美語情景對話 第440期:The Time Change 時間的改變
Todd: Now Steven, I'm single and, but you are married and you are a father, correct?
託德：史蒂文，我是單身，可是我知道你已經結婚而且當了父親，沒錯吧？Steven: That is correct, yeah.
史蒂文：完全正確。Todd: OK. I'm just curious. What is it like being a father?
託德：好，我只是很好奇。成爲父親是什麼感覺？
Steven: Ah, right. OK, well, I think if I first of all talk about what it was like not being a father, being me and not being a father. I think I used tomake the most of my free time, well in fact I didn't make the most of my free time. I was a very lazy person. I was an incredible time waster, so I would have all of this free time to make use of and I would probably just sit in front of the TV, or I'd probably go to a pub and drink, but anyway I took my timefor granted. I thought I have this time. It wasn't such a precious thing for me. I had so much of it. Once I became a father, suddenly my time disappeared but strangely enough, now that I've become a father and I've, it's taught me to appreciate the time I have. My time is now very limited. My work has become busier but I actually make much more use of my time now than when I did so much of it. It's kind of strange.
史蒂文：嗯，好，我想先來談談我沒成爲父親之前的樣子。我認爲我以前會最大限度地利用我的業餘時間，可是實際上我並沒有這麼做。以前我是個懶人，是個浪費時間的人，而且情況非常嚴重，我會把所有的空閒時間用在看電視上，或是去酒吧喝酒，總之就是我不重視我的時間。我認爲這是我的時間，對我來說並不是什麼珍貴的事情。我有很多時間。可是我當上父親以後，突然我的時間都消失了，雖然說來奇怪，不過我成爲父親以後學會了如何珍惜我所擁有的時間。現在我的時間非常有限。我的工作越來越忙，但是相比於以前，現在我會更多地利用我的時間。這其實有點奇怪。Todd: And how many children do you have?
託德：你有幾個孩子？Steven: Ah, two. Boys.
史蒂文：兩個男孩。Todd: Oh, two boys.
託德：兩個男孩。Steven: Yep, they're both still very young. They keep us very busy. The eldest is four and the youngest is three.
史蒂文：對，他們現在都還小。他們讓我們一直處於忙碌的狀態。我的大兒子今年四歲，小兒子三歲。Todd: Wow!
託德：哇！Steven: So they need, they still need quite a lot of attention.
史蒂文：他們還需要我們的照顧。Todd: Yeah, so when you first have kids do you lose a lot of sleep? I'm always worried that I won't be able to sleep.
託德：是啊，那你第一次當上父親的時候有沒有失眠？我就會擔心到那時我會睡不着覺。Steven: Well, something that carried over from my previous lifestyle was an ability to sleep very well, and, um, fortunately I have a very understanding wife so if the children woke up, yeah, well because I had to work my wife was, my wife tended to be responsible. She would look after the children if they woke up during the evening, during the night, sorry, and I'm such a good sleeper that even if they were crying incredibly loudly I could just go back to sleep. I don't think there are many fathers like me. I've spoken to some other fathers and they don't have the same talent as I do.
史蒂文：我之前的生活方式使我養成了睡得安穩的能力，幸運的是，我有個非常善解人意的妻子，如果孩子們醒了，因爲我還要去上班，所以我妻子會負責照顧孩子們。如果孩子們在夜裏醒了，她會去照顧他們，因爲我睡得太沉了，所以即使哭鬧聲再大我也能繼續睡覺。我想可能沒有多少像我這樣的父親。我和其他的父親聊過，他們都沒有我這種能力。Todd: Oh, well, thanks Steven.
託德：哦，好的，謝謝你，史蒂文。
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重點講解：
1. first of all
第一；首先；
eg. My aim was first of all to determine what I should do next.
我的目標首先是要確定自己下一步該做什麼。
eg. First of all, as entrepreneurs have to consider cash flow problems.
做爲企業家首先要考慮現金流的問題。
2. make the most of
儘量利用；充分利用；
eg. Happiness is the ability to make the most of what you have.
幸福就是有能力充分享受你擁有的一切。
eg. The occasion only comes once in five years, and they naturally make the most of it.
這個機會五年纔有一次，他們當然會充分利用它。
3. make use of
使用；利用；
eg. They make use of advertisements to plug the new product.
他們利用廣告廣爲宣傳這種新產品。
eg. I can make use of the professional experience I have obtained.
我可以充分利用自己的專業經驗。
4. take sth. for granted
（因視作理所當然而）不把…當回事，對…不予重視（或不知感激）；
eg. What right has the family to take me for granted, Martin?
這家人有什麼資格瞧不起我，馬丁？
eg. The officials felt taken for granted and grumbled loudly.
這些官員感到受了怠慢，於是大聲抱怨起來。
5. strangely enough
說來奇怪；
eg. Strangely enough, you will automatically wake up after this length of time.
奇怪的是，過了這樣一段時間你就會自己醒來。
eg. Strangely enough, we tend to come across things that are impossible.
真奇怪，我們往往會碰到一些我們認爲不可能的事。
6. carry over
（使）延續；（使）延伸；推廣到；
eg. Springs and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into Christian times in Europe.
泉眼和水井都進行裝飾，這個習俗在歐洲一直延續到基督教時代。
eg. Edward does not carry over his business ethics into his personal relationships.
愛德華並不把他在生意中的道德準則運用到私人關係中去。
