教育問題

【前情提要】

順利生產的Sabrina一個人照顧孩子經常忙的手亂腳亂，為了替好友分憂，Lily、James和Elena等一行朋友前去幫忙。結果，絲毫沒有經驗的一幫人不僅讓寶寶大哭，還因為給寶寶取名字而鬧出不少笑話。

【本期劇情】

自從寶寶出現后，6個年輕人的生活似乎開始圍繞孩子打轉了，這不，取名風波剛結束，關于孩子未來的教育問題又被提上了日程……

【重點提示】

Language Focus / 語言點：

1. 語言背后的文化知識

2. 固定英語表達法

3. 閱讀難點解析

Situation Dialogues 情景對話

（又到了周末，一幫朋友再次去Sabrina家里幫忙照顧寶寶。）

Lily: I'm going to put the clean clothes over here， okay Sab?

Elena: No nooo， it goes over here. That's what we've been doing for the past couple of weeks， how clueless are you?

Xiao Qiang: Now now， girls， don't fight. The baby will feel the bad vibes and be traumatized for the rest of his life to the point where he breaks out in hives whenever there are multiple females in the room.

(Everyone has a giggle at this.)

Elena: Actually， I believe that kind of thing. It's really important to maintain a really peaceful environment around the baby. You know， like some mothers listen to classical music a lot while they're pregnant because it's supposed to help develop the baby's cognitive abilities in the womb or something.

Sabrina: Geez， you could have told me that before I gave birth， now I feel like my baby's going to be cognitively challenged because I didn't begin his education in utero!

Lily: Seriously though， have you thought about how you're going to educate Qing Zhe?

Sabrina: Give me a break! I'm still sore from giving birth and you're all throwing this at me?!

Elena: If you start thinking about it now， you won't have to panic when the time comes， you know?

Xiao Qiang: Oh come on， she's got plenty of time. Foot massage， Sabrina?

Sabrina: Thank god， finally someone who can read my mind and meet my needs.

(Lily and Elena laugh. Paul and James look at each other guiltily.)

Lily: Well， I think the baby should be trained in the arts. When I was little my mom made me take dance lessons， but after a while I got tired of spending all my weekends in class and stopped… now whenever I see a good dancer I wish I'd tried harder. I feel like I'm pretty but don't have much substance， you know? I think dancing would have given me substance.

Xiao Qiang: (gathering Lily in a dramatic hug) I think you have lots of substance， my darling.

(Everyone laughs.)

Lily: (playfully pushing him away) You're such a typical middle child， Xiao Qiang， you just go right ahead and do whatever you feel like doing at the time. Although I have to say， I don't mind feeling loved…

(Sabrina wolf whistles at them. Elena looks meaningfully at Casanova， at which Casanova dramatically rolls his eyes， twirls over to Elena， grabs her and dips her.)

Casanova: You know I love you too my sweetheart， my darling， my most beautiful…

James: Please!

Paul: Yeah， get a room!

Sabrina: Here comes the morning sickness again! You're going to make me puke!

(Everyone has a laugh and return to whatever they were doing. But the question of Sabrina's baby's education is still on their minds.)

Paul: When I was a kid， I had a really structured， very \"proper\" education. My dad is one of those people who genuinely think that studying the classics and memorizing Latin verb conjugations is going to prepare you for the big wide world. He wouldn't even let me choose which musical instrument to learn – I really wanted to do something cool， like the saxophone， but he thought piano would give me a more well-rounded background in music theory.

Xiao Qiang: Wow， that sounds like…

Lily: Something out of Pride and Prejudice!

Sabrina: Oh my god， you were Mr. Darcy!! Did you have to learn court dancing as well?

Paul: Oh， come off it.

James: (evilly) Of course， it all makes sense now.

Paul: What?!

James: No wonder you English walk around like you have rods up your asses， who can blame you with that kind of education system?

Paul: Well if your president is any indication， you Americans could do with a bit more of the sort of education we English receive!

James: Okay， I can't fault you on that argument.

(Everyone laughs.)

Elena: Well， if neither the English nor the Americans can recommend their systems of education， maybe Qing Zhe should receive a Chinese education. That way， he won't turn out to be an idiot or have a rod up his ass.

James: Is she insulting both of us?

Paul: I think so. Let's get her.

(Elena squeals as the two grab her and pretend to choke her. Casanova steps in and the four run around， entertaining the others with a rowdy， impromptu save-the-damsel-type performance.)

Part Two: Sabrina's Plan 未來計劃

(第二天，Sabrina、Lily和Elena聚在一起話家常。)

Lily: He's sooo cute!

(The three sit around watching the baby， who is fast asleep in his bassinet.)

Sabrina: I know! I have to say， I know all parents say this about their children， but I do feel like he's the prettiest baby out there.

Elena: You know I wouldn't lie to you， Sabrina， and if I thought your baby was ugly I would tell you so， but I really do think little Daniel is gorgeous.

(The three fall into a contented silence as they listen to the baby's even breathing.)

Lily: I have to say Sab， you're looking great since you had the baby. I don't know， maybe it's the motherly glow – it suits you. It makes me want to have a baby now too! Maybe I can have a girl， and then she and Daniel can be little childhood sweethearts.

Elena: (sarcastically) Of course， because it'll all happen that conveniently.

Sabrina: (laughing) Oh geez， I don't know – as Qing Zhe's mother， I have to say， any daughter of yours might be too much to handle for my little boy!

Elena: Yeah， how about I have a little girl and Qing Zhe can be with her?

Lily: I guess if you and Casanova ever get married and have a little girl， then that would work.

Sabrina: Ouch! Of course they'll get there， won't you Elena?

Elena: Just watch this space!

Sabrina: Actually， last night after you all left I was still thinking about what we were talking about… you know， about Daniel's education?

Elena: Yeah? I thought you said it was too early?

Sabrina: Well， you all got me thinking. And I was thinking: I've spent time in the West， and I really like the methods they use over there. I think it's more freeing to be able to sit in a class where the focus is on cultivating each child's interests and special talents， rather than on conforming and rote memorization. But you know， at the end of the day， Daniel and I will always be in China – I don't know if it would be good for him to have an international education when he's destined to live and work with Chinese people， who will not have had the same type of education as him. It might not help him blend in. Chinese education， on the other hand， has a lot going for it too， you know?While I was pregnant， I read a lot of biographies of famous people， and a lot of them came from single parent families， and even though their environment growing up wasn't ideal， they went on to do great things. I think the best thing for me to do would be to give Daniel a relaxed upbringing， and let him grow in whatever direction he wants to.

Lily: That sounds great， Sabrina. I don't think anyone could say anything against that， do you Elena?

Elena: Absolutely. But speaking of single parents – my only worry is that it'll become too much for you to do by yourself. Are you sure you don't want to talk to Paul about this stuff? I know it's tempting to make all the decisions by yourself， but it might take a load off of you just to have someone to brainstorm with.

Sabrina: I know， and I've discussed it with him. We'll try to make joint decisions about Daniel's upbringing. We'll work as a team， and each have equal responsibility towards him. And I'll try not to get too defensive when Paul disagrees with my ideas!

Lily: And what about your relationship? I mean， not as parents to Daniel， but as a couple?

Sabrina: Well， we'll see what happens. I'm not holding my breath， but if things progress naturally， that's fine， but for now I see him more as a friend than anything else.

Lily: Well， I still think you should rethink James…

Elena: Oh totally. I second that.

Lily: He's sweet， he's supportive， he loves Daniel， he's proven that he's trustworthy…

Sabrina: (jokingly) Sounds like you want to be with him!

Elena: Come on， Sabrina， we're serious.

Sabrina: (laughing) Okay， okay – I know how you guys feel about him. I like James too， but I don't know that we would work together.

Lily: So why not give it a try?

Sabrina: Look， right now I just want to concentrate on being a good mother. I can't think about romantic relationships just yet.

【Language Focus / 語言點】

1. vibes

“vibe”是個俚語，經常用作復數，意思是“感應”。

2. to the point

固定搭配，意思是“中肯，切中要點的”，但在對話中，它的意思是“逐漸達到某個程度”。

3. hives

“喧鬧繁忙的場所”的意思，同時它還有“蜂箱”的意思。

4. in utero

這是個拉丁詞匯，意思是“在子宮里”，通常用來形容胎兒的狀況。

5. substance

“重點、主旨”的意思。在對話中，Lily是用該詞形容自己生活空洞，不充實，自己只是徒有其表。

6. You're such a typical middle child…

“middle child”是一家之中排中間的孩子，他/她經常被年長的哥哥/姐姐奪去光芒，而且也不會像弟弟/妹妹那樣討人喜歡，所以“middle child”的生活經常比較自由，因為他/她經常不被注意到。但是，在爭端中，他/她也經常扮演一種調節員的角色。在對話中，Lily是跟小強開玩笑，讓他隨便去哪都無所謂，但是不可忽視，他總能恰倒好處地調節氣氛。

7. well-rounded

“全面的、成熟的、多姿多彩的”意思，對話中是“全面的”意思。

8. No wonder you English walk around like you have rods up your asses…

在對話中，大家將Paul比喻成《傲慢與偏見》中的達西，以此諷刺英國人傲慢的個性。