美語情景對話 第379期:Canada and the U.S. 加拿大和美國

Todd: Now, Mike, you're from Canada but you lived in America for a good period of time.

託德：邁克，你來自加拿大，但是在美國生活了很長一段時間。

Mike: Right!

邁克：對！

Todd: How would you compare the two counties?

託德：那你會怎麼比較這兩個國家呢？

Mike: Well, the most obvious difference is Canada is a lot colder, I think than the United States in general, that's cause were north of the U.S., but culturally, I think that the US has a lot, many more culturally different areas within the country than Canada does. Canada as a culture, even though it's different from east to west, for people in Atlantic Canada are quite different from, let's say, Ontario, or Quebec, different from the West Coast. In the U.S., there are many more of those cultural pockets like New York for example is very different from Florida, which is very different from Louisiana, or Georgia, which is very different from Texas of course and all of those are very different from California and all of those, again, are very different from the North West part of the U.S., Seattle and that area, so the U.S. has many, many more sort of culturally diverse areas, very, unique, and that's one, I think one significant difference between Canada and the U.S. Another difference is, Canada is obviously, one thing that many tourists point to, is a reason for going to Canada, Canada is safer than the U.S. Again, I think partly cause of gun laws and things like that, but just in general, I think the history of Canada sort of is a lot more, is a lot less, I guess, it was a lot less, there was no revolution really in Canada and there was in the U.S. so I mean I think the roots are a little bit less, more subdued, I'd say, so that makes a difference culturally. However, I think that because Canada is more safe, it's also more boring than the U.S., so the U.S., it’s maybe a little bit riskier but it's a lot more fun. Canada is safer but, again, more boring.

邁克：嗯，總的來說，顯然最主要的不同點就是加拿大比美國冷得多，這是因爲加拿大在美國北邊。我認爲相比於加拿大，美國有更多文化不同的區域。加拿大的文化是一個整體，雖然東部和西部的文化有所不同，來自加拿大大西洋區的人們和來自安大略省或是魁北克省的人們非常不同，和來自西海岸的人們也有很多不同點。而美國有許多文化區域，像紐約同佛羅里達州的文化就非常不同，同路易斯安那州或是喬治亞州的文化也不同，當然得克薩斯州也有不同的文化，而這些地區同加州的文化也大不相同，當然美國北部地區也有獨特的文化，比如西雅圖，所以美國有許多文化多樣性的地區，它們都擁有獨特的文化，我想這就是加拿大和美國其中一個重要的不同點。另外一個不同點就是，顯然有許多遊客前往加拿大旅行的原因是，加拿大比美國安全。我想部分原因是槍支法律，總體來說，我認爲加拿大的歷史比美國短得多，其實加拿大沒有真正意義上的革命，而美國則經歷了革命時期，加拿大的血脈要更溫和，所以這就造成了文化上的不同。而且，我想這也是加拿大更安全的原因，當然這樣也使加拿大比美國枯燥，在美國生活也許風險更大，但是那裏有更多的樂趣。加拿大更安全，但是同樣也更枯燥。

Todd: That's interesting, I mean, I don't know. I haven't been to Canada but I would like to go.

託德：這很有意思，我是說我並不知道這些。我從未去過加拿大，不過我很想去看看。

Mike: Definitely come up and visit and you'll know why you enjoy the States so much.

邁克：你一定要來遊玩，這樣你就知道你爲什麼這麼喜歡美國了。

Todd: I'm not so sure about that. All right, thanks, Mike.

託德：這點我可不能確定。好吧，謝謝你，邁克。

Mike: Sure.

邁克：不用謝。

重點講解：
1. in general
總的來說；總體上來看；大體上；
eg. Ladies in general fancy fashionable clothes.
一般而言，女士都喜歡時髦的衣服。
eg. In general, private-sector involvement improves things.
一般而言，私人部門參與進來會起到改善作用。
2. even though
即使；儘管；縱然；
eg. It's actually tough, even though you feel that way about yourselves.
真的很難，就算你認爲自己真的沒錯也無濟於事。
eg. But even though my friend is right, he's only half right.
儘管我的朋友說對了，但是他只對了一半。
3. be different from
異於；和…不同；
eg. In that respect, at least, virtual meetings are no different from the in-person kind.
至少在這方面，視頻會議與當面溝通的會議並沒有多大區別。
eg. While choosing partners, people seem to be attracted easily by the person whose genes are too different from themselves.
人們在選擇伴侶時，更容易被與自己基因差異大的人吸引。
4. for example
例如；比如；
eg. Trying to establish some sort of brand name is an important part of the expansion plans of many textiles companies, for example.
比如，對於許多紡織企業，努力打造品牌都是其擴張計劃的重要組成部分。
eg. For example, in Britain or America it is not polite to ask people how much money they make in their jobs.
比如說，在英國或美國詢問別人的收入是不禮貌的。
5. point to
着重指出；強調；以…爲證明；
eg. George Fodor points to other weaknesses in the way the campaign has progressed.
喬治·福多爾以運動開展過程中的其他不足爲證。
eg. Gooch last night pointed to their bowling as the key to World Cup success.
古奇昨晚指出，他們的投球是在世界盃上取得成功的關鍵。