Part 1 Old School Soap Operas

Ian： Hey Leslie. What’s that you’re watching？ And why is everyone acting as if the sky is falling？

Leslie： ①It’s an old school Korean soap opera. And the overacting is a big part of the 1）comedic value. I think it’s because the subject matter is so dramatic， that it needs those bursts of nonsense to 2）offset the seriousness of it all.

Ian： Well， are they anything like American soaps？ You know the deal—3）scantily clad young models just getting their start in show business， badly acting their way through plotlines featuring missing identical twins and mysterious poisonings.

Leslie： ②I suppose there are one or two similarities， though you take the cake when it comes to having a 4）cynical outlook on things.

Ian： Don’t tell me that you actually get into those types of shows！

Leslie： Which ones， Korean soaps or American ones？

Ian： Either or.

Leslie： I obviously don’t like every soap opera ever made， but for the most part I do enjoy the genre. And each series does seem to have its own unique appeal.

Ian： Silly me！ ③I was under the impression that only housewives and old grannies watched soaps anymore.

Leslie： No， but I would definitely consider myself silly for watching sometimes. Especially， as you said， with such clichéd storylines.

Ian： What’re Korean soaps generally about？

Leslie： They usually star two handsome men， one rich and one slightly less rich， fighting over a confused young girl. They also have an unrealistic amount of traffic accidents and incurable diseases. Ian： How about sudden 5）amnesia？ ④That’s always a go-to twist for soap writers.

Leslie： Yeah. ⑤Throw a little amnesia in the mix and everyone loses their minds a bit. It’s just a question what， or who， will trigger the return of the victim’s memories.

Ian： Hehe…But really， come on…Korean soaps？ I mean， how popular can they really be？

Leslie： You want the long story or the short one？

Ian： The short one， please. I beg of you…

Leslie： Long story it is！

Ian： That’s not what I—

Leslie： So， back before Y2K， the South Korean government said at least 80% of their TV programs had to be domestically produced.

Ian： OK…

Leslie： And they also fixed the minimum number of domestic TV series to be broadcast in the country. Ian： So what？

Leslie： ⑥So， it helped South Korean TV productions take hold of the domestic market， while also laying the foundation for success in overseas markets.

Ian： With all due respect， this may be the most boring conversation we have ever engaged in.

Leslie： I’m sorry， who are you again？ I was recently in a car accident and I’ve forgotten everyone and everything I’ve ever known. ⑦If only someone could jar my memories back to the forefront of my consciousness.

Ian： Ummmm…I’m really starting to worry about you Leslie…

Leslie： Well then tune in next week to see if I really am craaaaaazy！

Ian： No need to tune in. I already know…

Smart Sentences

① It’s an old school Korean soap opera.那是一部老式的韓國肥皂劇。

old school： a group favoring traditional ideas or practices（守舊派，老派）。例如：

She was an old school teacher who believed in strict discipline.

她是比較守舊的老師，認為對學生要嚴加管教。

② I suppose there are one or two similarities， though you take the cake when it comes to having a cynical outlook on things.我估計有一兩個相似點吧，盡管談到對事物憤世嫉俗的觀點，你是最擅長的。

take the cake： win the prize； be outstanding（得獎，成為最佳者，杰出的）。例如：

I knew my dad’s speech took the cake when he got a standing ovation.

當我爸爸的演講贏得了觀眾起立鼓掌，我就知道他勝出了。

③ I was under the impression that only housewives and old grannies watched soaps anymore. 我誤以為只有家庭主婦或老奶奶才看連續劇。

under the impression： believing sth.， usually when it is not the case（覺得，誤認為）。例如：

I was under the impression that my brother would visit on the weekend.

我原以為我弟這個周末會回家。

④ That’s always a go-to twist for soap writers. 那一直是劇作家的關鍵手法。

go-to： being sth. / sb. that can be relied on to bring success or satisfaction（可靠的）。例如：

Whenever I need to entertain guests at my house， I always turn to my go-to recipe for cheesecake.

每次我需要在家宴請客人，我都會用我那靠譜的芝士蛋糕食譜。

⑤ Throw a little amnesia in the mix and everyone loses their minds a bit. 混雜一點失憶在劇情里，讓每個人都失去了理智。

in the mix： in the combination of a group of things（混合物）。例如：

Guangzhou is an international metropolis， with people from all over the world in the mix.

廣州是一個國際化大都市，許多來自世界各地的人混雜在一起。

⑥ So， it helped South Korean TV productions take hold of the domestic market， while also laying the foundation for success in overseas markets. 那樣有助于韓國影視作品搶占國內市場，也為海外市場的成功奠定基礎。

take hold of sth.： gain control of sth.， usually with some difficulty（獲得某物，通常指不太容易獲得）。例如：

It’s hard for megastores like Wal-Mart to take hold of the market in the countryside.

像沃爾瑪這種超大商店在農村很難站得住腳。

⑦ If only someone could jar my memories back to the forefront of my consciousness.如果有人能喚起我的記憶，讓它回到我的前沿意識就好了。

jar sb.’s memory back： stimulate sb.’s memory to recall sth.（激起某人的記憶）。例如：

The black and white picture of Gerry， Gary and me jarred my memories back to those happy high school days.

我同杰里、加里的黑白照把我帶回到快樂的高中時代。