支教是一項(xiàng)支援落后地區(qū)鄉(xiāng)鎮(zhèn)中小學(xué)校的教育和教學(xué)管理工作。支教是一個提升自己、沉淀自己的過程,不僅幫助了別人,也鍛煉了自己,是一種難得的經(jīng)歷。我們來看看Connie參加完支教后,對她的工作以及其他方面的影響。
Tanner: Hey, Connie! Good to see you back in the office.
Connie: Its good to be back! Im glad to see everythings still 1)status quo around here.
Tanner: Well, you were only gone for one week. 2)Say, Im still not clear on why you were gone.
Connie: Oh, I went to do some volunteer teaching.
Tanner: So thats what you were up to! ①I didnt know you had a heart of gold.
Connie: Oh, stop it! Actually, it was a lot of fun.
Tanner: ②So how did you even get into volunteer teaching?
Connie: Well, ③a connection from my college days hooked me up with a charity organization that puts these kind of trips together every month or so.
Tanner: Every month? I had no idea these events were going on all the time.
Connie: Sure. ④These days, a lot of people are looking for ways to give back.
Tanner: Well, I applaud your 3)civic-mindedness.
Connie: ⑤There you go again!
Tanner: But how did you get Anderson to approve the leave of absence? Shes pretty 4)tightfisted about time off.
Connie: ⑥Even hard nuts like Anderson can have their soft spots. In Andersons case, she grew up in a poor area as well and she really sees value in this kind of project.
Tanner: Education is the road to a better life, they say.
Connie: Exactly. And anyway, teaching has benefits for my current work as well.
Tanner: Like what?
Connie: Well, presentation and communication skills, for one. ⑦When you work with kids whose background is different from yours, you can run into a lot of communication issues. You really have to think about the 5)optimal way of presenting information. Thats good experience for people in our line of work.
Tanner: I can see that.
Connie: Oh, and patience. You have to have a lot of patience to work with kids. ⑧After a week surrounded by elementary school students, putting up with co-workers is a piece of cake!
Tanner: Hey! Should I take that personally?
Connie: Of course not, Tanner. And I guess the last benefit would have to be 6)perspective. After seeing the living conditions of some of those families, Im much more grateful for what I have!
Tanner: Well, thats something. Actually, it sounds like the trip was a great experience for you.
Connie: Sure was. Wanna come along next time?
Tanner: ⑨You bet! Where do I sign up?
坦納:嘿,康妮!很高興看到你回辦公室。
康妮:回來的感覺真好!我很高興看到這里一切如舊。
坦納:好吧,你才離開一周而已。這不,我還不知道你為什么離開。
康妮:哦,我去了做支教。
坦納:那就是你去忙的事情!我以前不知道你有顆金子般的心。
康妮:哦,別說了!事實(shí)上,那是很有趣的事。
坦納:那么你是怎樣參與支教活動的?
康妮:嗯,我大學(xué)時認(rèn)識的一個朋友幫我聯(lián)系了一家慈善機(jī)構(gòu),該機(jī)構(gòu)大約每個月都組織這些類似的行程。
坦納:每個月?我都不知道這些事情一直在進(jìn)行中。
康妮:當(dāng)然。近來,很多人在尋找各種方式來回報社會。
坦納:嗯,我要為你的公民責(zé)任感鼓掌。
康妮:你又來了!
坦納:但是你怎樣讓安德森同意你請假的?她對請假很嚴(yán)格的。
康妮:嚴(yán)厲如安德森的人也有他們的軟肋。安德森的情況是:她也是在一個貧窮的地區(qū)長大,能真正看到這種項(xiàng)目的價值。
坦納:俗話說:教育是通向美好生活的道路。
康妮:完全正確,然而,支教對我現(xiàn)在的工作也大有裨益。
坦納:比如說呢?
康妮:嗯,表達(dá)和溝通的技巧就是其中一點(diǎn)。當(dāng)你和一群生活背景跟自己完全不同的孩子一起互動,你會遇到很多溝通上的問題。你真的必須考慮用最合適的方式去傳達(dá)信息。那對于我們干這行工作的人是極好的經(jīng)歷。
坦納:我能體會得到。
康妮:哦,還有耐心。跟孩子們打交道你必須要很有耐心。跟小學(xué)生在一起一周后,再難忍受的同事也是小菜一碟!
坦納:嘿,我能不能以個人形式去參加?
康妮:當(dāng)然不能,坦納。我想最后一個好處就是對事物的看法??吹侥抢镉行┘彝サ纳顮顩r后,我更加珍惜自己現(xiàn)在擁有的!
坦納:太好了。事實(shí)上,聽起來那趟出行對你來說是很棒的經(jīng)歷。
康妮:沒錯。下次要一起來嗎?
坦納:當(dāng)然!我要在哪里登記?
Smart Sentences
① I didnt know you had a heart of gold. 我以前不知道你有顆金子般的心。
a heart of gold: a genuinely kind and caring person(金子般的心)。例如:
He plays the part of a tough cop, but he has a heart of gold.
他雖說是一個強(qiáng)悍警察,但卻有著金子般的心。
② So how did you even get into volunteer teaching? 那么你是怎樣參與支教活動的?
get into sth.: become involved in sth.(參與其中)。例如:
He cant wait to get into advertising.
他迫不及待地想進(jìn)入廣告界。
③ A connection from my college days hooked me up with a charity organization that puts these kind of trips together every month or so.我大學(xué)時認(rèn)識的一個朋友幫我聯(lián)系了一家慈善機(jī)構(gòu),該機(jī)構(gòu)大約每個月都組織這類行程。
hook up with sb.: form a connection with sb.(與某人掛鉤,與某人建立聯(lián)系)。例如:
Our paper hooked up with CCTV last year and we can probably work with them to help students in rural areas.
我們報紙去年與央視建立了聯(lián)系,可以跟他們聯(lián)手幫助農(nóng)村的學(xué)生。
④ These days, a lot of people are looking for ways to give back. 近來,很多人在尋找各種方式來回報社會。
give back: repay(回報社會)。例如:
Setting up a charity foundation is one of Bill Gates ways of giving back.
創(chuàng)立慈善基金會是比爾·蓋茨回報社會的一種方式。
⑤ There you go again! 你又來了!
There you go again: used to express exasperation or dissatisfaction, same as “you did that again”(用以表示惱怒或不滿,等同于“you did that again”)。例如:
——Sis, you failed the driving test? Ive already said you would.
姐,你沒有通過駕考?我早就說過你過不了。
——There you go again! Shut up!
你還說!閉嘴!
⑥ Even hard nuts like Anderson can have their soft spots. 嚴(yán)厲如安德森的人也有他們的軟肋。
a hard nut: sb. who is tough and not easily hurt(堅(jiān)強(qiáng)的人,嚴(yán)厲的人)。例如:
Outsiders may view Mrs. Susie Stone as a hard nut, but she is a loving boss to us.
外人可能覺得蘇茜·斯通夫人很嚴(yán)厲,但對我們來說,她是一個很友善的上司。
have a soft spot: have a tender or sentimental feeling for sth./sb.(性格中易受打動之處)。例如:
Terry had a soft spot for Jenny, her youngest daughter.
泰莉的感情弱點(diǎn)是她最小的女兒簡妮。
⑦ When you work with kids whose background is different from yours, you can run into a lot of communication issues. 當(dāng)你和一群生活背景跟自己完全不同的孩子一起互動,你會遇到很多溝通上的問題。
run into: unexpectedly begin to experience problems or difficulties(碰上難題)。例如:
The project has run into money problems.
項(xiàng)目遇上了資金問題。
⑧ After a week surrounded by elementary school students, putting up with co-workers is a piece of cake! 跟小學(xué)生在一起一周后,再難忍受的同事也是小菜一碟!
put up with: tolerate or accept sth., even though it is unpleasant or unsatisfactory(容忍,忍受)。例如:
Its amazing that my mother has put up with my fathers snoring for three decades.
我媽已經(jīng)忍了我爸的鼾聲三十年,太神奇了。
⑨ You bet! 當(dāng)然!
You bet: used to emphasize a positive or affirmative reply(用以強(qiáng)調(diào)肯定的答復(fù))。例如:
——You sure the party is on Sunday night?
你肯定派對是在星期天晚上嗎?
——You bet.
當(dāng)然。