美語情景對話 第545期:Learning Language 學習語言

Tom: Joel, you speak Thai.

湯姆：喬爾，你會說泰語。

Joel: Yeah, a little bit.

喬爾：對，會說一點兒。

Tom: Your wife speaks English.

湯姆：你妻子會說英語。

Joel: Yep, yep.

喬爾：對，沒錯。

Tom: So, at home, what language do you use?

湯姆：那你們在家裏用什麼語言交流？

Joel: We usually speak English when we want to have real communication because her English is much better than my Thai, but I like to practice Thai a lot so when I'm being a little more playful, when the topic isn't serious and we really don't need to communicate, then we'll speak in Thai and I get a chance to practice and it's also fun for her to listen to me speak in Thai and to teach me. What's interesting is that, it depends also on who we're around, so for example if we're with my family and we want to say something in private, then we'll speak in Thai but if we're with her family and we want to say something privately then we'll speak in English so her family can't understand us.

喬爾：一般在我們需要深入交流時會說英語，因爲她的英語要比我的泰語好，不過我喜歡多練習一下泰語，所以在談論輕鬆好玩的話題時，在我們不需要溝通事情的情況下，我們會說泰語，這樣我就有機會練習了，而且對她來說，聽我說泰語和教我泰語都是一種樂趣。有意思的是，我們說什麼語言要取決於我們和誰在一起，舉例來說，如果我們和我家人在一起，我們想說一些私人的事情，我們會說泰語，如果我們和她家人在一起，我們要說私事時就會說英語，因爲這樣一來她家人就不知道我們在說什麼了。

Tom: Don't your family think that's quite rude?

湯姆：你家人不會認爲這樣太無禮了嗎？

Joel: Oh, they don't really, they don't really know what we're talking about so they can't be sure. It gets more complicated, though because she also speaks Japanese and I speak Japanese, so sometimes when we are with her brother who speaks English, we'll speak Japanese if we want to speak privately.

喬爾：哦，他們不知道我們在說什麼，所以他們不確定。可能更復雜，因爲她會說日語，我也會說日語，所以我們在和她說英語的哥哥在一起時，如果要說私事我們會說日語。

Tom: And then again, there's your little kid. What language does he speak?

湯姆：那你們的孩子呢？他說什麼語言？

Joel: I try to speak English most of the time when I'm with him because I want to have him hear me as a model because he lives in Thailand so he's always hearing Thai and I want him to have a chance to hear some English but I find that since I'm around Thai people all the time, they're speaking Thai to him, I start to get used to how they talk to him, and I start to kind of copy their examples, so sometimes it feels natural to me to speak Thai with him, but I try to speak English with him as much as I can.

喬爾：我和孩子說話時儘量大部分時間都用英語，因爲我想讓學習我的語音，他住在泰國，他聽到的都是泰語，所以我想讓他有機會聽一些英語，不過我發現，因爲我們一直和泰國人在一起，那些人都和他說泰語，所以我開始習慣他們和他說話的方式，我開始模仿他們，所以有時和孩子說泰語對我來說也很自然，不過我儘量和他說英語。

Tom: And what do you eat in your family?

湯姆：你們家裏吃哪國菜？

Joel: Oh, we eat Thai food all the time, yeah. I like it much better than American food.

喬爾：哦，我們一直吃泰國菜。相比於美國菜，我更喜歡泰國菜。

Tom: Is it because you like it or because your wife is good at cooking it?

湯姆：是因爲你喜歡泰國菜，還是因爲你妻子擅長做泰國菜？

Joel: I guess both. I mean, you can't really find much American food in Thailand so it's much easier to get and if you were going to go to a restaurant, like Sizler or something, even though it's not so good, it's very expensive, so, both. I like Thai food better and it's just easier to get when you're there.

喬爾：我覺得兩種原因都有吧。泰國的美國餐廳不多，所以吃泰國菜相對容易些，而且如果你去Sizler這種餐廳吃飯，食物並不怎麼好吃卻很貴。所以兩個原因都有吧，我更喜歡泰國食物，而且吃泰國菜也相對容易些。

Tom: With the different languages you can't really settle down together in front of the TV.

湯姆：因爲語言不同，你們很難一起看電視吧？

Joel: She usually likes to watch English programs, though, so but it's hard for me to watch Thai programs. I usually, I get bored very quickly because I can't understand much.

喬爾：她喜歡看英語節目，不過對我來說泰語節目很難。我很快就煩了，因爲我聽不太懂。

譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載

重點講解：
1. depend on
取決（於）；有賴（於）；
eg. The opportunities available will depend on your previous work experience and qualifications.
能否有機會要看你的工作經歷和學歷。
eg. They depend on a particular historical situation.
它們取決於特定的歷史境況。
2. in private
私下地；祕密地；
eg. This sort of business can only be transacted in private.
這種事情只能私下處理。
eg. He waited behind to have a word with her in private.
他留下來好跟她私下裏說句話。
3. get used to sth./doing sth.
開始習慣於；
eg. I get used to looking after myself.
我已經習慣於照顧自己了。
eg. You'll have to get used to his direct manner.
你得慢慢習慣他這種直率的方式。
4. be good at
擅長的；精通的；能幹的；
eg. He is good at his job but he seems to lack confidence.
他工作不錯，但似乎缺乏信心。
eg. 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。