白小琦《巧克力英语》第十课:记忆单词捷径

I found that English could be very easy to be learned after I had been an English teacher for many years. One of the basic conditions to have English learned well is that any English learner has to grasp a large amount of English words. An English learner should grasp English words as many as possible if you ask me how many English words a student ought to have. 

Many students like to set up their plan of learning English like: I will memorize three or five English words every day and I will have more than one thousand English words after one year. Is it correct? No, It is simply wrong because forgetting happens whenever our memorizing is going on. 

Then, the key point here is how should a student learn English words. I would learn English words like this if I were you. First, I will memorize those English words melt into Chinese language already. Let’s take carnation for example. The carnation sounds like Chinese kang nai xing very much. Obviously carnation is very easy to be memorized. Later, I found that carnation was composed by two words: car, means che in Chinese and nation, means min zue. It is very interesting that a nation with cars means a beautiful flower: carnation.

After that, I found that incarnation is also an English word meaning to give a body to. So we can say bar, far, gar, jar, mar, par, tar and war are incarnation of car; and cation, ration and native are incarnation of nation.

Many examples were mentioned above already and still more are expecting you to discover. Your vocabulary would be quickly enlarged once you find the shortcut to memorize it.

课文注释

I found that English could be very easy to be learned after I had been an English 
在我做了许多年的英语教师之后，我发现学习英语可以是一件很容易的事
teacher for many years. One of the basic conditions to have English learned well is 
情。学好英语的基本条件之一是
that any English learner has to grasp a large amount of English words. An English 
任何一个英语学生都必须掌握大量的英语词汇。
learner should grasp English words as many as possible if you ask me how many 
假如你问我一个学生应当有多少英语词汇，那么，答案就是学生应当尽可能
English words a student ought to have. 
多地掌握英语词汇。
Many students like setting up their plan of learning English like: I will memorize
许多学生喜欢如此制定英语学习方按：我每天记忆三到五个单词。一年之后， 
three or five English words every day and I will have more than one thousand English 
我的词汇量就会过千。
words after one year. Is it correct? No, It is simply wrong because forgetting happens 
这样做对吗？不对，这样制定学习计划是完全错误的，因为就在我们记忆的whenever our memorizing is going on.
同时，遗忘也在进行。
Then, the key point here is how should a student learn English words. I would 
那么，这里的关键就是学生应该如何学习英语词汇。
learn English words like this if I were you. First, I will memorize those English words 
假如我是你的话，我会这样学习英语词汇：首先，我会记忆那些已经溶入汉语
melt into Chinese language already. Let’s take carnation for example. The carnation 
的英语词汇。让我们以carnation为例。
sounds like Chinese kang nai xing very much. Obviously carnation is very easy to be 
carnation的发音很像汉语“康乃馨”。显然，carnation一词很容易记忆。
memorized. Later, I found that carnation was composed by two words: car, means che 
然后，我发现carnation是由另外两个单词所组成：car是汉语“车”的意思， nation
in Chinese and nation, means min zue. It is very interesting that a nation with cars 
是汉语“民族”的意思。非常有趣的是，有车一族居然意味着一种美丽的花朵：
means a beautiful flower: carnation.
康乃馨。
After that, I found that incarnation is also an English word meaning to give a 
再下来，我发现incarnation也是一个英语单词，表示“体现”“化身”
body to. So we can say bar, far, gar, jar, mar, par, tar and war are incarnation of car; 
所以，我们可以说bar, far, gar, jar, mar, par, tar 以及 war都是car的化身，而
and cation, ration and native are incarnation of nation.
cation, ration和native是nation的化身。
Many examples were mentioned above already and still more are expecting you 
除了以上提到的例子之外，更多的等待着读者自己去发现。
to discover. Your vocabulary would be quickly enlarged once you find the shortcut to 
一旦读者自己发现了记忆英语单词的捷径，其英语词汇量就会迅速扩大。
memorize it.

日常会话

A: What day is today? 
B: Today is Monday. 
A: What day was yesterday? 
B: Yesterday was Sunday. Yesterday was such a beautiful day we decided to enjoy the chrysanthemums in XingQing Palace Park. 
A: What’s the date today? 
B: It’s October first. 
A: What month is this?  
B: Of course, this is October, the best month of Xi’an. 
A: What were you doing when I called you on telephone? 
B: I can’t remember what I was doing then.  
A: It’s nine o’clock now, isn’t it? 
B: I don’t think it’s nine o’clock yet. 
A: When does the mall open? 
B: The mall doesn’t open until nine o’clock. 
A: What time do you get up everyday?  
B: I get up when it’s still dark outside. 
A: What do you do after getting up? 
B: I jog for almost one hour. 
A: When do you start to work? 
B: I start to work at about eight o’clock everyday. 

英语故事

中国人有十二属相。用英语说十二属相就是：zodiac sign. 但是，在向英美人士报自己的属相时要多加小心。假如英美人士问一个女孩：What’s your zodiac sign? 女孩回答：I’m a tiger(老虎). 这个回答是对的？还是错的？ 是错的！ 因为，tiger是雄性的老虎。女孩怎么能是雄性的？女孩应该说：I’m a tigress.

同样的，bull是公牛。芝加哥公牛队的英文名称就是：CHICAGO BULLS。女孩就不能说：I’m a bull, 而只能说：I’m a cow。cow是母牛的意思。

从这里我们不难看出，英语词汇有阴性阳性之分。男演员是actor，女演员是actress，空姐是stewardess，空哥是steward等等。但是，属狗的要注意。 从理论上讲，bitch是母狗的意思。当别人问一个女孩：What’s your zodiac sign(你属什么)？ 这时女孩绝不能回答：I’m a bitch(我是一条母狗). 不管是男是女，恐怕都要回答：I’m a dog.

Sheep, goat, ram和 lamb 都是羊的意思。sheep除了有羊的意思外，还有胆小鬼的意思；goat有色鬼、替罪羊的意思；而ram是公羊的意思。四个词汇中lamb最具褒义。Lamb除了表示羔羊之外，还有温和的年轻人的意思。哪位属羊，请自己选一个词汇吧！

Chicken, hen, rooster, cock都是鸡的意思。chicken是小鸡，hen是母鸡，rooster和cock都是公鸡，cock还有“小鸡鸡”的意思。在汉语中，我们不也经常说：“小孩的鸡鸡”吗？

Mouse和rat都是老鼠的意思。但是, mouse 除了表示老鼠之外，还表示害羞的人的意思。而rat 除了表示老鼠之外，还表示卑劣的人。显然rat包含了很多贬义的成分。谁要是属鼠，恐怕只能说：I’m a mouse. 而不能说：I’m a rat（我属耗子）. “米老鼠”的英文是：Mickey Mouse.

属马的人恐怕还是用horse为好, mare 既有母马的意思, 同时也有母驴的意思。想必没有哪位属马的女士会向外国人说“I’m a mare.”(我是一头母马或母驴。) 属兔的人应当说：“I’m a rabbit.” Hare 也是兔子的意思，但专指野兔。

Pig的汉语意思是猪, sow 是母猪，boar是公猪、野猪。 Snake蛇, dragon龙和monkey猴都是非常确切的词汇。属蛇、属龙和属猴的人可以放心使用以上三个英语词汇。

课后练习：请正确朗读、理解以下日常会话

A: What day is today? 
今天星期几？
B: Today is Monday. 
今天星期一。
A: What day was yesterday?
昨天星期几？ 
B: Yesterday was Sunday. Yesterday was such a beautiful day we decided to enjoy the chrysanthemums in XingQing Palace Park. 
昨天星期日。昨天天气太好了，我们决定去兴庆宫公园赏菊。
A: What’s the date today? 
今天几号？
B: It’s October first. 
今天是十月一号。
A: What month is this?
这个月是几月？  
B: Of course, this is October, the best month of Xi’an.
当然是十月啦！是西安一年中最好的一个月。 
A: What were you doing when I called you on telephone?
我给你打电话的时候你在干什么？ 
B: I can’t remember what I was doing then.
我记不得我当时在干什么了？  
A: It’s nine o’clock now, isn’t it?
现在九点了，对不对？ 
B: I don’t think it’s nine o’clock yet.
我想现在还不到九点。 
A: When does the mall open? 
购物中心何时开门？
B: The mall doesn’t open until nine o’clock.
购物中心不到九点不开门。 
A: What time do you get up everyday?
你每天何时起床？  
B: I get up when it’s still dark outside.
我天不亮就起床了。 
A: What do you do after getting up?
你起床后做什么？ 
B: I jog for almost one hour.
我几乎要慢跑一小时。 
A: When do you start to work?
你何时开始工作？ 
B: I start to work at about eight o’clock everyday.
我每天大约八点开始工作。

本课要求：

1 正确朗读、理解课文；
2 熟记课中的英语故事；
3 熟读日常会话。

作者白小琦，陕西省清涧县人，中国首支国家柔道队队员，教育学硕士学位，美国UCLA访问学者，Concordia College汉语及中国文化学分老师，现定居悉尼。

《巧克力英语》版权归作者白小琦所有，任何转载和私自下载存留的行为，需获白小琦书面授权。任何咨询事宜，请邮件至news@sydneytoday.com。

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