美語情景對話 第344期:Batteries 電池
Adrienne: So, Mary, my battery has almost ran out. I'm so glad you had some but they're cold.
埃德里安娜：瑪麗，我的電池快沒電了。我很高興你有電池，不過它們太涼了。Mary: Well, I keep them in my frigerator along with several other sizes of batteries just so I have them on hand. It's a little quirky habit of mine but I always like to have backup whenever I need it so I've got into the habit of stock piling batteries and keeping them in the fridge.
瑪麗：我把它們和其他型號的電池一起放在冰箱裏了，所以我有現成的電池可以用。這是我的一個有點奇怪的習慣，不過在我需要的時候我喜歡準備一些備用電池，所以我就養成了儲備一些電池並把它們存放在冰箱裏的習慣。Adrienne: Well, it's very practical but why do you keep them in the frigerator?
埃德里安娜：這很實用，不過你爲什麼要把電池存放在冰箱裏？
Mary: I read somewhere a long time ago that that's how you extend the life of batteries by keeping them cool, that and film too so I also have several canisters of film in there, too, no room for the butter but.
瑪麗：我很久以前在某個地方看到過介紹如何通過保持低溫來延長電池壽命的方法，當然膠捲也是一樣的道理，所以我也在冰箱裏放了一些膠捲，不過冰箱裏沒有地方放黃油了。Adrienne: Do you have any food in your frigerator?
埃德里安娜：你冰箱裏有食物嗎？Mary: Some but it's mostly batteries and film.
瑪麗：有一些，不過大部分都是電池和膠捲。Adrienne: What kind of food do you keep in your frigerator?
埃德里安娜：你冰箱裏都有什麼食物？Mary: Right now because it's winter time, I have some oranges and actually some grapes and things so those are kind of coveted at this time of year, otherwise just the standard things. I have yogurt, milk, and some bread and I think six brusselsprouts.
瑪麗：因爲現在是冬季，所以我放了一些橙子，還有葡萄和類似這種在現在這個時候大家都想吃的食物，其他就是普通的食物了。有酸奶、牛奶、麪包，還有六個小甘藍。Adrienne: Just six.
埃德里安娜：只有六個。Mary: Just six.
瑪麗：只有六個。Adrienne: Why do you have brusselsprouts?
埃德里安娜：你爲什麼要放小甘藍？Mary: Just got in the habit of eating them. They're really very good, so I thought well I'll keep on, just handfuls so they don't spoil.
瑪麗：只是因爲我有吃小甘藍的習慣。實際上它們非常好，所以我想我會繼續存，不過我只存少量的小甘藍，所以並不會變質。Adrienne: How so you prepare your brusselsprouts?
埃德里安娜：那你一般怎麼烹飪小甘藍？Mary: Um, I steam them for about 10 minutes or so and eat them just perfectly plain, a little salt and a little pepper, that's about it.
瑪麗：大概蒸10分鐘左右，然後基本不放調料，只放一點鹽和一點辣椒，就可以吃了。Adrienne: Really, I find them a little bitter.
埃德里安娜：可是我覺得它們有點苦。Mary: I find them a little bitter too, but the longer you steam them the bitterness kind of goes away and of course there's ways you can dissipate the bitterness with a little bit of butter or salt or seasonings too, so they're not so bad.
瑪麗：我也覺得有點苦，不過你蒸得時間越長，那個苦味就越淡，當然你也可以加一點黃油、鹽或是其他調味品來去掉那個苦味，所以味道還不算太壞。Adrienne: Well, I'll have to try that.
埃德里安娜：好，我要做試試。
重點講解：
1. run out
用完；耗盡；
eg. His term of office has run out.
他的任期已滿。
eg. Our time is running out.
我們剩下的時間不多了。
2. on hand
在手頭；在近處；現有；
eg. He has too much work on hand to go picnicking with us.
他手頭的工作太多了，不能跟我們去野餐。
eg. I always like to keep a certain amount of money on hand.
我總喜歡在手頭備好一筆錢。
3. get into the habit of
養成……習慣；
eg. We should get into the habit of keeping good hours.
我們應該養成早睡早起的習慣。
eg. We should get into the good habit of using our time wisely.
我們應該養成明智利用時間的一個好習慣。
4. keep on
重複；繼續；
eg. And then keep on challenging yourself, because learning doesn't end with graduation.
然後要繼續挑戰自我，因爲學習不是到畢業就終止了。
eg. I have failed several times, but I still keep on.
我已經失敗了好幾次，但我仍然要繼續下去。
