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。