ACT 3-1  “我倒是愿意走我自己的路。 ”

【故事梗概】

Robbie在家里一边浇花一边和他的朋友Mike聊关于大学面试的事。Mike刚刚参加过哥伦比亚大学的面试。

Mike: I had an interview today, too. I had a great interview with Admissions at Columbia University.
Robbie: Really? What did they say? Will you get into the school?
Mike: Well, they didn't say anything for sure. But I figure that with my grades and with my personality, I'll have no problem.
Robbie: Columbia's a terrific school. What are you going to do?
Mike: Do? I don't know. I also applied to NYU.
Robbie: You sound excited about Columbia. What's your problem, Mike?
Mike: Indecision. Indecision. It's not easy, and this is an important decision we have to make. What about you? How was your interview with Michigan?
Robbie: The interview was fine.
Mike: It's a great college.
Robbie: It is. My father would like me to go there. He and my Grandpa both went there.
Mike: Great medical school, too.
Robbie: I know.
Mike: You can follow in your father's footsteps.
Robbie: Ah! I'd like to follow in my own footsteps, Mike.
Mike: What do you want to study?
Robbie: I've been thinking. I think I want to study journalism to be a reporter -- a newspaperman.
Mike: You do a pretty good job on the River dale High School paper.
Robbie: And I've been thinking about it a lot lately.
Mike: Have you discussed it with your parents?
Robbie: No. But I have to.
Mike: OK. Let's talk.

【语言点精讲】

1. I had a great interview with Admissions at Columbia University.
Columbia University: 哥伦比亚大学，纽约市的一所私立大学，是著名的常青藤盟校（Ivy League）之一。其他的常青藤盟校包括: 布朗大学(Brown University)，康乃尔大学(Cornell University)，达特茅斯学院(Dartmouth College)，哈佛大学(Harvard University)，宾夕法尼亚大学(University of Pennsylvania)，普林斯顿大学(Princeton University)以及耶鲁大学(Yale University)。

2. Well, they didn't say anything for sure. But I figure that with my grades and with my personality, I'll have no problem.
他们没有给明确的答复。但是我猜想以我的分数和我的品行，我不会有问题的。
I figure: 我合计，我猜想，我估计。
grades: 这里指“分数”。
personality: 指人的个性，性格，品行。

3. I also applied to NYU.
我还申请了纽约大学。
NYU: 纽约大学 (New York University)。这是纽约的另一所私立大学。

4. You sound excited about Columbia.
You sound excited about…: 听起来你对……兴趣很大。

5. You can follow in your father's footsteps.
你可以走你父亲的路（当医生）。
follow in your father's footsteps: 走你父亲的路。

6. Ah!
用这个声音表示不以为然、不认同。

7. I think I want to study journalism to be a reporter -- a newspaperman.
我想我要念新闻专业，当记者——当新闻工作者。
newspaperman: 新闻记者，新闻工作者。后缀-man 表示职业，例如: milkman（送牛奶的人），fireman （消防队员），mailman（邮递员）等。但近年来女权运动者对这类合成词愤慨不已，认为有明显的性别歧视，因此很多改以中性词代替，例如: journalist, milk person, firefighter, mail carrier等。

ACT 3-2  “我想了很久上哪所大学好。 ”

【故事梗概】

当晚，Robbie和Philip进行了一次长谈。他坦诚的讲出了自己对申请大学这一问题的想法。Philip表示理解他做的决定。

Philip: Hi, Son. Is everything all right?
Robbie: Hi, Dad. Everything's fine. I was just waiting for you to get home so we could talk.
Philip: Anything special you want to talk about?
Robbie: There is, Dad.
Philip: I'm listening.
Robbie: Well, I know you and Mom have given up a lot to save money for my college tuition.
Philip: We want you to go to college, Robbie.
Robbie: I know. I do.
Philip: But?
Robbie: Well, I've thought a lot about which college, and one of them is Columbia.
Philip: Columbia? Why Columbia?
Robbie: First, they have an excellent School of Journalism.
Philip: They do. And your friends are planning to go to Columbia?
Robbie: That's only part of it. It's complicated. I'll try to explain. Mike and I had a hamburger this afternoon, and we talked.
Philip: Yes?
Robbie: Well, we talked about a lot of things. He applied to Columbia, and his interview was very successful. He thinks he'll be accepted, and he really wants to go there.
Philip: Dean Rafer called me today. He told me he was very impressed with you.
Robbie: He's a nice man. He was very kind.
Philip: He told me you had some doubts about wanting to go to Michigan.
Robbie: Yes. I do. I'm just not sure about what I want to do.
Philip: That's OK.
Robbie: You understand?

【语言点精讲】

1. Well, I know you and Mom have given up a lot to save money for my college tuition.
嗯，爸爸，我知道你和妈妈为攒钱供我上大学，做出不少牺牲。
give up: 放弃，牺牲（享受）。
tuition: 这里指学费。

2. I know. I do.
我知道。我真的知道。
“I do.”是“I do know. ”的简略，do表强调。

3. But?
然而？这里相当于But what's on your mind, anyway? （知道归知道，不过你是想说……？）

4. Well, I've thought a lot about which college, and one of them is Columbia.
嗯，我想了很久上哪所大学好，其中有一所就是哥伦比亚大学。
I've thought a lot about…: 关于…我想了很久。这里用现在完成时，表示一个在过去开始而延续到现在，或可能延续到将来的动作或情况，一般表示延续的时间较长。

5. That's only part of it. It's complicated. I'll try to explain.
这只不过是一部分理由。事情很复杂，我会尽力解释一下。
complicated: 难以理解的，难以说清楚的，复杂的。
explain: 解释，说明…的含义 (或原因、理由)；

6. He thinks he'll be accepted
他认为他会被录取入学的。
be accepted: 这里指被大学录取，相当于be permitted to enter.

7. He told me he was very impressed with you.
他对我说他对你的印象很不错。
He told me (that)…: 他告诉我…，后面接的是间接引语，用来转述别人的话。又如Philip说的：He told me you had some doubts about wanting to go to Michigan.（他告诉我说你对于是否上密歇根大学还拿不定主意。）
be impressed with you: 对你留有好印象，对你印象很深。

ACT 3-3  “你真了不起！ ”

【故事梗概】

Philip给Robbie讲了自己申请大学选择专业时的经历。原来Philip当年也是很有主见，要自己来选择和塑造自己的前途。Philip评价Robbie“真是Stewart家的人”

Philip: Let me tell you something, Robbie. Something that might be surprising to you.
Robbie: What? Tell me.
Philip: Well, Grandpa wanted me to study engineering, like him. Well, I wasn't clear about my future, but I knew engineering was not for me.
Robbie: What did you tell Grandpa?
Philip: The truth.
Robbie: Then you're not upset about my not wanting to go into medicine?
Philip: I'm not upset at all. I'm just happy that we're able to talk about it.
Robbie: I am too, Dad.
Philip: I suppose you want to apply to Columbia.
Robbie: Yes, but I also want to apply to several other colleges.
Philip: I thought you wanted to go to Columbia.
Robbie: Well, I might want to go to Columbia. But I might not. I just want to be able to make my own decision.
Philip: You're a real Stewart!
Robbie: And if I think about it long enough, you never know …
Philip: Never know what?
Robbie: If I make my own decision, I might choose Michigan.
Philip: Robbie, you're something! You know, when I was your age, I said exactly the same thing to Grandpa.

【语言点精讲】

1. Well, I wasn't clear about my future, but I knew engineering was not for me.
嗯，我当时对自己的未来也不很清楚，但我知道我不该学工程。
be clear about: 对…清楚，关于…很明白。
not for me: 这里指“某事不适合我”。

2. I suppose you want to apply to Columbia.
我猜想你想申请上哥伦比亚大学。
I suppose : 我猜，我认为，我推想。
apply to: 正式申请，向…要求

3. You're a real Stewart!
a real Stewart: 真是Stewart家的人。Philip是指Robbie有自己的主见。从这点来讲，他和Stewart家的人具有同样的个性。

4. And if I think about it long enough, you never know …
再说，如果我考虑的时间够长的话，说不定……
you never know: 说不定，说不准。

5. You're something!
你真了不起！something 在 you're something 中，表示某种了不起的给人以深刻印象的物或人。

6. You know, when I was your age, I said exactly the same thing to Grandpa.
When I was your age: 当年我像你这么大的时候。
I said exactly the same thing: 我说的话跟你现在的一模一样。