2011年ESL之旅行交通购物 11 Feeling Ill from Food While Traveling

11 Feeling Ill from Food While Traveling

GLOSSARY 1

sick as a dog – very sick; very ill; with many physical symptoms of not beinghealthy or well

* After eating an entire bag of cookies, Hank felt sick as a dog.

it serves you right – a phrase used when one feels another person deservesthe negative consequences of his or her actions; a phrase used to show that onehas no sympathy for the bad things another person is experiencing, because onebelieves they are the result of his or her own actions

* It serves you right that you lost your job. You shouldn’t have stolen money fromyour employer.

to warn – to tell someone about the negative consequences that may happen ifthings do not change; to alert someone to a danger or problem that may or willoccur

* The instruction manual warned us not to turn on the coffeemaker beforereading all the instructions.

food vendor 2 – a person or small business that sells food, usually in a small,wheeled cart or truck on the street or sidewalk

* Some of the best hot dogs in New York City are sold by food vendors 3, not inrestaurants.

cleanliness – the state of being clean, sanitary 4, hygienic, and orderly; the stateof not being dirty

* When we went into Abbe’s apartment, we saw rats in the kitchen andcockroaches in the bathroom. It was clear that cleanliness is not very importantto her.

stand – a booth where things are sold, especially when the building is temporary(not permanent) and can be moved easily

* When they go to the carnival 5, the first thing they did was to look for the foodstands selling cotton candy.

to turn up (one’s) nose up at – to act as if one is better than or superior tosomething and does not want or need it; to think something is not good enoughfor oneself

* If you were really hungry, you wouldn’t turn up your nose at the food yourparents serve. Instead, you’d eat whatever was available.

authentic 6 – real; true; something that actually exists

* Is that an authentic Gucci purse?

stomach of steel – a phrase referring to one’s ability to eat almost anythingwithout getting sick, regardless of how unhealthy, unclean, or unusual it is

* You must have a stomach of steel to be able to eat fried chicken, creamy pasta,and spicy 7 beef in a single meal!

to guard against – to protect oneself from something; to take precautionsagainst something or to prevent something from happening

* The doctor said that the best way to guard against infection is to wash ourhands after using the bathroom and before eating.

undercooked – not cooked enough; not cooked thoroughly 8; cooked, but withouthaving reached a safe temperature at which all the bacteria are killed

* If the pork is pink, it’s probably undercooked and we shouldn’t eat it.

contaminated – not clean or pure; with some harmful or dangerous substancemixed in

* That water is contaminated! We shouldn’t drink it without boiling it first.

to work itself out of (one’s) system – for a virus or bacterial 9 infection to stopaffecting one’s body and stop making one ill; for one’s body to get rid of an illnessor infection

* The doctor said I should stay in bed for a few days until the flu works itself outof my system.

some – a word used to emphasize that something is not what it should be, orthat it is the opposite of what it should be

* Some wedding! The groom 10 never showed up and the bride just cried and cried.

to puke (one’s) guts 11 out – to vomit 12, throw up, or regurgitate a lot

* If Oliver keeps drinking this much, he’ll start puking his guts out in front of all hisfriends.

to thank (one’s) lucky stars – to be grateful for something; to be appreciative 13 ofsomeone or something; to be glad, happy, and relieved that something hashappened in a particular way

* She thanks her lucky stars that she was late that morning and didn’t ride herregular bus, which was in an accident that day.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Why did Rumi want to eat at the food stands?

a) Because it was cheaper than the food in restaurants.

b) Because it is usually better than other types of food.

c) Because it is more typical of the types of food eaten in that area.

2. What is wrong with Rumi?

a) She has a fever.

b) She is vomiting 14.

c) She needs surgery.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to guard against

The phrase “to guard against,” in this podcast, means to protect oneself fromsomething: “For many people, cutting up their credit cards is the best way toguard against overspending.” The verb “to guard” can mean to protect a personor object by standing 15 near it and looking for threats: “How many people guard theQueen’s jewels?” In a prison, the verb “to guard” means to watch over a prisonerso that he or she cannot escape: “The most dangerous criminals are sometimesguarded by several police officers.” A “security guard” is a person whose job isto protect a building and/or control who can enter that building: “When you arriveat the front desk, just tell the security guard you’re here to see me.”

some

In this podcast, the word “some” is used to emphasize that something is not whatit should be, or that it is the opposite of what it should be: “Some job! As arestaurant reviewer, she gets paid to travel and eat!” The word “some” can alsodescribe something that was very good or impressive: “That’s some car you’redriving! How much did it cost?” Sometimes the word “some” can be used tomean that something is large or significant in size: “Wow, that’s somehamburger! Do you think you can eat it all by yourself?” Finally, the phrase “andthen some” is used after a number to show that one thinks the real number isprobably even bigger: “Top actors can earn one million dollars per episode ofpopular TV shows, and then some!”

CULTURE NOTE

Items Not Allowed to be Brought into the United StatesU.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the part of the U.S. governmentthat “secures” (keeps safe) the nation’s “borders” (geographic lines betweencountries). One of its responsibilities is to “restrict” (put limits on) what can bebrought into the United States from other countries, including food.

CBP “confiscates” (takes away) any “agricultural items” that travelers bring intothe country. This is because “plant and animal products” (things made fromplants and animals) might carry “pests” (insects or fungi 16 that damage or killcertain plants) or diseases that could “wreak havoc” (create serious problems) ifthey “came into contact with” (touched) U.S. agriculture.

Specifically, travelers are not allowed to bring in any fresh meat, fruits,vegetables, or plants. Normally “processed” (changed and packaged) foods areallowed. For example, travelers can usually bring “jerky” (dried meat), but not“raw” (uncooked) meat. “Likewise” (similarly), they can usually bring a packageof dried apples, a jar of apple butter, or canned applesauce, but not fresh apples.

Travelers are expected to “declare” (officially state) any agricultural products thatthey are bringing into the country. They do this by writing the information downon the back of the “customs form” travelers must fill out when they enter thecountry. Some travelers’ “bags” (luggage) will be selected for inspection 17, whereCBP “officials” (government employees) look for “prohibited” (not allowed) items.

If they find “undeclared” (not listed) agricultural products, the traveler may be“fined” (forced to pay money as a punishment).

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – b

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 18

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 706: Feeling Illfrom Food While Traveling.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 706. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide for thisepisode to help you improve your English – and your love life!

This episode is called “Feeling Ill (or sick) from Food While Traveling.” Soundslike fun! Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Rumi: I’m as sick as a dog!

Hugo: It serves you right. I warned you not to eat food sold by food vendors onthe street. Cleanliness is not a priority at some of those food stands.

Rumi: I’m not one to turn up my nose up at street food. On the street is whereyou’ll find the most authentic food, the food the locals eat. And plus, I have astomach of steel.

Hugo: You had a stomach of steel, and there’s no way to guard againstundercooked or contaminated food.

Rumi: Okay, you’re right.

Hugo: It’ll probably take days for whatever it is that’s making you sick to workitself out of your system. Some vacation!

Rumi: Just be grateful you’re not puking your guts out like I am.

Hugo: Believe me, I’m thanking my lucky stars.

[end of dialogue]

Rumi begins our dialogue by saying, “I’m as sick as a dog!” This is an oldexpression that means to be very sick, to be very ill: “I’m sick as a dog.” Hugo says, “It serves you right.” The expression or phrase “it serves you right” meansthat you deserve the negative consequences that you are suffering now; you didsomething wrong, and now you are paying the price. “It serves you right” impliesthat you did something wrong, and because you did something wrong now youare suffering. Hugo says, “I warned you’” – meaning I told you something badwould happen – “I warned you not to eat food sold by food vendors on thestreet.” A “vendor” (vendor) is anyone who sells something, but we usually usethe term in talking about people selling things from small carts or just from theirown pockets on the street; that’s one association of the word. A “food vendor”

would be a person who’s selling food on the street, often from a truck or somesmall vehicle. Hugo says, “Cleanliness is not a priority at some of those foodstands.” “Cleanliness” means very clean. He’s saying that some of the foodvendors on the street aren’t very clean, and this is why Rumi is sick. He says it’snot a “priority,” meaning it’s not important to them.

He calls the food vendors “food stands.” The “stand” is actually the physicalplace where the person is selling the food. A “food stand” is small, a place whereyou have the person keeping the food or perhaps cooking the food, and thenselling it to you. This happens in many cities, not in Los Angeles very much. ButI know if you go, for example, to New York City there will be – or used to be, thelast time I was there – people selling hot dogs on the streets for example. Andmany cities have this custom of selling food on the streets. Los Angeles hasfood trucks that go around and sell different kinds of food. Of course, LosAngeles is very much a car culture; that is, everyone has a car, and you can’ttravel very easily without one. So logically, the food vendors have trucks ratherthan just stands on the street.

Rumi says, “I’m not one to turn up my nose up at street food.” The expression“to not turn your nose up at (something)” is a complicated way of saying that youdon’t think that you are too good for something; you don’t think that you arebetter than someone or something. If you just say, “I’m a person who turns hisnose up at taking the bus,” for example in Los Angeles, that means that you thinkyou’re too good to do that, you are better than other people; you are superior, wewould say. Rumi says she’s not someone who turns her nose up at street food.

“On the street is where you’ll find the most authentic food,” she says, “the foodthat locals eat.” “Locals” means people who live in the area where you arevisiting, not tourists; the opposite of a tourist would be a local. In Los Angeles,I’m a local. If you live in Tokyo, you are a local in Tokyo. Rumi says the street iswhere you find the most authentic food. “Authentic” means real, true, somethingthat actually exists. In this case, really the best food, the food that is most likewhat people in that area or city eat. “And plus,” Rumi says, “I have a stomach of steel.” “To have a stomach of steel,” or simply a “steel stomach,” means that youcan eat almost anything and not get sick.

Hugo says, “You had a stomach of steel.” He’s using the verb in the past tense,saying well, maybe you used to in the past but not anymore. He says, “there’sno way to guard against undercooked or contaminated food.” “To guard against(something)” means to protect yourself from something, to do something toprevent something bad from happening to you. The best way to guard yourselfagainst getting sick is to always wash your hands before you eat. That’s just anexample; that’s not always true of course, but it’s a good idea I think. Hugo says,“there’s no way to guard against undercooked food.” “Undercooked” food is notcooked enough; it’s food that needs to be cooked more. If it’s not cookedproperly, some of the food could be “raw,” meaning uncooked, and some food isdangerous when it is uncooked. Pork, for example, the meat of a pig, is oftenunsafe when undercooked. “Contaminated” food is food that has something in itthat is not food or that is dangerous. So for example, if we say the water is“contaminated,” we mean that there is something in the water that should not bethere and that will make you sick if you drink it.

Rumi says, “Okay, you’re right,” meaning you are correct. Hugo says, “It’llprobably take days for whatever that is making you sick to work itself out of yoursystem.” That’s a kind of complicated sentence. Hugo says it will take days –many days – for this thing that is making you sick, it’s going to take some time forthat to work itself out of your system. “To work itself out of your system” meansfor your body to be no longer affected 19 by it. Really, it’s another way of saying itwill take a while for you to get better. Sometimes, sickness caused by a virus orby bacterial infection takes a while to work itself out of your system, so that youare no longer affected by it. Hugo says, “Some vacation!” Now, “some” is acommon word in English, with many meanings, some of which you can find in ourLearning Guide. Here, however, when used in an expression like this, it’s usedto mean “not,” or “this is not,” or something that would be negative. For example,you are going to take a walk in the park, and suddenly it starts to rain; you mightsay, “Oh! Some walk!” meaning this is not a good walk. You’re saying thatwhatever follows the word “some” is bad or is not as good as you wanted it to be;it’s showing your disappointment. “Some wedding! The bride never showed up.”

The “bride” is the woman who’s getting married. “Some wedding!” meaning, boy,that was a terrible wedding. In fact, it wasn’t even a wedding at all, because thebride did not go – which is always a problem if you’re getting married! Someadvice from me, who is married, always make sure that the other person is alsothere to get married with you, because if they’re not, well, you’re going to havesome problems!

Rumi says, “Just be grateful you’re not puking your guts out like I am.” “Just begrateful” means you should be thankful; you should think yourself fortunate thatyou are not “puking your guts out.” This is a rather ugly phrase; “to puke” (puke)means to vomit, to throw up, when the food that was in your stomach suddenlygoes out your mouth the wrong way. Your “guts” are a general way of referringto your stomach or the lower part of your abdomen 20. The expression means to besick a lot, to be vomiting a lot.

Hugo says, “Believe me, I’m thanking my lucky stars.” This is an old expression;“to thank your lucky stars” means to be very grateful for something, to be veryappreciative, to be in this case happy that something bad did not happen to you.

Remember that song, I think it was from the 70s? “And I thank my lucky starsthat you are who you are and not just another…(something something) come tobreak my heart” – something like that. Remember that? No?

Okay, now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Rumi: I’m as sick as a dog!

Hugo: It serves you right. I warned you not to eat food sold by food vendors onthe street. Cleanliness is not a priority at some of those food stands.

Rumi: I’m not one to turn up my nose up at street food. On the street is whereyou’ll find the most authentic food, the food the locals eat. And plus, I have astomach of steel.

Hugo: You had a stomach of steel, and there’s no way to guard againstundercooked or contaminated food.

Rumi: Okay, you’re right.

Hugo: It’ll probably take days for whatever it is that’s making you sick to workitself out of your system. Some vacation!

Rumi: Just be grateful you’re not puking your guts out like I am.

Hugo: Believe me, I’m thanking my lucky stars.

[end of dialogue]

We thank our lucky stars that we have the wonderful Dr. Lucy Tse to write ourscripts. By the way, the song that I was thinking of, that’s James Taylor, “YourSmiling Face,” 1977. I know, you probably didn’t care!

From Los Angeles, California, we do care, and I thank you for listening. I knowit’s been a weird 21 episode, but I’m hoping that you’ll come back and listen to usagain soon here on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2011 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.