“宅男(女)”是时下最流行的词汇之一。作为“宅”的根据地,“家”在传统意义上是温暖的代名词。而如今,由“宅”或“家”引发的种种问题已引起了广泛关注,也由此衍生了一些相关词汇。本期我们就一起来分享这些词汇吧!
发音：美式发音
语速：110词/分钟
使用方法：精听+听写
Some unusual words describe how a person spends his or her time. For example, someone who likes to spend a lot of time sitting or lying down while watching television is sometimes called a couch potato. A couch is a piece of furniture that people sit on while watching television.
● couch potato(沙发土豆)不是一个新词。随着有线电视深入到各家各户,它也随之诞生。时至今日,这个词仍充满了生命力。couch是指那种坐卧两用的长沙发,a couch potato就是指那种整天窝在沙发上、拿着电视遥控器、不停看电视的电视迷。
Robert Armstrong, an artist from California, developed the term couch potato in 1976. Several years later, he listed the term as a trademark with the United States government. Mister Armstrong also helped write a funny book about life as a full-time television watcher. It is called The Official Couch Potato Handbook.
Couch potatoes enjoy watching television just as mouse potatoes enjoy working on computers. A computer mouse is the device that moves the pointer, or cursor, on a computer screen. The description of mouse potato became popular in 1993. American writer Alice Kahn is said to have invented the term to describe young people who spend a lot of time using computers.
● mouse potato(鼠标土豆)与couch potato相似。如果说couch potato是随着电视网络的发展而出现的一个族群,那么mouse potato就是电脑、互联网产业发展的衍生品。mouse指电脑鼠标,mouse potato即指那些整天坐在电脑前上网或玩游戏的人。但是,对于鼠标土豆族来说,这种生活方式并非完美,毕竟网瘾已经被鉴定为精神病,对人的身心健康具有很大伤害。
Too much time inside the house using a computer or watching television can cause someone to get cabin fever. A cabin is a simple house usually built far away from the city. People go to a cabin to relax and enjoy quiet time.
● cabin fever(舱热症/幽闭症)不是一种生理疾病,它更多地表示一种心理状态,属于心理学范畴。cabin通常是指简单建造而成的小木屋,或者空间狭小的轮船或飞机座舱。长时间呆在这种封闭空间的人会产生不安、焦虑或易怒的情绪,这种症状就叫cabin fever。