ACT 1-1 “ 我想听听您的意见。
【故事梗概】
在Stewart家的起居室里，Marilyn正在设计一件连衣裙。她停下来一会儿，和Ellen谈心。她和Richard将要有孩子了，买自己的房子另住的事提上了议事日程。就此事她想听听Ellen的意见。
Marilyn: Ellen, I'd like your opinion.
Ellen: About what?
Marilyn: Well, Richard and I feel that with a baby coming we need to have our own place to live.
Ellen: Oh.
Marilyn: Well, what do you think about Richard and me looking for a small house or an apartment at this point in our lives?
Ellen: We love having you here, and there is room and … and when the baby comes, the baby can stay in your room for a while.
Marilyn: Richard feels we need to find a small house.
Ellen: I remember when I was pregnant with Richard Philip and were living with Grandma and Grandpa. Philip was a young doctor, and he kept talking about having a house of our own. It's natural.
Marilyn: What did you do?
Ellen: We looked at a lot of houses.
Marilyn: Did you find one?
Ellen: Oh, not at first. We couldn't afford it. Grandpa wanted to lend us the money to buy one, but Philip is too independent. He didn't want to borrow any money.
Marilyn: Sounds like Richard.
Ellen: They're all alike. Richard is a real Stewart. He's independent and sometimes just stubborn.
【语言点精讲】
1. I'd like your opinion.
我想听听您的意见。这是一种征求别人的意见，询问某人的看法的表达方式。
2. About what?
我的什么意见？ 在这里相当于“My opinion about what?
口语中，当上下文意思比较清楚时，句中可省略重复的部分。
3. Well, Richard and I feel that with a baby coming we need to have our own place to live.
哦，Richard和我觉得，我们快要有孩子了，需要有自己的房子住。
with a baby coming: 指快要生孩子了。
our own place: 这里指的是“a house belonging to ourselves，自己的房子。
4. Well, what do you think about Richard and me looking for a small house or an apartment at this point in our lives?
呃，Richard和我在我们生活中的这个时候找一所小住宅或者一处公寓房子，你认为怎么样？
What do you think about…? : 你觉得…怎么样？你认为…怎么样？在征求别人的意见时可以使用这个句型。
at this point: 在这个时刻。相当于at this time.
5. We couldn't afford it.
我们买不起。
afford: 买得起，承担得起(费用等)。常接在 can, could 或 be able to 后面。
6. Grandpa wanted to lend us the money to buy one, but Philip is too independent. He didn't want to borrow any money.
爷爷要想借给我们钱买一所房子，可是Philip独立性太强了。他不想借钱。
lend : 借出，借给。borrow: 借入，借来。
7. Sounds like Richard.
听起来像 Richard一样。用来表明 某人的行为方式像另一人的。
8. They're all alike.
他们斯图尔特家的人都是一个样子。
alike: 在这里作为表语形容词，用于be，look，sound等系动词或半系动词后面，表示“一样的，相同的，相似的。
（编辑：薛琳）