这年头,婚介所又火起来了,成了不少寻“爱”未果的单身人士的求助所。在这个讲究效率的年代,婚介所的存在是有其合理性的。与其单凭感觉在茫茫人海中找寻你的命中注定,还不如相信专业人士,只有锁定目标,才能提高命中率。前头Jackie还为爱苦闷不已,这头他已经向爱情发起了冲锋。
发音：英式发音+澳式发音 语速：150词/分钟 使用方法：精听+角色扮演
Sydney: Please come in.
Jackie: You’ll have to excuse me, I’ve never been to a dating agency before. I’m a little bit nervous about this.
Sydney: Don’t worry, you’re not the first to feel that way. It’s natural to feel a bit nervous when it comes to falling in love. But fear not, here at Soul Connections we make it our Number One 1)priority to match couples who are perfect for each other, or your money back.
Jackie: You really think you can find someone that I’m going to fall in love with?
Sydney: Well, ①I don’t like to 2)toot my own 3)horn, but we do have an eighty-five percent success rate of matching couples that stay together for at least two years and twenty-five percent of our couples get married.
Jackie: I guess they are better 4)odds than I’m going to get with someone I meet in a bar or someone my mother sets me up with.
Sydney: Sure are. Now, take a seat. Do you have any questions before we begin?
Jackie: No, not at all. ②Just ready to get the show on the road.
Sydney: Great. I love to see enthusiasm like that. So, I already have your paperwork and
5)particulars, ③let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. I’m going to ask you a series of questions to better understand exactly who you are looking for.
Jackie: Cool.
Sydney: Let’s begin. What is the first thing you notice when you meet a woman?
Jackie: Her…umm…eyes. I guess I’m really drawn to a girl with nice eyes. Not any specific colour, just eyes that make me feel comfortable, like they understand me.
Sydney: Great. And what three personality
6)traits do you find most important in a partner?
Jackie: I’d have to say: honesty—I’ve been hurt a lot in the past by dishonest women;
7)intelligence—I want someone I can have a conversation with, but I don’t want her to be too smart; and a sense of humour—if you can’t have a good laugh, life isn’t worth living.
Sydney: Great, great, great. And finally, do you have any physical or racial preferences?
Jackie: Oh, not at all. ④I’m easy. As long as she has a good heart, I don’t care where she comes from.
Sydney: OK. I’ll just put all this information into the computer and in a few minutes we should have a match for you!
西德尼:请进。
杰基:请多多包涵,我之前从没来过婚姻介绍所,有点紧张。
西德尼:不用担心,你不是第一个有这种感觉的。跟恋爱有关的事情自然会让人感到紧张。但不要怕,我们“心灵交流站”的首要宗旨就是撮合理想伴侣,否则你可以要求退钱。
杰基:你真的有把握可以为我找到喜欢的人?
西德尼:嗯,不是我自夸,经由我们介绍在一起至少两年的情侣配对成功率高达85%,而25%的情侣最终步入了婚姻的殿堂。
杰基:我想比起我在酒吧中结识的或是我妈给我介绍的成功率应该会高些吧。
西德尼:那当然。来,请坐。在我们正式开始之前你还有没有什么疑问?
杰基:没有。已经作好准备了,开始吧。
西德尼:非常好。我就喜欢你这样的热情。行。我手上已经有你的资料和详细介绍了,让我们开始着手一些基本细节问题。接下来我会问你一连串问题以便更好地了解你在物色怎样的伴侣。
杰基:很好。
西德尼:我们开始吧。当你和女性见面时,你首先会关注她的什么地方。
杰基:她的……呃……眼睛。我想我会被双眸漂亮的女孩子所吸引。并非得特定什么颜色,就是那种眼神能让我感到自在的,好像它们能读懂我。
西德尼:好的。那你说说你最看重另一半的哪三个人格特质。
杰基:我想说的是,要诚实,过去我曾被不忠的女人伤得很深;有智慧,我希望我们之间有话可聊,但我又不希望她太精明;还要有幽默感,如果你无法开怀大笑,那么你就白来世上走一趟了。
西德尼:好好好。最后,在相貌和人种方面你有没有什么偏好?
杰基:哦,没有。我不在意这些。只要她心地好,我不在乎她来自哪里。
西德尼:行。我会把这些信息都输进电脑,几分钟后我们就可以为你找到合适的人选。
Smart Sentences
① I don’t like to toot my own horn.不是我自夸。
toot one’s own horn: brag or boast about oneself(自我吹嘘,自我夸耀)。例如:
My mother loves to toot her own horn about how she was pursued by three boys.
我妈喜欢夸耀自己当年如何被三个男孩子追求的事。
② Just ready to get the show on the road. 已经作好准备了,开始吧。
get the show on the road: get started(着手开始,付诸实施)。例如:
Nina loves to talk about ideas, but never gets the show on
the road.
尼娜喜欢谈想法,但却从不付诸实施。
③ Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. 让我们开始着手一些基本细节问题。
nitty-gritty: the most important, basic parts of a matter, or a situation(基本事实,本质),also “nuts and bolts”(也可用nuts and bolts)。例如:
The nitty-gritty of the job is what I enjoy the most, not the title.
我喜欢的是这个工作的点点滴滴,而不是它的头衔。
④ I’m easy.我不在意这些。
I’m easy: anyone/anything is okay with me(随便)。例如:
—Do you want some noodles, a sandwich or a salad?
你想要吃点面,还是来个三文治,或是吃个沙拉?
—I’m easy. Whatever is convenient for you.
随便,哪个方便就哪个吧。