随身英语
Toy joy! 玩具带来的快乐
你还记得小时候玩过的电子游戏吗？那些曾经让我们爱不释手的玩具——掌上游戏机、电子宠物鸡？这些儿时 “必须拥有” 的小玩意儿和电子装置如今又重新流行起来。“随身英语” 讨论是什么驱使我们再度开始迷恋 “Gameboy” 等游戏。
Vocabulary: nostalgia 词汇: 对往事的怀念
I’m sure we all have childhood memories – what we did at school, the food we ate, the games we played. But perhaps the most vivid recollections are those of the toys we played with. There were many gadgets that may seem unsophisticated now but were the must-have items in the playground back in the day. Now it seems that our passion for nostalgia means some of them are making a comeback.
One of my favourites was the Nintendo Game Boy, which returned to the shops last year, 30 years after it was first released. This handheld console has had some modifications, but still offers a simple gaming experience and a trip down memory lane! If the Game Boy wasn’t from your era, how about the Tamagotchi? This egg-shaped, plastic pet that its owner had to keep ‘alive’ with constant care and attention - was the must-have item not long after its launch in 1996.
These sometimes annoying ‘creatures’ were such a distraction in the classroom, they often got banned from school. But now, childlike adults can relive their wasted youth because Japanese manufacturer Bandai will soon release an all-colour, new-and-improved version of the classic toy. Its maker says it’s evolved from a pet into more of a character, and can inhabit different lands, as well as get married and breed.
So what’s driving this demand for retro goods? Retail Analyst for Mintel, Chana Baram, told the BBC people are searching for comfort in 'the good old days'. Certainly, playing with an old toy brings back memories of our formative years and gives us a feel-good factor, but it’s also something brands and marketing companies want to cash in on.
Retro toys are also something we could cash in on too. In the darkest corners of many attics and spare rooms lie the toys of Christmas past. And those once much-loved and played with presents may now have a value beyond nostalgia. Toyologist Peter Jenkinson told the BBC that any number of "toys that we all played with as kids are now worth more than a few quid". He suggests there’s a real collectors' market for certain old board games, Star Wars characters, Sindy dolls and Lego sets. However, if you own something like this, it may be just too precious to sell, and part with the connection to your childhood.
词汇表
childhood memories 童年记忆
recollection 回忆，记忆
must-have item 必备物品
back in the day 曾几何时
nostalgia 怀旧
a comeback 再度流行
a trip down memory lane 追忆往昔
relive 重温
classic 经典的
retro 怀旧的
the good old days 美好的过往
formative years 性格形成时期
feel-good factor （使人）感觉良好的因素
cash in 从…中获利
toyologist 玩具专家
part with （不情愿地）舍弃
测验与练习
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. What was the aim of Tamogotchi?
2. Who is trying to make money out of the interest in toys from the past?
3. Which handheld game console first went on sale 30 years ago?
4. True or false? Selling some of our old toys could make us some money.
5. What word used in the article, means ‘small changes, usually to improve something’?
2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。
1. I’ve heard my favourite rock band is making a _______, so I’m definitely going to get a ticket to see them perform!
recollection comeback relive retro
2. I find cycling hard work now but _______ I could pedal up all the hills and ride for miles and miles without stopping.
back on the day back in the days back in the day back in a day
3. She’s been to one of those _______ clothes shop and bought herself a pair of flared jeans – very trendy!
retro recollection relive must-have item
4. The bonus has given us all a _______ - now we have some money to go shopping with.
feel-good factors feeling-good factor feel-factor feel-good factor
5. If I ever win the lottery, I’m going to spend my winnings on a _______ sports car from the 1960s.
nostalgia comeback toyologist classic
答案
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. What was the aim of Tamogotchi?
You had to treat it like a pet and keep it ‘alive’ with constant care and attention.
2. Who is trying to make money out of the interest in toys from the past?
Brands and marketing companies want to cash in on the interest in playing with toys from the past.
3. Which handheld game console first went on sale 30 years ago?
The Nintendo Game Boy returned to the shops last year, 30 years after it was first released.
4. True or false? Selling some of our old toys could make us some money.
True. Toyologist, Peter Jenkinson told the BBC that any number of "toys that we all played with as kids are now worth more than a few quid".
5. What word used in the article, means ‘small changes, usually to improve something’?
The word is ‘modifications’. “The Nintendo Gameboy has had some modifications but still offers a simple gaming experience.”
2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。
1. I’ve heard my favourite rock band is making a comeback, so I’m definitely going to get a ticket to see them perform!
2. I find cycling hard work now but back in the day I could pedal up all the hills and ride for miles and miles without stopping.
3. She’s been to one of those retro clothes shop and bought herself a pair of flared jeans – very trendy!
4. The bonus has given us all a feel-good factor - now we have some money to go shopping with.
5. If I ever win the lottery, I’m going to spend my winnings on a classic sports car from the 1960s.
