Grey问答：最爱特辑：英语精读讲义

Challenge.

挑战。

Can you post another Q&A within 6 months?

你能在 6 个月内再发一个问答视频吗？

No, I cannot.

不，我不能。

What are your favorite and least favorite kinds of questions to answer?

你最喜欢和最不喜欢回答什么类型的问题？

A long time ago in a state far away, 文化背景

很久以前，在一个遥远的州，

I did an event with some friends where my job was to pick questions from the audience.

我和几个朋友参加了一个活动，我的任务是从观众中挑选问题。

Right before the show started,

就在节目开始前，

Pretty Derek turned to me and said, "Please don't pick superlatives." 語法

Pretty Derek 转向我说：“请不要挑最高级的问题。”

And I said, "What's a superlative?"

我问：“什么是最高级？”

Best, worst, favorite, least favorite.

最好、最坏、最喜欢、最不喜欢。

Ah.

啊。

The show begins and those were probably half the questions in the bowl.

节目开始了，碗里大概有一半是这类问题。

But Derek,

但是，

having had much more experience with Q&As,

在问答环节经验丰富得多的 Derek

was totally right.

是完全正确的。

On the spot, those questions are pretty hard to answer. 習語

在现场，这类问题非常难回答。

But also, as I've grown up,

而且，随着我的成长，

I've found the whole concept of a favorite X has become more abstract and situational.

我发现“最喜欢的 X”这个概念已经变得更加抽象和因情况而异。

Favorite things seem to be more important the younger you are, 語法

你越年轻，最喜欢的事物似乎就越重要，

which makes sense because you don't really know who you are and so define yourself by the world around you.

这是有道理的，因为你不太清楚自己是谁，所以通过周围的世界来定义自己。

And it's also practice for the tribal affiliation games we never escape even as adults, 習語

这也是我们在成年后也无法逃脱的部落归属游戏的一种练习，

which can make trying to answer these questions super un-fun when people take the answer way too seriously. 短語搭配

当人们把答案看得太重时，这会让回答这些问题变得超级无趣。

So a question about my favorite is by far my least favorite, 短語搭配

所以关于我“最喜欢什么”的问题绝对是我最不喜欢回答的，

but Fahrenheit is still my favorite.

但华氏度仍然是我的最爱。

Come at me. 語氣意圖

放马过来吧。

Anyway, if you're ever at a show or submitting questions to a Q&A,

不管怎样，如果你在看节目或向问答环节提交问题，

to raise the odds of getting an answer, 短語搭配

为了提高得到回答的几率，

try turning it a bit.

试着换个角度提问。

For example,

例如，

whose videos do you watch the most?

你最常看谁的视频？

That's an easy answer.

这个很容易回答。

RedLetterMedia by a mile. 習語

RedLetterMedia，遥遥领先。

I started with the highly produced Gateway Classics and over the years progressed to mainlining the hardcore stuff. 習語

我一开始看的是制作精良的《Gateway Classics》，几年下来，我开始疯狂吸收那些硬核内容。

It's hard to say why I so like watching guys I don't know view movies and instructional videos I never will,

很难说为什么我这么喜欢看一群我不认识的人去评价我永远不会看的电影和教学视频，

but it's strangely comforting and engaging.

但这有一种奇妙的安慰和吸引力。

And let's not talk about how many hundreds of hours of RedLetterMedia I've had on while animating since starting my own channel. 短語動詞

更别提自从我开创自己的频道以来，我在做动画时把 RedLetterMedia 作为背景音播放了好几百个小时。

I'm glad YouTube doesn't track and timeshame 用詞

我很高兴 YouTube 不会跟踪并因为观看时长来“羞辱”你，

unlike some other services I could mention.

不像我能想到的某些其他服务。

I also picked this question because I can't bear watching RedLetterMedia keep inching closer to a million subscribers any longer. 用詞

我也选了这个问题，因为我实在受不了看着 RedLetterMedia 一点点慢慢挪向一百万订阅了。

Can we get these guys their gold play button already? 文化背景

咱们能赶紧给这帮家伙拿个金牌创作者奖吗？

Click and subscribe.

点击并订阅。

What's your favorite joke you've hidden in a video?

你在视频里隐藏的最喜欢的笑话是什么？

I'm gonna let this one slide because oh man, 習語

这个我就放过了，因为天哪，

do I love hiding stuff in videos

我太喜欢在视频里藏东西了，

and it brings me tremendous joy when people find all the things.

当人们发现所有细节时，我感到无比快乐。

For example,

例如，

have you found all the bees?

你找到所有的蜜蜂了吗？

There's a lot of them now.

现在可有很多了。

Again, no favorites,

再次强调，没有最爱，

but a recent one I'm pleased with is this dude in the airport reading The Hobbit and then The Fellowship of the Ring and then the entire Rings trilogy,

但我最近比较满意的一个是，在机场有个家伙在读《霍比特人》，然后是《护戒使者》，最后读完了整个《魔戒》三部曲，

implying the wait to board that flight was really long.

这暗示着那趟航班的候机时间实在太长了。

Favorite integer?

最喜欢的整数？

No, I don't.

不，我没有。

Favorite color?

最喜欢的颜色？

I shouldn't have. 語法

我不该开这个头的。

Favorite magic colors?

最喜欢的万智牌颜色？

Well, black and blue obviously,

好吧，显然是黑色和蓝色，

but no getting around this one. 習語

但这个问题是绕不开的。

Favorite YouTuber?

最喜欢的 YouTuber？

You know these people are my friends.

你知道这些人都是我的朋友。

It would be really weird to pick a

非要挑一个的话会非常奇怪的

Favorite podcast?

最喜欢的播客？

No, I already explained-

不，我已经解释过了——

Favorite movie, favorite liberian country flag,

最喜欢的电影、最喜欢的利比里亚县旗、

favorite world leader?

最喜欢的世界领导人？

You can't be serious. 語氣意圖

你别开玩笑了。

Favorite law of physics,

最喜欢的物理定律，

favorite conspiracy theory,

最喜欢的阴谋论，

favorite tree?

最喜欢的树？

What?

什么鬼？

On a scale of 1 to 10,

从 1 到 10 评分，

what is your favorite color of the alphabet?

你最喜欢的字母表的颜色是什么？

No.

不行。

Okay,

好吧，

this is my fault.

这是我的错。

I shouldn't have opened this door. 習語

我不该开这扇门的。

What is your favorite spelling of favorite?

favorite（最喜欢）这个词你最喜欢怎么拼写？

Okay, enough of the

好了，受够这些了

What is the most persistent physical object you own?

你拥有的存在最久的实物是什么？

That's a good question.

这是个好问题。

Like,

嗯，

it must be my original wedding ring.

那肯定是我原来的结婚戒指了。

I can't think of an object that's been with me longer.

我想不出还有什么东西陪伴我的时间比它更长。

I currently wear a second edition,

我现在戴的是第二版，

which will eventually become the third most persistent object in my life.

它最终将成为我生命中存在第三久的物品。

What's the second most persistent?

第二久的是什么呢？

Well,

是这样，

while moving office recently,

最近搬办公室的时候，

I found it hiding in an envelope at the bottom of a box.

我发现它藏在一个箱底的信封里。

Sure,

我确定，

I had thrown it away,

我早就把它扔了，

positive in fact,

我非常肯定，

but somehow this specter evaded my many moves and purges. 習語

但不知为何，这个幽灵逃过了我多次搬家和清理。

I have no idea how it shadowed me,

我不知道它是怎么跟着我的，

hiding nearby for a decade.

在附近藏了整整十年。

So,

所以，

to explain this thing,

要解释这个东西，

back in the long ago,

在很久很久以前，

I quit teaching,

我辞去了教师的工作，

packed all my belongings,

打包了所有家当，

bundled my savings,

带上了我所有的积蓄，

heading off into the sunset with the sure knowledge I was to achieve the project of my life, 講解

满怀信心地走向夕阳，深信我将成就一生中最重要的事业，

to escape the system, 表達脈絡

逃离体制，

to become self-employed,

成为自雇人士，

to be free.

获得自由。

And I totally failed.

但我完全失败了。

Burned through my savings and returned to London, 短語動詞

烧光了积蓄后，我回到了伦敦，

humbled, 語法

灰头土脸，

having to find another teaching job.

不得不重新找了一份教书的工作。

That year of failure was not a great time

那失败的一年真的很不好过，

and what I thought would be my Mjolnir with which to forge my new life was instead a cursed object. 講解

我本以为能用来锻造新生活的“雷神之锤”，结果却是个被诅咒的物件。

This original MacBook Air,

这台初代 MacBook Air，

the laptop sold on its thinness and lightness, 用詞

以轻薄为卖点的笔记本电脑，

the machine I spent a significant portion of my savings on as it seemed perfect for the life of peregrination before me. 短語搭配

这台花了我一大笔积蓄的机器，因为当时我觉得它完美契合我即将开启的游历生活。

This laptop was a disaster with catastrophic thermal problems making it run painfully slow. 語法

这台笔记本简直是个灾难，灾难性的散热问题让它运行得慢得令人发指。

And during this dark time,

而在那段黑暗的日子里，

I lived in Hawaii with family to save money.

为了省钱，我和家人一起住在夏威夷。

Now,

其实，

Hawaii doesn't believe in air conditioning because the island is paradise and the weather is perfect. 習語

夏威夷人不信奉空调，因为这岛屿就是天堂，天气总是完美的。

It isn't.

但才怪。

I have such a visceral memory of being inescapably hot and sweaty, 用詞

我至今对那种无法摆脱的闷热流汗有着切身的记忆，

trying to work while heat poured out from the keyboard,

我试图工作，而热气从键盘里涌出，

melting me, 習語

融化了我，

melting my dreams.

也融化了我的梦想。

I thought I had long gotten rid of this totem of the absolute failure of a younger man. 習語

我本以为我早就处理掉了这个象征年轻时彻底失败的图腾。

But it's weird.

但很奇怪。

Now that it's been so long, 語法

现在过去这么久了，

I kind of want to mount it on my office wall as #neverforget. 語氣意圖

我倒有点想把它挂在办公室墙上，打上 #永远铭记 的标签。

I don't think I really will,

我想我也不会真的这么做，

but I haven't thrown it out yet. 短語動詞

但我目前还没有把它扔掉。

What is one topic you will never discuss?

你绝对不会讨论的一个话题是什么？

How am I to answer this question? 語法

我该怎么回答这个问题？

Is there still hope for the Catan video?

《卡坦岛》的视频还有希望出吗？

No.

没有。

What are your tips on improving one's ability to read?

关于提高阅读能力，你有什么建议吗？

Spend less time on the Tweetbooks and Snapstagrams. 用詞

少花点时间在 Tweetbooks 和 Snapstagrams 上。

I kind of left a lot of the internet temporarily a while back.

前阵子我有点短暂地离开了互联网的很多圈子。

I don't know if you've heard. 語氣意圖

不知道你们听说了没有。

I've only made a vlog and talked about it repeatedly on my podcasts.

我只做了个 Vlog，并在我的播客里反复谈到这件事。

Anyway,

不管怎样，

I think internet comments train my brain to have a short attention span. 短語搭配

我觉得互联网的评论把我的大脑训练得注意力集中时间变短了。

So,

所以，

less of the Reddit equals more of the books, 表達脈絡

少刷 Reddit 等于多看书，

which I think is a net positive. 用詞

我认为整体来说这是积极的。

But I do miss the Wild West of the Internets. 習語

但我确实怀念互联网那个“狂野西部”的时代。

Sometimes I can hear the memes calling me.

有时候我能听到各种梗在呼唤我。

Now,

现在的关键是，

anything you want to have more of in your life,

任何你希望在生活中做得更多的事情，

like reading,

比如阅读，

also try to decide ahead of time what you're going to have less of to make space for it. 短語搭配

也要试着提前决定好你要减少什么，以便为它腾出空间。

Saying you want to do more X without also saying what you want to do less of is a recipe for failure. 講解

光说想多做 X，却不说想少做什么，那注定会失败。

In life,

在生活中，

there are no solutions, 表達脈絡

没有完美的解决方案，

only trade-offs.

只有权衡取舍。

How come you don't mention D&D more often? 語法

你为什么不更多地提到 D&D？

Despite,

尽管，

as you might imagine,

正如你们想象的那样，

the child me being right in the demographic for D&D, 短語搭配

小时候的我正处于 D&D 的受众群体之中，

I never played it.

但我从未玩过。

So,

所以，

that's why I don't mention it.

这就是我不提它的原因。

The closest I ever got was Baby's First D&D, 講解

我最接近它的一次是玩幼儿版的 D&D，

HeroQuest,

《HeroQuest》，

which I loved playing as the Dungeon Master.

我超喜欢在里面扮演地下城主。

Does it frustrate you how all the months have different numbers of days?

每个月的天数都不一样，这会让你感到抓狂吗？

It makes spreadsheets very untidy.

这让电子表格非常不整齐。

So,

所以，

yes.

是的。

Have any answers from the previous Q&As changed?

之前问答环节中的答案有改变的吗？

Man,

老天，

every time this gets asked,

每次被问到这个问题，

I have more videos to check.

我都要查更多的视频。

This time through, 短語搭配

这一次查的时候，

I noticed I've previously mentioned a proportional Senate as one of my top three changes to the Constitution,

我注意到我以前曾提到将参议院改为比例代表制是我对宪法做出的三大修改之一，

which was totally surprising to current me to see. 用詞

现在的我看到这个觉得完全是个意外。

Maybe past me meant a Senate run by MMP?

也许过去的我是指由 MMP 运作的参议院？

If so,

如果是那样，

I didn't make that very clear.

我表达得并不是很清楚。

Anyway,

无论如何，

I'm still pretty firmly against the Electoral College, 文化背景

我仍然相当坚决地反对选举人团制度，

not because of the original idea, 語法

不是因为其最初的理念，

but because of what has changed in the last centuries.

而是因为过去几个世纪发生了改变。

But the House and Senate system seems like a pretty good way to try to balance the power of the states and the people. 文化背景

但是众议院和参议院制度似乎是一个试图平衡各州和人民权力的相当不错的方法。

What's your favorite exit?

你最喜欢的离场方式是什么？

The exit of my people,

我们爱尔兰人的离场方式，

the Irish exit. 文化背景

爱尔兰式道别。

Goodbyes are uncomfortable.

道别让人感到不自在。

When you're done,

当你要结束的时候，

you're done.

就结束了。

Just go.

直接走人就是了。