英語日常口語 Unit47:A call from Germany

本單元是關于從德國打來的電話的對話

Helen: Hello?
Alice: Gutenmorgan. Hi Helen, it's Alice.
Helen: Hey, how are you? What's Germany like? Are you having fun?
Alice: I'm fine, it's fab and yes, yes, yes! How are things back home?
Helen: Great. We've just come back from Brighton and Michal was a complete star!
Alice: Oh how so?
Helen: Well this guy stole my purse while we were on the beach and he ran after him like a bat out of hell, caught him and got my purse back! He was a real hero!
Alice: Oh quite the Superman, I'm sure! So have you made up with him then?
Helen: What do you think? Of course ... Oh, her money must have run out.

Vocabulary:（字匯）

like a bat out of hell (idiom): （跑得飛快）
run very quickly

make up: （重修舊好）
become friends again after having a disagreement or fight

run out: （用完，用光，殆盡）
come to the end of something, have no more of something left

a legend: （傳奇）
a story that is passed down from generation to generation. Most people regard the story as truthful but there is usually no historical basis for it

本單元的語言點是文學作品中的人物，我們經常使用故事書，電影，電視里面的虛構人物來形容一些行為相同的真實人物。舉例來說，Michal 的行為非常勇敢，因此 Alice 說" Oh quite the Superman, I'm sure!" ，因為虛構人物"超人"的行為也很勇敢。下面介紹一些書中或電影里面比較讓人熟知的虛構人物，他們的出處以及人物個性。

Fictional characters

Some fictional characters from books, films and TV are so familiar that their names are used to describe people who have similar characteristics or who behave in similar ways. For example, Michal acted very bravely so Alice said " Oh quite the Superman, I'm sure!" because the fictional character Superman is known for his courageous actions.

Here are some more well-known characters, the book, film etc. they are from and their key characteristics.

按照字母順序排列

Name: Big bad wolf （大野狼）
Origin: Children's story "The Three Little Pigs"
Characteristics: Evil, sly and dangerous

Name: Big brother （老大哥）
Origin: The Novel "1984" by George Orwell
Characteristics: Closely monitoring or supervising the work or activities of others in a secretive way

Name: Cinderella （灰姑娘）
Origin: Children's fairy story "Cinderella"
Characteristics:Poor, unloved and overworked. Rescued by a great love

Name: Dracula （吸血鬼德古拉）
Origin: The Novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Characteristics: Like a vampire. Sucking ideas or enthusiasm from people

Name: Homer Simpson （荷馬·辛普森）
Origin:American cartoon TV series "The Simpsons"
Characteristics: Badly behaved, has bad manners

Name: Jekyll and Hyde
Origin: The novel "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson
Characteristics: Unpredictable. Tends to have mood swings - sometimes very nice, other times very angry and violent

Name: The Mad Hatter
Origin: Children's story "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll
Characteristics: Unconventional, strange, crazy

Name: Peter Pan （小飛俠彼得潘）
Origin: Children's novel and stage play "Peter Pan" by J M Barrie
Characteristics: Childlike, refuses to grow up and act maturely

Name: Pinocchio （小木偶皮諾切）
Origin: Children's novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio" Carlo Collodi
Characteristics: Tells lies

Name: Robin Hood （羅賓漢）
Origin: The legend of Robin Hood
Characteristics: Like an outlaw, wants to take money from the rich and give it to the poor. Concerned with issues of justice

Name: Scrooge
Origin: From the novel "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens
Characteristics: Mean, ungenerous, doesn't want anyone to have any fun

Name: Sherlock Holmes （偵探福爾摩斯）
Origin: From the detective novels, including "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", by Arthur Conan Doyle
Characteristics: Observant and logical

Name: Walter Mitty
Origin: From the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber
Characteristics: A day-dreamer, fantasizes about having great adventures

Name: Wonder Woman
Origin: The comic book "Wonder Woman" and TV series of the same name
Characteristics: Confident and physically powerful