美語情景對話 第789期:Family Chef 家庭掌勺人
Buddhi: Can you tell me about general roles in America? Is it that women do cooking or the men help out or how is it done?
布迪希妮：你能說說美國的性別角色嗎？是女性負責做飯，男性幫忙，還是怎樣的？Todd: I think it's changed a lot over the years. It's similar to what you said in your country. America's probably maybe one of the leading countries in trying to make it more equal, so yeah, so now it's ... the men are supposed to help cook and clean and stuff. But actually what I find interesting is that over time I think people still settle into their old habits. I think that young couples start off that the husbands gonna cook and he's gonna help clean but as they get older naturally it does seem like women revert to more caretaking roles and men kind of get lazy I think. You know. Although, I have to say, growing up my step-father was pretty amazing. He was really good at cooking and he cooked a lot and he actually used to get home before my mother. She also worked. So he would do the most of the cooking, and he was actually the better cook, but my mom's a good cook too.
託德：我想這幾年情況有了很大的變化。現在美國的性別角色和你們國家的類似。在男女平等這方面，美國應該是領先國家之一，男性會在做飯、打掃等家務上幫忙。不過我發現有意思的是，隨着時間流逝，人們會重新拾起舊習慣。在年輕夫妻中，一開始丈夫會做飯，幫忙做打掃工作，但是在他們年老以後，妻子會重新承擔起照顧家庭的角色，而男性則會越來越懶。不過，我要說，我的繼父非常不可思議。他很會做飯，在家裏他做飯的次數更多，而且他回家的時間比我媽媽早。我媽媽也在工作。所以一般是我繼父做飯，而且他做的飯很好吃，當然我媽媽做的飯也不錯。Buddhi: So looking at him, did you ever want to learn cooking and did you ever think like, "OK, when I grow up I'll always help whoever was around."
布迪希妮：那他有沒有讓你想學做飯，或者你有沒有想過：好，我長大以後也要幫忙？
Todd: No, it was actually .... I'm quite ashamed. I never did really learn cooking from him or my mother, so they never really showed me, so even to this day I'm a pretty terrible cook. So what about you? Did your mother show you how to cook?
託德：沒有，這點讓我很羞愧。我從沒有跟他或我媽媽學過做飯，他們也沒有教過我，所以直到現在我的廚藝仍然很差。那你呢？你媽媽有教你做飯嗎？Buddhi: She did, it's just that I didn't learn and my brother ended up learning all the cooking and he's a very good cook right now, and it makes me be very ashamed of myself, but ...
布迪希妮：她教了，不過我沒有學會，倒是我哥哥學會了做飯，他現在做的一手好菜，這讓我感到慚愧，不過……Todd: So wait a minute. Wait a minute. Your mom actually took the time to show you how to cook, and you say you still can't cook?
託德：等等，等一下。你媽媽有花時間教你做飯，可是你還是不會做飯？Buddhi: Yes!!!!
布迪希妮：對！！！！Todd: Why? What happened?
託德：爲什麼？爲什麼會這樣？Buddhi: I don't know. I don't know. Sri Lankan cooking is so difficult and it takes ... it's really time consuming, but I wouldn't want to say that out too loud cause there are some like many good cooks as well, it's just that I'm not good at it, but .... I mean, I'm not that that bad. It's just that my food don't turn out to be as good as my mom's.
布迪希妮：我也不知道，我也不清楚原因。斯里蘭卡菜很難做，而且做起來要花很多時間，不過我不想以此做藉口，斯里蘭卡也有很多人做飯很好，只是我不太擅長做飯，不過我做的也不是太差。只是我做的菜沒有我媽媽做的好吃。Todd: Right.
託德：好。
譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載
重點講解：
1. help out 幫助…做事；
例句：There was only a young girl to help out in the kitchen.
廚房裏只有一個年輕的女孩幫忙。
2. be similar to 相像的；相仿的；類似的；
例句：A cat is similar to a tiger in many respects.
貓和虎在很多方面相似。
3. be supposed to do sth. 應當，應該，須；
例句：You are not suppose to stay home during the weekend.
你不應該週末還呆在家裏。
4. start off 開始；
例句：The project started off on the wrong foot.
這項工程一開始就不順利。
5. revert to 恢復，回覆（到以前的狀態、制度或行爲；
例句：Jackson said her boss became increasingly depressed and reverted to smoking heavily.
傑克遜說她的老闆情緒越來越低落，又開始拼命抽菸了。
6. be good at 擅長的；精通的；能幹的；
例句：She is very good at using her charm to get her way.
她非常善於利用自己的魅力隨心所欲。
7. end up 最終；結果；到頭來；
例句：Make sure you wear your life jacket, otherwise — if you fall over board-you'll end up feeding the fishes.
確信你穿好了救生衣，否則——要是你從船上落入水中——你會葬身魚腹的。
8. be ashamed of （爲…）感到羞恥的，感到難爲情的；
例句：I've never told this to anyone, but it's true, I was terribly ashamed of my mum.
這件事我從來沒告訴過別人，但是我真的爲我媽感到很害臊。
9. turn out （以某種方式）發生；最後是；結果是；
例句：I feel certain that it will all turn out well.
我覺得最後肯定會皆大歡喜。
