英語趣味課堂：大眾巴士-VW Buses

Todd: Simon, you said your family had a volkswagen van.

Simon: That's right. It was awesome.

Todd: Wow, that's cool. You know, when I was in high school, I had a Volkswagen van.

Simon: Yeah, they're pretty cool aren't they.

Todd: Ah, man, I loved my Volkswagen Van.

Simon: Well, why?

Todd: Well, because I played sports and so I played baseball, basketball, football and all of my teammates would get in my van and I would drive us to and from practice, or to games, and so it was very convenient. I was like the little bus driver for the team.

Simon: Yeah, well, you said "bus". Is that, did you call it a van or a bus?

Todd: Actually, in California we call it the Volkswagen Bus. Yeah, do you call it the bus or the van?

Simon: I think that either was OK, or both were OK. Yeah, my family had the camperized van. (Really!) Which had little, which had a refrigerator and a table and a bed, and a pop-up top to fit, to fit another bed, like a loft.

Todd: Wow! Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Simon: At least, uh, at least four people quite comfortably in a camper van. Pretty cool.

Todd: Yeah, actually, mine didn't have the camper. It had a flat area in back of the van, but not a bed, and it did have a small sink, although I never had water hooked up to my van, so I never used it. I just used it for school, so.

Simon: Yeah, my best friend had a van in high school as well. (Yeah!) and he was really popular there because he could fit a lot of people in.

Todd: So my van was all white. What color was yours?

Simon: Ah, my parents' van was, was also, was also white. My friend's van had, was black and white and had a skull on the front. Yeah, so it looked like a a pirate van, or pirate bus, not a pirate ship, but a pirate van. (Cool!) It was pretty cool, at the time. You know.

Todd: Yeah. Yeah. I actually, I have many nice memories of my van and I wish I still had one today.

Simon: Yeah, me too!

Todd: Yeah! Does your family still have it?

Simon: No, they don't. Ah, time to move on, I guess. They thought.

Todd: Yeah! I think I sold my van because I didn't think it was cool after awhile. I had it for three years and then I wanted a nice sports car, so I got rid of it. Yeah, I kind of regret it but I guess that's just normal.

Simon: Of course, everybody likes their old cars, don't they.

學習內(nèi)容：

convenient

I would drive all of us to and from practice or games, and so it was very convenient.

Something that is 'convenient' is easy to use or makes life easier. Notice the following:

It would be more convenient if i could stop and get you on my way home from work.

Having one control for all of my electronics is so much more convenient.

camperized van, camper van

My family had the camperized van with a refrigerator, table and bed in it.

More commonly called a 'camper van,' this is a vehicle that you can drive and live out of. It is like a very small house on wheels. It is usually a little bigger than a normal sized van and may have sides that pop out to make more room inside. Notice the following:

We usually sleep in a camper van because I never sleep well in a tent.

He traveled around the country in a camper van the summer after he finished high school.

hooked up

My van did have a small sink, although I never had water hooked up to it.

When used like this, 'hook up' has the same meaning as 'connect.' Notice the following:

The DJ is hooking up all the speakers now.

We have to get the electricity hooked up in here tomorrow.

time to move on

We don't have the van anymore - time to move on, I guess.

When it is 'time to move on' it is time to emotionally recuperate from something and continue with your life. Notice the following:

College is over. It's time to move on.

Six months after she broke up with her boyfriend she finally decided it was time to move on.

sports car

I had the van for three years and then I wanted a sports car, so I got rid of it.

A 'sports car' is a car that is made to drive fast and create excitement for the driver. Notice the following:

His first car after he got a job was a red sports car.

He bought a sports car after his kids went away to school.

regret

I kind of regret getting rid of the van, but I guess that's just normal.

When you 'regret' something you feel bad about doing it. Notice the following:

I don't think that taking time to travel is something that you will ever regret.

She says now that she regrets getting married so young.