节目资讯
刊物:空中英語教室
日期:2012-03-16
难易度:Medium
关键字:venture, demonstration, labor, route
(Music).
OK. I hope you had a great break.
The Amish, for all of their 17th century simplicity, are still very practical
people.
They won't own a car.
But if they need to travel long distances, they will sometimes ride in a car
that somebody else owns and drives.
Typically, the main form of transportation for the Amish is the buggy.
Let's find out what it's like to ride in one at the top of the right-hand
column.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
An Amish Buggy Ride.
Then drive down country roads and watch the Amish labor at home or in the
fields.
In the town of Bird-in-Hand, take the opportunity to see the world the way the
Amish do - from a buggy.
At Aaron & Jessica's Buggy Rides, you can choose from five different routes.
All take you through land farmed only with horses or mules.
And you'll stop at an Amish farm where you will have the chance to buy homemade
cookies or jam.
The buggy ride business is Amish family-owned, and all the drivers are Plain
People.
All right. Welcome back.
So we've visited a museum, or you can learn a little bit more history about the
Amish people.
And now we see there's something else you can do.
That's right. You can take an Amish buggy ride.
Now we learned that a buggy is a cart with two wheels that is pulled by a horse.
And it's more traditional.
It's very simple.
It's not fancy.
And it's the way the Amish get around since they don't use cars.
But you know, we've visited some museums, we've visited some markets, maybe we
want experience a little bit of this Amish community, this Amish field.
So let's take a buggy ride!
Yeah. Now I don't know about you, but this sounds like the most fun to me -
getting to ride on one of these buggies.
You can drive down country roads and watch the Amish labor at home or in the
fields.
Now to "labor" simply means to work.
But it's a nice word.
It's a little higher level, a nice... fancy, I guess you could say, word.
We say "you are working," but it means you're working hard and continuously.
Yeah. Usually if you are talking about labor in fields, that means hard work,
you're using your hands and your body for it.
Now these are very hardworking people.
They may live simple, but as I said, it's not easy to live without electricity
and all the convenience we have today.
They're hardworking, diligent people.
And you can see pictures of them in your studio Classroom magazine.
Yes. Take a look at page 33 for those pictures.
Now this... I like the name of this town here, Bird-in-Hand.
You can go there and take the opportunity to see the world the way the Amish do.
Now this would be fun.
This is one of those little towns that dot the countryside near Lancaster.
You can go visit to try to see the world, the way the Amish do.
That means we are experiencing life the way they experience life, trying life
their way.
And you can do that from a buggy.
Yeah, exactly.
Well, the Amish see the world from a buggy.
They only ride in buggies, and now you can do that too.
Well, at Aaron and Jessica's Buggy Rides, you can choose from five different
routes.
That's right.
Now a "route" is a path or a direction that you can take to travel on.
So if there are five different routes, then you can choose five different ways
or places to go and see.
That's right. So you're in this town, you can find "Aaron & Jessica's Buggy
Rides." That is the name of their company.
Hopefully, if you get the opportunity to visit the Pennsylvania Dutch, you can
find Aaron and Jessica to try out their cool buggy rides.
That's true.
Now each of these different routes you can choose from, they might have
different things to see.
But they all take you through the land farmed only with horses or mules.
Now when we say "farmed with something," usually when we think of farming, we
think of machines and tools that we use to harvest.
So we would think, well, they must be plowing or tearing up the earth using a
machine.
But these fields are only farmed with horses and mules.
Yeah. They use horses and mules to pull what is called a "plow" - the noun plow
- behind them.
And that is what they use to "plow" the fields, the verb plow.
That's right. So it's a lot of work.
It's not as easy as getting on a machine, putting the key in, turning it and
going.
You have to walk with the animal.
You have to walk the fields and help the animal, keep them in the straight....
It's a lot of work.
A lot of labor, you're right.
And you can also stop at an Amish farm where you will have the chance to buy
homemade cookies and jam.
That sounds fantastic.
Yes. We know that the Amish usually are pretty good at cooking.
So I think this would be my favorite idea.
Well, how cool that you get to get in a buggy, just like the Amish people do,
you get to go for a ride and see their countryside where people are going to be
laboring in the fields because they don't really get vacation.
And then you get to stop and enjoy what they enjoy as well, their jams and their
cookies and, ooh, their yummy snacks.
And it's not just normal cookies and jam, it's homemade cookies and jam.
If something is homemade, well, that means that they actually made it at home,
made it with their own hands similar to the way they make handicrafts.
Well, and homemade, not only would they be homemade, anything would be
homegrown.
All the fruits and vegetables come from their own gardens.
Well, the buggy ride business is Amish family-owned, and all the drivers are
Plain People.
Yeah. I like that they call them Plain People.
They are simple people, and they all run this business to let you, too, enjoy
Amish life.
So you can also be a part of the Amish life as well as give to their community
by taking part in one of their family businesses.
Well, going on a ride with an Amish person in a buggy sounds like a great
vacation to me.
I hope it does to you as well.
Well, that's enough of us here talking about them.
Let's see what Ken and Bryan are talking about.
So Ken, are you still enjoying that book about Amish country?
Yeah. But some of their towns have some really strange names.
Oh, really? Like what?
Well, there's one town called Bird-in-Hand.
Who would hold a bird in their hand?
And why would they name a town after that?
I think I know where it comes from.
It's based on a saying: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Let's have Doris, Studio Classroom's Editor-in-Chief, explain what this means.
OK.
The saying "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" means that you
shouldn't risk losing what you already have to get something that you may or may
not come true.
Imagine that you're hunting birds, and you've already caught one.
Even if you see two more around you, you shouldn't give up the one you have to
chase them.
You might end up with nothing.
Oh. So the saying comes from hunting.
That makes sense.
And it seems like pretty good advice too.
Yes. It actually reminds me of another saying that also comes from hunting:
If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.
First birds, now rabbits.
What does that one mean?
It means that if you divide your time trying to reach two goals, you might not
achieve either of them.
So it's saying that you should focus on one goal rather than many?
That's right.
Hey, that's really interesting, and it makes the town's name a lot more
sensible.
Thanks for the English lesson, Bryan.
You're welcome.
(Chinese).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And I guess that's it for today.
Keep up the good work, and I'll see you next time.
Friends, please take a moment later and visit our Studio Classroom English
Corner.
There, you can share your opinion about the lessons, like today's lesson on the
Amish, and you can see what others are saying too.
If you need to, use the Talk About It questions at the bottom of page 33 to help
you get your conversation started.
And while you're there, why not take a moment and download this lesson's
worksheet to help you retain what you've learned.
OK, everyone, one more day of Pennsylvania Dutch Country tomorrow.
Have a fantastic Friday.