(单词翻译:单击)
情景对话
Todd: Now Steven, I'm single and, but you are married and you are a father, correct?
托德：史蒂文，我是单身，可是我知道你已经结婚而且当了父亲，没错吧？
Steven: That is correct, yeah.
史蒂文：完全正确。
Todd: OK. I'm just curious. What is it like being a father?
托德：好，我只是很好奇。成为父亲是什么感觉？
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，我想先来谈谈我没成为父亲之前的样子。我认为我以前会最大限度地利用我的业余时间，可是实际上我并没有这么做。以前我是个懒人，是个浪费时间的人，而且情况非常严重，我会把所有的空闲时间用在看电视上，或是去酒吧喝酒，总之就是我不重视我的时间。我认为这是我的时间，对我来说并不是什么珍贵的事情。我有很多时间。可是我当上父亲以后，突然我的时间都消失了，虽然说来奇怪，不过我成为父亲以后学会了如何珍惜我所拥有的时间。现在我的时间非常有限。我的工作越来越忙，但是相比于以前，现在我会更多地利用我的时间。这其实有点奇怪。
Todd: And how many children do you have?
托德：你有几个孩子？
Steven: Ah, two. Boys.
史蒂文：两个男孩。
Todd: Oh, two boys.
托德：两个男孩。
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：对，他们现在都还小。他们让我们一直处于忙碌的状态。我的大儿子今年四岁，小儿子三岁。
Todd: Wow!
托德：哇！
Steven: So they need, they still need quite a lot of attention.
史蒂文：他们还需要我们的照顾。
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.
托德：是啊，那你第一次当上父亲的时候有没有失眠？我就会担心到那时我会睡不着觉。
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养成了睡得安稳的能力，幸运的是，我有个非常善解人意的妻子，如果孩子们醒了，因为我还要去上班，所以我妻子会负责照顾孩子们。如果孩子们在夜里醒了，她会去照顾他们，因为我睡得太沉了，所以即使哭闹声再大我也能继续睡觉。我想可能没有多少像我这样的父亲。我和其他的父亲聊过，他们都没有我这种能力。
Todd: Oh, well, thanks Steven.
托德：哦，好的，谢谢你，史蒂文。
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重点讲解
重点讲解：
1. first of all
第一；首先；
eg. My aim was first of all to determine what I should do next.
我的目标首先是要确定自己下一步该做什么。
eg. First of all, as entrepreneurs have to consider cash flow problems.
做为企业家首先要考虑现金流的问题。
2. make the most of
尽量利用；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拥有的一切。
eg. The occasion only comes once in five years, and they naturally make the most of it.
这个机会五年才有一次，他们当然会充分利用它。
3. make use of
使用；利用；
eg. They make use of advertisements to plug the new product.
他们利用广告广为宣传这种新产品。
eg. I can make use of the professional experience I have obtained.
我可以充分利用自己的专业经验。
4. take sth. for granted
（因视作理所当然而）不把…当回事，对…不予重视（或不知感激）；
eg. What right has the family to take me for granted, Martin?
这家人有什么资格瞧不起我，马丁？
eg. The officials felt taken for granted and grumbled loudly.
这些官员感到受了怠慢，于是大声抱怨起来。
5. strangely enough
说来奇怪；
eg. Strangely enough, you will automatically wake up after this length of time.
奇怪的是，过了这样一段时间你就会自己醒来。
eg. Strangely enough, we tend to come across things that are impossible.
真奇怪，我们往往会碰到一些我们认为不可能的事。
6. carry over
（使）延续；（使）延伸；推广到；
eg. Springs and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into Christian times in Europe.
泉眼和水井都进行装饰，这个习俗在欧洲一直延续到基督教时代。
eg. Edward does not carry over his business ethics into his personal relationships.
爱德华并不把他在生意中的道德准则运用到私人关系中去。
