ESL Podcast 627 – Being Spontaneous or Well-Planned

（单词翻译）

Mariela: Wow, it looks like you’re working on a big project. What are all these pages and pages of notes for?

Will: I’m preparing for my date with Christine. I want everything to be well-planned and to go without a hitch¹.

Mariela: Okay, but I still don’t understand why you’re making such detailed² plans.

Will: I want to be ready for every contingency³. For instance, I planned a picnic, but if it rains, I’ll take her to lunch at the Garden Cafe instead.

Mariela: Don’t you think you’re taking the spontaneity out of your date? Why don’t you play it by ear? I know you don’t like to fly by the seat of your pants, but maybe she’ll have some ideas about what she’d like to do.

Will: Oh, I’ve taken her preferences into account. If she wants to do something active, we can go bowling⁴ or take a long walk. If she prefers something more passive, we’ll go to a movie.

Mariela: Well, it sounds like you’ve mapped out every possible alternative. Hey, what’s this?

Will: Give me that!

Mariela: I see you’ve mapped out more than just your date. You mapped out the entire trajectory⁵ of your life together: Get married in two years, have your first child two years after that...

Will: That is not meant for you. And plus, it’s just a tentative plan...

Mariela: You mean Christine will have some say in it?

Will: I may let her pick our children’s names. Now, get out of here, will ya?!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse