（★ 聽對話內容） 本週話題焦點：農曆新年快樂 (十二生肖的由來)
Jim is new to Taiwan, so Jenny gives him a crash course in Chinese New Year traditions.
Jim 剛來到台灣，於是 Jenny 給了他一課關於農曆新年傳統習俗的速成班。 |
Jenny: Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Do you have any plans? Jenny：農曆新年就快要到了。你有什麼計劃嗎？
Jim: No. I don't have any plans and I don't have a clue what I'm going to do. Jim：沒有耶，我沒有什麼計劃，而且我根本不知道該做些什麼。
Jenny: Are you familiar with Chinese New Year traditions? Jenny：你熟悉農曆新年的傳統習俗嗎？
Jim: I just know that every year is named after an animal and that there are twelve animals, just like in the Western Zodiac. Jim：我只知道每年都會以一種動物命名，然後總共有十二種動物，就像是西方的十二星座。
Jenny: That's right! The rotating cycle of twelve animal signs was a folk method for naming the years in traditional China. The animal signs are in an established order and are repeated every twelve years. Jenny：沒錯！十二生肖的循環在傳統的中國是一種命名年份的通俗方式。十二生肖是有一定的順序，而且每十二年就會重複一次。
Jim: That's interesting. How was the order determined? Jim：這還滿有趣的。這順序是怎麼形成的？
Jenny: According to Chinese legend, the animals were quarreling to see who would head the cycle of years, so the gods held a race and the animals were placed in the cycle according to their finish. Jenny：根據中國的傳說，是因為動物們爭吵著要當十二年循環週期裡第一年的代表。所以天神就舉行了一次賽跑，動物們就根據它們獲得的名次來決定循環的順序。
Jim: So who finished first? Jim：那麼誰跑第一名？
Jenny: The rat finished first. The animals had to cross a river and the rat rode on the back of the ox and then jumped off to cross the finish line first. Jenny：老鼠是第一名。動物們必須要跨過溪流，而老鼠那時騎在牛背上，然後跳下來，第一個穿越了終點線。
Jim: Wow! That's a fascinating story. Who finished last? Jim：哇！真是個精采的故事。那誰最後到呢？
Jenny: The pig finished last and by the way…… this year is the year of the pig! Jenny：豬是最後一名，順便一提 … 今年就是豬年！
重要字詞講解：1.crash course 速成班(課)
例：Jim is new to Taiwan, so Jenny gives him a crash course in Chinese New Year traditions.
（Jim 剛來到台灣，於是 Jenny 給了他一課關於農曆新年傳統習俗的速成班。）
例：My sister took a crash course in cooking before she got married.
（我姊姊在結婚前上了烹飪速成班。）
2. zodiac (n.) 黃道十二宮
例：I just know that every year is named after an animal and that there are twelve animals, just like in the Western Zodiac.
（我只知道每年都會以一種動物命名，然後總共有十二種動物，就像是西方的十二星座。）
例：My zodiac sign is Sagittarius and I love to have a life of freedom.
（我的星座是射手座，我喜歡過自由自在的生活。）
※ 小叮嚀：
zodiac是指太陽在空中運行的軌跡，而古時希臘人將黃道附近的星編成十二個星座，稱之為「黃道十二宮」，而 "zodiac sign"也就是我們現在俗稱的「十二星座」。
3. folk (adj.) 民間的；通俗的
例：The rotating cycle of twelve animal signs was a folk method for naming the years in traditional China.
（十二生肖的循環在傳統的中國是一種命名年份的通俗方式。）
例：She enjoys collecting folk music of different countries.
（她喜歡收集不同國家的民俗音樂。）
4. determine (v.) 形成、影響 、決定 …
例：That's interesting. How was the order determined?
（這還滿有趣的。這順序是怎麼形成的？）
例：Your year-end bonus is determined by your working performance in the past year.
（你的年終獎金是取決於你過去一年的工作表現。）
※ 小叮嚀：
此動詞常用在 "s.th. be determined by …" 「某事是由 … 所影響決定」的句型中。
5. finish (v.)（比賽中）獲得 …名次
例：So who finished first?
（那麼誰跑第一名？）
例：She practiced a lot but only finished second in the competition.
（她練習了很多次，但是只有在比賽中獲得第二名。）
※ 小叮嚀：
「獲得第幾名」的寫法要記得是在 finish 之後加上序數像是 first、second、third 等等表示名次。
小試身手
1. Do you know the ____ story that describes how the ____ signs developed and why our personality types are ____ by those signs?
（你知道有關星座形成的民間流傳故事還有為什麼那些星座會影響我們的個性人格嗎？）
2. I am going to go to Japan and stay there for at least one year as soon as I finish the ____ ____ in Japanese.
（只要我一完成日語的速成課，我就會前往日本並且至少在那邊待上一年。）
請
先
練
習
再
看
解
答
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解答
1. Do you know the folk story that describes how the zodiac signs developed and why our personality types are determined by those signs?
（你知道有關星座形成的民間流傳故事還有為什麼那些星座會影響我們的個性人格嗎？）
2. I am going to go to Japan and stay there for at least one year as soon as I finish the crash course in Japanese.
（只要我一完成日語的速成課，我就會前往日本並且至少在那邊待上一年。）
相關實用句型解析
1. … 即將來臨
… around the corner
例：Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Do you have any plans?
（農曆新年就快要到了。你有什麼計劃嗎？）
例：I want everything to be perfect since the wedding is just around the corner!
（由於舉行婚禮的日子就快到了，我要一切都能盡善盡美！）
2. 不了解、不清楚 …
not have a clue (about) …
例：I don't have any plans and I don't have a clue what I'm going to do.
（設計團隊得知道這個問題，這樣他們才能想出解決的方法。）
例：Frankly speaking, I don't have a clue about how the planets move in the solar system.
（老實講，我還真不了解行星是如何在太陽系裡運轉的。）
小試身手
1. 當聖誕節即將來臨時，人們總是會顯得很興奮。
_____________________________________________________________________
2. 我還是不清楚該怎麼使用這台洗碗機。
_____________________________________________________________________
請
先
練
習
再
看
解
答
☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
解答
1. People always seem to be very excited when Christmas is around the corner.
2. I still don't have a clue about how to use this dishwasher. | |
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