Effortless English—Changed

作者：Alice的学习笔记

原文来自《Effortless English》——New Method Learning English

Mini Story

Dear Abby:

My husband of 39 years no longer hugs me or shows me any affection. I have seen him through cancer and diabetes. We have four grown children, and we have been seeing a therapist for a year and a half. He is kind, generous and friendly, but there are no compliments or any of the flirtatious banter we used to enjoy.

He swears he’s not having an affair, and he doesn’t know why he has changed. Perhaps you do?

Grace in Phoenix.

单词、短语

• affection
  喜爱，慈爱，挚爱。
     Bart had a deep affection for the old man.
     巴特对这位老人有很深的感情。
     Africa has always had a special place in my affections.
     非洲在我心中始终占据着特殊的位置。

• see sb's through
  帮助某人，支持某人（渡过难关），英文解释为：to give help and support to someone during a difficult time。
     Setting goals should help see you through.
     确定好目标能帮助你渡过难关。
     I've got enough money to see me through six months of unemployment.
     我的钱可以让我失业以后维持六个月。
  拓展一下：
  1）see through sb/sth 表示看穿、识破某人/事。
        I can't bluff – she'd see right through me.
        我不能吹牛 — 她一眼就能识破。
        I saw through his excuses.
        我识破了他的借口。
  2）see sth through把某事进行到底〔尤指某种困难或惹人讨厌的工作〕。
        lot of effort to see the project through.
        完成这个项目需要很大的努力。

• diabetes
  糖尿病，患糖尿病的

• therapist
  治疗专家，英文解释为：someone who has been trained to give a particular form of treatment for physical or mental illness.
     a speech therapist
     言语治疗师

• compliment
  赞美的话，夸奖，称赞.
     Being compared to Abba is a great compliment.
     和阿巴乐队相提并论是极大的荣誉。
     All Felix's guests paid her extravagant compliments .
     费利克斯的所有客人都对她赞不绝口。

• flirtatious
  形容词，表示打情骂俏的，调情的。 动词是flirt，表示挑逗，调情，英文解释为：If you are interested in someone romantically, you might flirt with them, which means to chat them up or tease them in a playful way.

• banter
  可作名词，也可作动词，表示玩笑，打趣，戏谑
     He considered himself a master of witty banter.
     他认为自己是风趣幽默的玩笑大王。
     He stood around bantering with his colleagues.
     他转来转去，与同事们打趣逗乐。

• swear
  发誓，保证，郑重声明.
     Mona swore never to return home.
     莫娜发誓再也不回家了。
     Do you swear on your honor (=promise very strongly) that you will never tell anyone?
     你能以你的名誉发誓你决不告诉任何人吗?

• have an affair
  有外遇，有暧昧关系
     He had an affair with his boss that lasted six years.
     他和他老板的暧昧关系持续了六年。

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