餐桌上的對話 ⏲️ 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

6 Minute English from the BBC.

來自 BBC 的六分鐘英語。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，這是 BBC Learning English 的六分鐘英語。

I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

And I'm Beth.

我是 Beth。

In this program,

在本節目中，

we'll be discussing the dinner table. 表達脈絡

我們將討論餐桌這件事。

But we're not interested in food.

但我們關注的不是食物。

We're talking about talking. 表達脈絡

我們要談論的是「交流」。

A lot can happen around the dinner table. 片語搭配

餐桌上會發生很多事。

Gossip, arguments,

八卦、爭吵，

you might meet the love of your life on a blind dinner date 講解

你可能會在晚餐相親時遇見一生摯愛，

or find out you're a great storyteller. 片語動詞

或是發現自己是個說故事高手。

Neil, when you were younger,

Neil，你年輕的時候，

did you eat with your family around a dinner table?

會和家人一起圍在餐桌旁吃飯嗎？

We did.

會啊。

Eating at the table was an important ritual. 講解

在餐桌上吃飯是個重要的儀式。

It was something we did every day.

這是我們每天都會做的事。

And quite often,

而且通常，

it was the only time we could get together and chat. 片語動詞

那是我們唯一能聚在一起聊天的時間。

I think there's something very comforting about eating good food 文法

我覺得吃著美食、

and being with the people you're closest to. 文法

和最親近的人待在一起，是非常療癒的。

And now, I do the same with my own family. 片語搭配

現在，我也和自己的家人這樣做。

The kids are more likely to open up, 講解

孩子們更容易敞開心扉，

talk more easily about their day or something troubling them while they're eating. 文法

在吃飯時更願意聊聊他們的一天，或是煩心事。

Well, the dinner table is a space that families across the world

嗯，餐桌是世界各地家庭

get together at, to not only eat, but chat. 文法

聚在一起的地方，不僅為了吃飯，也為了聊天。

And is often the only point in the day or week 用詞

這往往是一天或一週中，

that the whole family gathers together.

全家人唯一能聚在一起的時刻。

In this program,

在本節目中，

we'll be discussing how people behave at the table.

我們將討論人們在餐桌上的行為舉止。

And of course,

當然，

we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

我們也會學習一些實用的新單字。

But first,

但首先，

I have a question for you, Beth.

我有個問題要問妳，Beth。

In 2016,

在2016年，

a couple from Germany won the world record

一對來自德國的伴侶打破了世界紀錄，

for the fastest time to set a dinner table. 片語搭配

創下最快佈置好餐桌的紀錄。

But how long did it take them?

但他們花了多少時間？

Was it A, 25 seconds,

是 A，25秒，

B, 1 minute and 5 seconds,

B，1分5秒，

or C, 2 minutes and 5 seconds?

還是 C，2分5秒？

Surely not 25 seconds. 語氣意圖

肯定不是25秒。

I will guess 1 minute 5 seconds.

我猜是1分5秒。

Okay, Beth.

好的，Beth。

I'll reveal the answer later in the program. 片語搭配

我會在節目稍後公佈答案。

Now, while eating with a group, 文法

話說回來，在群體中用餐時，

you might feel that you need to act 語氣意圖

你可能會覺得自己需要表現出

in a certain way because of the people around you.

特定的模樣，因為周遭人的緣故。

Philippa Perry, a psychotherapist and author,

心理治療師兼作家 Philippa Perry

thinks we should try to be ourselves as much as possible, 語氣意圖

認為我們應該盡可能做自己，

as she told BBC World Service program,

正如她對 BBC 國際頻道節目

The Food Chain.

《The Food Chain》所說的。

In any group,

在任何團體中，

we find a role. 用詞

我們都會找到自己的角色。

And if we're only in one group,

如果我們只待在一個團體裡，

if we're only ever with our family, 文法

如果我們總是只和家人在一起，

we might think,

我們可能會覺得，

"Oh, I'm the funny one. 文法

「喔，我是搞笑的那個。

He's the wise one."

他是有智慧的那個。」

We might think that's who we are.

我們可能會認為那就是真正的自己。

And then we go to another group,

然後當我們到了另一個團體，

and then we find,

我們就會發現，

"Oh, I'm the wise one."

「喔，我是有智慧的那個。」

And I think if you feel like you're assigned a role in your family, 片語搭配

所以我覺得，如果你覺得自己在家庭中被分配了某個角色，

I just think take that with a little bit of a pinch of salt. 慣用語

我認為對此持保留態度就好。

When you spend time with the same group of people, 片語搭配

當你和同一群人相處時，

you might start to think of yourself 片語搭配

你可能會開始把自己想成

as the funny one or the wise one.

「搞笑的」或「有智慧的」。

When we say the one,

當我們說「the one」時，

we describe a person by using a particular and prominent characteristic they have.

我們是用他們身上某個顯著的特徵來描述這個人。

If you're very tall,

如果你很高，

you might be the tall one.

你可能就是「很高的那個（the tall one）」。

However, Philippa says we should take these labels

然而，Philippa 表示，我們對這些標籤應該

with a pinch of salt,

抱持著保留態度（with a pinch of salt），

an idiom meaning you shouldn't believe or do everything

這個成語的意思是，你不應該全盤相信或照做

you're told or that's expected of you.

別人對你說的話或對你的期望。

Now, over time, 表達脈絡

隨著時間推移，

interactions at the dinner table have changed. 文法

餐桌上的互動方式已經改變了。

In the past,

在過去，

children were sometimes seated on a different table 講解

孩子們有時會被安排在不同於大人的餐桌，

to adults or told they should be seen and not heard. 慣用語

或被告知「小孩有耳無嘴（should be seen and not heard）」。

An old-fashioned phrase emphasizing that children should be quiet 用詞

這是一句老派的俗語，強調小孩子應該保持安靜

and always on their best behavior. 慣用語

並且隨時表現出最乖巧的模樣。

Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez,

作家兼 Free Black Motherhood 創辦人

a writer and founder of Free Black Motherhood,

Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez，

spoke about older generations' reactions to children asking awkward questions 片語搭配

談到了老一輩對於孩子在問尷尬問題的反應，

at the dinner table

在餐桌上

to BBC World Service program,

她是在 BBC 國際頻道的節目

The Food Chain.

《The Food Chain》上提到此事的。

So, it's a mixed bag. 慣用語

所以，情況好壞參半。

It's overwhelmingly positive, 片語搭配

絕大多數是正面的，

but I also know that it is kind of a bit of a culture shock 講解

但我也知道，對他們來說這有點像是一種文化衝擊，

for them to hear my children ask the questions

聽到我的孩子們問出

that they ask,

他們所問的這些問題，

because our children haven't really been raised 片語搭配

因為我們的孩子在成長過程中，並沒有被灌輸

with that line of demarcation between the adult table and the kid table. 講解

大人桌和小孩桌之間的界線。

Ambreia says that the older generations' reactions

Ambreia 說，老一輩對

to her children's questions at the table

孩子們在餐桌上提問的反應

can be a mixed bag.

可能是好壞參半的（a mixed bag）。

A mixed bag is a situation that can have positive and negative aspects.

「A mixed bag」是指包含正面與負面層面的情況。

She also says that it's a culture shock for them,

她還說這對他們來說是一種文化衝擊（culture shock），

a sense of feeling uncertain

也就是一種不確定的感覺，

because you're in a different environment to usual. 片語搭配

因為你處於一個與平常不同的環境中。

Okay, Beth.

好了，Beth。

I think it's time I revealed the answer to my question. 文法

我想是時候公佈我問題的答案了。

I asked you what the world record is 文法

我問妳世界紀錄是多少，

for the fastest time to set a dinner table.

關於最快佈置好餐桌的時間。

And I said it was 1 minute and 5 seconds.

而我說是1分5秒。

And that was the right answer.

那是正確答案。

That's not very long, is it? 語氣意圖

時間並沒有很長，對吧？

Okay,

好的，

let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this program, 表達脈絡

讓我們複習一下在這個節目中學到的詞彙，

starting with open up, 表達脈絡

首先是「open up」，

a phrasal verb meaning speak more easily than usual,

這是一個片語動詞，意思是比平時更容易開口，

particularly about worries or problems.

特別是指談論擔憂或問題。

If someone is the funny one or the wise one,

如果有某人是「the funny one（搞笑的）」或「the wise one（有智慧的）」，

they're labeled by that particular characteristic.

他們就是被貼上了那個特定特徵的標籤。

To take something with a pinch of salt means you shouldn't believe everything you're told.

「To take something with a pinch of salt（持保留態度）」的意思是你不應該相信別人告訴你的每件事。

Children should be seen and not heard is an old-fashioned phrase

「Children should be seen and not heard（小孩子有耳無嘴）」是一句老派俗語，

that means children should be quiet and behave well.

意思是小孩應該保持安靜且表現乖巧。

A mixed bag means something has both positive and negative aspects.

「A mixed bag（好壞參半）」是指某事物兼具正反兩面的特性。

And finally,

最後，

a culture shock is an uncertain feeling because you're in a new environment.

「culture shock（文化衝擊）」是因為身處新環境而產生的不確定感。

Once again,

再次提醒，

our 6 minutes are up. 慣用語

我們的6分鐘時間到了。

Join us again soon for more useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute English.

歡迎不久後再次加入我們六分鐘英語的行列，學習更多實用詞彙。

Goodbye for now.

先說聲再見囉。

Goodbye.

再見。

We know you love 6 Minute English,

我們知道你喜歡《六分鐘英語》，

but have you tried our other podcast, 語氣意圖

但你聽過我們的另一個 Podcast 節目嗎？

News Review,

也就是《News Review》，

where you can learn English from news headlines?

在那裡你可以從新聞標題中學習英語。

Or you might like Office English.

或是你也可能會喜歡《Office English》。

It's all about the English we need at work.

它全是有關我們工作時需要的英語。

To listen, head to our website, 片語動詞

想收聽的話，請前往我們的網站

bbclearningenglish.com,

bbclearningenglish.com，

or search Learning English for Work 片語搭配

或者搜尋《Learning English for Work》，

in your podcast player.

在你的 Podcast 播放器裡。

6 Minute English from the BBC.

來自 BBC 的六分鐘英語。