درسنامه واژه ها

Long Way – Vocabulary Lesson

Hi, this is Kristin Dodds, one of the directors of Learn Real English. Welcome to this month’s vocabulary lesson for the conversation called Long Way. I have the text of the conversation printed out and I’ve gone through and made some notes about some words or some groups of words that you might have had difficulty understanding. So I’ll be giving you the meanings for these words as they are used in this conversation. So let’s begin.

First I want to mention a lot of times in conversations when native English speakers are speaking really fast, we’ll combine words. So in this conversation you’ll see y’know. You’ll see that a lot, y’know. And it’s just combining you and know. It’s just we’re speaking fast, so we’re speaking fast and combining those two words.

Alright, at the very beginning of the conversation, AJ says, “I finally got around to watching Long Way Round and Long Way Down.” So got around: when he says I finally got around, he’s saying I finally had the time. And Long Way Round and Long Way Down: these are the names of two different series.

They’re shows. We actually rented them and watched them. So they’re the names of two different shows or series.

And then AJ says, “I’m super inspired.” So super here means very. I’m super inspired. I’m very inspired.

And inspired: this means to give someone an idea to do something. Inspired, to give someone an idea to do something.

And then AJ says, “Get an adventure bike.” So an adventure bike, what he’s…let me first say bike is short for motorcycle. A lot of times we’ll use bike as a shortened way to describe a bicycle or a motorcycle. So here he’s speaking about a motorcycle but he’s calling it a bike. It’s just a shortened way to say motorcycle. And adventure bike: this means a motorcycle that goes off the road so it’ll go in dirt and very difficult places to ride a motorcycle. And so when Joe mentions that AJ already has a motorcycle, his current motorcycle is actually a motorcycle made for riding on streets or roads.

Okay, then AJ says, “Like a BMW.” So BMW: this is a German company that makes motorcycles and cars.

Then AJ says, “Some kind of adventurous journey.” So a journey: this is a trip, usually a long trip.

Journey, it’s a trip.

And then AJ says, “That would have challenges.” So challenges: difficult parts. Challenges here means difficult parts.

And then AJ says, “That would be tough.” So tough: this means difficult. Tough, difficult.

And then AJ says, “That’s also really rewarding.” So rewarding: this means satisfying or pleasing.

Rewarding, satisfying or pleasing.

Then a little bit further in the conversation, AJ says, “Some of our more recent trips.” So recent, recent trips: this means trips done not so long ago. Recent trips, trips not done so long ago.

And then Joe says, “Y’know, what was cool.” So cool here means interesting. Cool, cool here means interesting.

And then Joe says, “There were some challenges, some obstacles.” So obstacles: these are difficulties or problems. Obstacles, difficulties, problems.

And then Joe says, “They had to overcome.” So overcome: this means succeed in dealing with.

Overcome means succeed in dealing with.

And then Joe says, “They all had to work together in order to actually achieve whatever goal it was.” So they all had to work together in order: means so that they could. In order to actually achieve, so that they could actually achieve. So in order to means so that they could. And achieve: this means complete.

Achieve means complete. And goal, whatever goal it was, goal: this is a plan or a purpose. Goal is a plan or a purpose.

Then AJ says, “The jeeps, or, yeah…” So jeeps: this is a type of vehicle and it’s usually made to go off roads or streets. It can, it can either be driven on roads or streets or it can also go off roads or streets, in rougher, on rougher land.

And Joe says, “Across some really treacherous terrain.” So treacherous: this means dangerous or not safe. Treacherous, dangerous, not safe. And terrain: this is land or ground. Terrain, land or ground.

And then Joe says, “Like one car had to pull another car.” So at the very beginning of this sentence, using like here, that’s actually a filler word. So what that means is it really has no meaning. Like: it’s just a filler word in this particular phrase.

And then Joe says, “Load their bicycles onto a truck.” So load: this means put. Load their bicycles onto a truck or put their bicycles onto a truck. Bicycles here is actually what Joe meant was motorcycles, not bicycles but motorcycles.

And then Joe says, “When Charlie or Ewan would fall.” So Charlie and Ewan: these are the names of the two main characters playing themselves in this series of Long Way Down and also the series Long Way Round. Ewan is actually Ewan McGregor. He’s Scottish, but he’s a famous Hollywood actor. He’s been in some of the more recent Star Wars movies. And Charlie Borman is a good friend of his.

Then Joe says, “Jeez, those bikes looked really, really heavy.” So jeez: that’s just kind of a filler word used to bring emotion into this phrase or this sentence. Jeez, just a filler word, doesn’t really have any meaning, it just brings some emotion.

And then AJ says, “The team aspect of it.” So aspect means piece or bit. So the team piece of it or the team bit of it. That’s aspect.

And then AJ says, “Except with Tomoe.” And Tomoe: this is the name of AJ’s wife. She’s actually from Japan.

And then AJ says, “Had an element of that.” So element: this means part. It had a part of that. It had an element of that.

And then I say, “How people were following them.” So following them: what I’m speaking about is how people knew their route in Long Way Down and Long Way Round. People knew where they were going, what towns they were going to be riding through. People were following them. They probably had a blog or something on the internet telling people where they were going next, so people were following that.

They were reading about that.

Okay, then I say, “They would show up in a town.” So show up: this means arrive. They would arrive in a town. They would show up in a town.

And then Joe says, “Or there was that time when AJ told one of the, one of our students from Indonesia that we would be at a specific hotel and then before we knew it him and his friends had showed up after an eight-hour journey.” So when Joe says before we knew it, he’s saying they arrived, like we…they arrived and they surprised us. We didn’t know they were coming. So before we knew it, before we realized it, there they were. They showed up at our hotel. They arrived at our hotel and surprised us.

And then AJ says, “On little motor bikes.” Okay, when he says little motor bikes, what he’s talking about are what we here in America would call a scooter. And I’ve seen these in a lot of…you don’t see them, you’ll see them a little bit here in America, but I’ve seen them in a lot of Asian countries, especially Vietnam. Vietnam is a good example. They’re, they’re motorcycles but they don’t have a lot of power.

So they’re made to ride short distances, maybe just to and from work, to and from school. He’s calling them little motor bikes, comparing them to a bigger motorcycle or motor bike that is made to go longer distances, like these BMW motorcycles that Ewan and Charlie rode in both of these series, Long Way Down and Long Way Round.

Okay, then Joe says, “I do remember that, that was crazy.” So when he says crazy he’s saying that was unbelievable. That was crazy. Crazy here means unbelievable.

And then Joe says, “How could you not respect that much effort going into coming and meeting us.” So respect means appreciate. Respect here means appreciate. And effort: effort here means work. Effort, effort means work here.

And then Joe says, “That was remarkable.” Remarkable means amazing. That was remarkable. That was amazing.

Okay, then a little bit further in the conversation, AJ says, “Saying nasty things.” So nasty: this means mean, not nice. Saying nasty things. Saying mean things.

And then Joe says, “When they had an argument.” So argument: this is a disagreement. Argument means disagreement.

And then Joe says, “They actually aired it.” So when he says they aired it he means they filmed it and then they showed it. They didn’t cut it out of the film. They actually aired it. So they filmed it and then they showed it.

And then Joe says, “They didn’t just show things that were climactic.” So climactic: this means exciting.

Climactic, exciting.

And then AJ says, “I liked seeing them going through the struggles.” Struggles: this means difficulties.

Struggles means difficulties.

And then AJ says, “Their encounters with locals.” So encounters: this means experiences. Their experiences with locals or local people. Their encounters with locals or local people.

And then AJ says, “People they bumped into on the journey.” So bumped into: this is an idiom, an idiomatic phrase, and it just means met. People they met on the journey. People they bumped into on the journey.

And then I say, “It reminds me of various times.” So various: this means different. Various, different times. Various times.

And then I say, “Many people showing hospitality.” So hospitality: this means warmth and kindness.

Hospitality, warmth, friendliness, kindness.

And then I say, “We’re a stranger in their country.” So stranger: it just means visitor or foreigner. We’re a stranger in their country. We’re a visitor or a foreigner in their country.

And then AJ says, “The gangster guy with the guns.” So gangster guy: what he’s talking about here is someone who seems like maybe he does illegal activities. Illegal meaning things against the law. So gangster guy, seems like he could be involved with illegal activities.

And then Joe says, “Made me a little worrisome.” So worrisome: it means concerned. Worrisome, concerned.

And then AJ says, “Everyone had, y’know, automatic weapons.” So automatic weapons: these, this is…an automatic weapon is a type of gun. Automatic weapons, it’s a type of gun.

And then AJ says, “They encountered some interesting people.” So encountered: this means met. They met some interesting people. They encountered some interesting people.

And then Joe says, “Expecting an invasion.” Invasion means takeover. Expecting an invasion, it’s expecting a takeover.

And then AJ says, “Like a compound.” So compound: this is an area that is closed off with some sort of barrier. So in this conversation the barrier would be the big walls that Joe was speaking about.

Remember he said in the conversation that the house had these really big walls, so those would be the barrier. The barrier closing off the house.

And then AJ says, “The whole two months.” So the whole means here the entire, the entire two months.

The whole two months.

And then AJ says, “Up and down roller coaster of challenges.” So a roller coaster, this is a ride at an amusement park and it can be kind of scary. So some roller coasters go, they have hills, so they’ll go up and then down. Some of them go also in loops like this, or circles. But he’s using this to compare or to describe, y’know, challenges being up and down. He’s describing it like a roller coast that goes up and down as well. It’s something you ride on at an amusement park.

And then AJ says, “Joe and I will be doing the Camino.” So the Camino: I’m actually going to be talking a little bit about the Camino in my commentary, so just know that it’s the name of a long hike. But I’ll talk more about it in the commentary.

And then I say, “It seems to expand.” So expand here, I’m saying it seems to get longer. It seems to expand. It seems…it seems longer.

And then AJ says, “Oh yeah, absolutely.” Absolutely: this means definitely. Absolutely, definitely.

And then Joe says, “What new adventure lies ahead today?” So lies ahead: what he’s asking is what new adventure is waiting for me today? What new adventure lies ahead today?

And then I say, “They were more touched by the Africa, the African one.” So touched: what I’m saying is they were more emotionally affected by the African one.

Alright, this concludes the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Long Way and I’ll be right back with the commentary