Situation: Joe and Lin Zhi have just finished working out at the gym， and are making their way home.

Joe: That was an awesome workout. It's good that we've started going to the gym again – I've put on too much weight since I've been in China.

Lin Zhi: Exactly. That's because you eat too much and don't get enough exercise.

Joe: Hey， that's not fair! I used to get plenty of exercise back in University! I just don't get the chance to exercise as much here in China as I did back then.

Lin Zhi: Uh-huh. Because， quite obviously， back then you were an Olympic hopeful with the body of a modern-day Adonis.

Joe: Well…I wouldn't say I was THAT athletic. But I played a fair amount of sport. I was on the hockey and the kickboxing teams， for example.

Lin Zhi: You? No way!

Joe: Sure was. We won the BUCSA hockey league in my second year.

Lin Zhi: BUSA?

Joe: The British Universities and Colleges Sports Association. They organise all the inter-university sports in the UK.

Lin Zhi: So you would compete against other universities?

Joe: Yep. Every Wednesday of the school year. Of course， it was never as big or as popular as college football or basketball is in the United States， but it was still really important to anyone who took part.

Lin Zhi: Was it compulsory?

Joe: No， it was all voluntary. In the UK， we don't have compulsory sport past the age of 16. If you want to play a sport at University， that's entirely up to you. It’s not like in China， where PE is a compulsory course at university. What did you practice while you were studying?

Lin Zhi: I chose to practise shadowboxing. If you’re lucky， I’ll show off some of my mad skills later. Oh， Joe. Who ever knew that you used to be a top athlete. Now look at you， all pudgy and wasting away. (She pokes him in the stomach and runs away).

Joe: HEY! ( Joe chases after her)

情景：喬和林芝剛剛從健身房鍛煉完回公寓。

喬：今天鍛煉的真痛快！我們又回到健身房鍛煉了，真是不錯——自從我到中國后，體重與日俱增。

林芝：是的。就是因為你吃得多動得少。

喬：嘿，你這么說可不公平! 我回學校的時候可是常常運動的。只是現(xiàn)在在中國我沒太多機會像以前那樣鍛煉罷了。

林芝：呃……因為，很明顯啊，想想你曾有一副奧運會種子選手現(xiàn)代版阿多尼斯的好身材。

喬：好吧，我可沒說我是個運動員啊。但是我以前的確經(jīng)常做運動。比如，我參加了曲棍球和跆拳道隊。

林芝：你？不可能吧！

喬：當然。我們隊第二學年就贏了BUCSA曲棍球聯(lián)賽。

林芝：BUCSA？

喬：是英國大學運動協(xié)會的縮寫。他們負責組織所有英國國內(nèi)的校際體育比賽。

林芝：那么你們就和其它大學一起比賽？

喬：是啊。學期里的每個周三都有比賽。當然了，比賽的規(guī)模和知名度都不及美國的大學足球和籃球聯(lián)賽，但對于我們每個參與的人還是尤為重要的。

林芝：那是必修的嗎？

喬：不是，都是自愿的。在英國，過了16周歲就沒有體育必修課了。要想在大學參加體育運動完全取決于自己。不像在中國，體育是必修課。你在大學里選修什么？

林芝：我就選了太極拳。運氣好的話一會我給你展示一下我的瘋狂絕技。喔，喬，誰能想到你過去還是個頂尖的體育健將啊?？纯茨悻F(xiàn)在，又胖體質(zhì)又差。（她用手戳了一下他的肚子跑開了。）

喬：喂?。▎淘诤竺孀罚?/p>

Notes

1. working out

該短語在文中的意思是“鍛煉”，他還有“制訂、計算出”等意思。文中出現(xiàn)的workout是它的名詞形式。

例句：

I have been out of shape recently. I feel exhausted after working out in the gym.

最近身體不太好，健身之后我覺得筋疲力盡。

We need to work out a scheme to take up the market in Europe.

我們需要制訂一個計劃來占領歐洲市場。

2. put on weight

“長胖、增肥”。相對應的減肥就是lose weight，如果說某人過胖也可以說overweight“過胖的、超出正常體重的”。說fat要慎重，這可不太禮貌。

例句：

She always eats as much as she wants but then regrets it when she puts on weight.

她總是想吃所少吃多少，但是胖了就后悔。

3. a fair amount of

“大量的”，fair在前起修飾作用，加強程度。

例句：

He owed a fair amount of money after gambling in Las Vegas.

他在拉斯維加斯欠下了大量賭債。

4. compete against…

“與某人競爭”。與此用法類似的還有fight against…

例句：

Do you know how many people you will compete against in the contest?

你知道在比賽中你要同多少人競爭嗎？

5. wasting away

指身體日漸衰弱，體力不如從前。

例句：

After contracting a severe disease， she started wasting away day by day.

一場大病之后，她的身體每況愈下。