing anything, so soon after he went I took over or something like that.

布迪希妮：大部分時間……我哥哥比我大8歲，他高中畢業以後就去國外留學了，他做日常家務的時候，我還很小，那時我什麼家務都不做，而他出國以後，我就接手了他負責的家務。

Todd: Well you did some stuff.

託德：你也做些家務。

Buddhi: I did. I'm proud.

布迪希妮：對，我做家務。我很自豪。

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重點講解：
1. look back 追憶；回顧；
例句：Looking back, I am staggered how easily it was all arranged.
回頭一想，我驚異地發現這一切的安排竟是如此簡單。
2. take out 去除；把…帶出去；
例句：My neighbor took out the burnable trash.
我的鄰居把可燃垃圾拿到外面去了。
3. clean up 打掃；清掃；把…弄乾淨；
例句：She is cleaning up the kitchen now.
她現在正在打掃廚房。
4. occur to （想法或主意）被想到，被想起，浮現於腦海中；
例句：It occurred to me that I could have the book sent to me.
我想到可以讓人把書寄給我。
5. to be honest 老實說；說實在的；
例句：To be honest, I find it unsatisfactory.
說實話，我很不滿意。
6. even if 即使；儘管；縱然；
例句：We shouldn't slight anybody even if he's a nobody.
我們不應該輕視任何人，即使他是一個小人物。
7. as soon as 一…就…；
例句：The stars came out as soon as darkness fell.
天一黑，星星就出來了。
8. take over 接收，接管；
例句：My idea is letting her take over my work.
我的想法是讓她接替我的工作。