All her vital life systems are now working independently and the umbilical cord can be cut. The placenta is now redundant and in the third stage of labor, it detaches from the uterine wall and follows the baby out through the vagina. After growing painstakingly inside her womb for nine months, the baby finally comes face to face with her mother. The sweet smile seen inside the womb is gone now, as the baby is thrust into a noisy, bright world and starts to feel uncomfortable sensations like cold and hunger. Her smile won't be seen again until she is at least 4 weeks old. Each year around the world, about 130 million women go through the complex cycle of pregnancy and birth. Our increasingly sophisticated understanding of the process has drastically reduced the risks for both mother and baby.
And now for this little girl, after 9 months in the womb and a healthy delivery, she's on her own. Her parents will feed her and keep her warm, but for the first time, her body must keep itself alive. She's gone from egg to embryo, to fetus, to trillions of cells of newborn baby. Her birth marks the beginning of her journey in the world, but she's already traveled an incredible path during her nine-month odyssey in the womb. Protected by her mother and following her own unique genetic blueprint, she's grown a face, arms, eyes and legs. She has a brain and nervous system to control her body, stomach and intestines to digest food and a heart to pump blood. She has learned to breathe, to hear, to feed, to remember and to tell her parents when she's hungry, tired, happy or in pain or before being born, and now she's ready to face the world.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
DC 2007-05-09, In The Womb 子宫日记 17
It's the final act and the countdown is on. Although it's impossible to tell exactly when the baby will be born, only 5 % of babies are born on their due date, the rest can emerge any time within two weeks of their expected arrival. The mother's kept guessing and waiting for signs, the first contraction of the uterus or the breaking water as the amniotic sac ruptures.
Nobody knows exactly what initiates labor, but it's the baby's lungs together with the placenta that determine the timing. When the lungs are mature, they secrete a protein into the amniotic fluid, which alters the placenta's production of hormones. It slows the release of progesterone and triggers the release of a new hormone, oxytocin, which initiates the contractions of the uterine wall. Oxytocin also inhibits memory and may play a role in helping women to forget the pain of birth and bond with their new babies.
During the first stage of labor, the baby's head is locked in the bottom of the uterus and is bearing down on the cervix, the barrier between the uterus and the vagina. The last thing to pass through the cervix was a tiny sperm 38 weeks ago. Now the cervix must stretch ten centimeters wide to allow the baby's head, her largest part to pass through.
For the mother, the pain of birth can be eased if she delivers standing up, sitting or squatting rather than lying on her back. This can also speed up the first stage of labor and reduce the likelihood of needing medical intervention or a cesarean. Labor's also painful and stressful for the baby, the squashing of the umbilical cord can easily constrict the supply of oxygen. To help the baby cope, her body releases large quantities of adrenalin to keep her heart pumping fast enough. Adrenalin also helps prepare the lungs for the lifetime of work they're about to begin.
Once the cervix has fully opened, the second stage of labor, the actual delivery begins. With each contraction of the uterus, the baby is pushed further through the cervix and vagina until eventually her head is just visible. (Baby's head is just coming here.) The contractions are only minutes apart now and after each one the midwife encourages the mother to push down hard and helps squeeze the baby out. (Breathe now, breathe, breathe. Here's your baby, the baby's head, checking the cord down. Yes, its contractions help this baby out, ok? Here you are. Hello. Honey, it's our typical baby.) As soon as the baby is delivered, her lungs drain off fluid and air rushes in, expanding the air sacs that in an instant begin extracting oxygen to keep the baby alive.
Nobody knows exactly what initiates labor, but it's the baby's lungs together with the placenta that determine the timing. When the lungs are mature, they secrete a protein into the amniotic fluid, which alters the placenta's production of hormones. It slows the release of progesterone and triggers the release of a new hormone, oxytocin, which initiates the contractions of the uterine wall. Oxytocin also inhibits memory and may play a role in helping women to forget the pain of birth and bond with their new babies.
During the first stage of labor, the baby's head is locked in the bottom of the uterus and is bearing down on the cervix, the barrier between the uterus and the vagina. The last thing to pass through the cervix was a tiny sperm 38 weeks ago. Now the cervix must stretch ten centimeters wide to allow the baby's head, her largest part to pass through.
For the mother, the pain of birth can be eased if she delivers standing up, sitting or squatting rather than lying on her back. This can also speed up the first stage of labor and reduce the likelihood of needing medical intervention or a cesarean. Labor's also painful and stressful for the baby, the squashing of the umbilical cord can easily constrict the supply of oxygen. To help the baby cope, her body releases large quantities of adrenalin to keep her heart pumping fast enough. Adrenalin also helps prepare the lungs for the lifetime of work they're about to begin.
Once the cervix has fully opened, the second stage of labor, the actual delivery begins. With each contraction of the uterus, the baby is pushed further through the cervix and vagina until eventually her head is just visible. (Baby's head is just coming here.) The contractions are only minutes apart now and after each one the midwife encourages the mother to push down hard and helps squeeze the baby out. (Breathe now, breathe, breathe. Here's your baby, the baby's head, checking the cord down. Yes, its contractions help this baby out, ok? Here you are. Hello. Honey, it's our typical baby.) As soon as the baby is delivered, her lungs drain off fluid and air rushes in, expanding the air sacs that in an instant begin extracting oxygen to keep the baby alive.
DC 2007-05-07, In The Womb 子宫日记 16
She is likely to be turned head down in the womb, getting ready for birth. For the mother, this change could be marked by some painful kicks straight to her ribs. The type of music a baby is exposed to can alter her mood. Fast music stimulates and excites her. Music that is closest to the natural sounds and rhythms of the human voice, such as classical or choral music, has a sedating calming effect. If she hears the same music over and over again, she may even be able to remember it. At 33 weeks just over 8 months, the fetus may recognize a particular piece of music and even jump in time to it.
Some scientists argue that there is very little difference between the brain of a newborn baby and that of a 33-week-old fetus. Well, once it seemed that the mental development of a baby began at birth. Now it appears that birth could be a relatively insignificant event in developmental terms. She may have to support herself after birth, but as for the process of thinking, learning and remembering she has already been hard at it for 3 months, and her brain will continue to grow at the same rate for the next year.
The final phase of pregnancy is a demanding one for the mother. Many women feel uncomfortable during the last couple of months. The weight of the baby together with pressure on the spine and the battle for space can all cause her back and legs to ache. She may be feeling anxious about the birth and is likely to be short of breath as her lungs struggle to absorb 20 percent more oxygen than normal.
One of the many things revealed by the 4-D scans is the fact that babies have rapid-eye-movement sleep. This is a period of sleep when the eyes flicker around behind the eyelids. Later in life, this is an indication of dreaming. This gentle flicker of an eye could be a sign that the fetus, still with a month to go before being born, is already dreaming. There was so little life experience. It's hard to imagine what she's dreaming about, perhaps playing with her feet or maybe the gurgling of her mother's stomach.
In just over 8 months, the brain has grown approximately 100 billion neurons with 100 trillion connections. The brain and head have grown as big as they can in the womb, yet they are still small enough to squeeze through the mother's pelvis. The fetus can survive if born any time from about 35 weeks without much medical help. Although the longer she stays inside, the healthier she will be at birth. The mother is probably growing increasingly uncomfortable. Having begun as a single cell her baby is now heavy and cramped. She is also a considerable drain on her mother and putting on fat as using up more resources than the mother can provide. It's time to emerge.
Some scientists argue that there is very little difference between the brain of a newborn baby and that of a 33-week-old fetus. Well, once it seemed that the mental development of a baby began at birth. Now it appears that birth could be a relatively insignificant event in developmental terms. She may have to support herself after birth, but as for the process of thinking, learning and remembering she has already been hard at it for 3 months, and her brain will continue to grow at the same rate for the next year.
The final phase of pregnancy is a demanding one for the mother. Many women feel uncomfortable during the last couple of months. The weight of the baby together with pressure on the spine and the battle for space can all cause her back and legs to ache. She may be feeling anxious about the birth and is likely to be short of breath as her lungs struggle to absorb 20 percent more oxygen than normal.
One of the many things revealed by the 4-D scans is the fact that babies have rapid-eye-movement sleep. This is a period of sleep when the eyes flicker around behind the eyelids. Later in life, this is an indication of dreaming. This gentle flicker of an eye could be a sign that the fetus, still with a month to go before being born, is already dreaming. There was so little life experience. It's hard to imagine what she's dreaming about, perhaps playing with her feet or maybe the gurgling of her mother's stomach.
In just over 8 months, the brain has grown approximately 100 billion neurons with 100 trillion connections. The brain and head have grown as big as they can in the womb, yet they are still small enough to squeeze through the mother's pelvis. The fetus can survive if born any time from about 35 weeks without much medical help. Although the longer she stays inside, the healthier she will be at birth. The mother is probably growing increasingly uncomfortable. Having begun as a single cell her baby is now heavy and cramped. She is also a considerable drain on her mother and putting on fat as using up more resources than the mother can provide. It's time to emerge.
DC 2007-05-04, In The Womb 子宫日记 15
But sometimes things do go wrong. This 26-week-old fetus has developed a hole in his diaphragm, the membrane that separates the lungs from the abdomen. (Baby is facing a completely wrong position.) It's not a problem now but his intestines will grow into the lung cavity which will stop the lungs from developing properly. When he's born, he will almost certainly be unable to breathe and will die. Professor Kiklers Nicoladis is a world-renowned pioneer of fetal surgery at King's College Hospital in London. He's developed a technique to block the windpipe of fetus with an inflatable bladder which forces the intestines back where they belong and allows the lungs to develop properly.
This surgical procedure relies on a fetoscope to operate on the fetus inside the womb. A fetoscope is a long narrow tube filled with fiber optic filaments. Light travels down one side of fibers to illuminate inside the uterus and is sent back to a camera so the surgeon can see what he's doing. It also carries the delicate instruments to conduct the operation. The first step is to inject an anesthetic into the fetus to keep it from moving. The mother is awake during the entire procedure with only a local anesthetic to numb her. A general anesthetic will be too harmful for the baby. Professor Nicoladis then inserts the fetoscope through an incision in the mother's abdomen into the amniotic cavity.
Once he safely reaches the fetus, he gently pushes the fetoscope into the mouth and down the back of the throat. Inside the trachea, he inflates a tiny balloon that traps fluid inside the lungs. As the fetus grows, the lungs produce more fluid which stimulates the lung tissue to grow and expand forcing the intestines out of the chest cavity. The balloon is left in place for two months to give the lungs time to mature. Then the procedure is repeated and the balloon is removed in time for what everyone hopes will be a normal birth. Since this operation to treat babies with this defect has been available, it has increased their chance of survival by 50 percent. At 28 weeks or 7 months, the baby is over 2/3 of the way through her time in the womb and is gaining weight fast as she lays down a layer of fat under her skin. Her senses are buzzing and her cerebral cortex has matured enough to support consciousness.
Over the next four weeks, her nervous system will become as advanced as a newborn baby. She is becoming aware of the world around her and for the first time her brain is beginning to create memory. (Now, we were really screaming. First, I thought...) The fetus has spent so much time listening to her mother's voice, she is familiar with its rhythms. (...going to her mother, and talk agree.) With this constant exposure, she absorbs enough of these patterns to recognize and even respond to it. Researchers analyzing the cries of the newborns found that they already contain some of the rhythms and patterns of their mothers' speech. (Yeah, you can find.) The fetus can now hear, taste, smell and touch.
This surgical procedure relies on a fetoscope to operate on the fetus inside the womb. A fetoscope is a long narrow tube filled with fiber optic filaments. Light travels down one side of fibers to illuminate inside the uterus and is sent back to a camera so the surgeon can see what he's doing. It also carries the delicate instruments to conduct the operation. The first step is to inject an anesthetic into the fetus to keep it from moving. The mother is awake during the entire procedure with only a local anesthetic to numb her. A general anesthetic will be too harmful for the baby. Professor Nicoladis then inserts the fetoscope through an incision in the mother's abdomen into the amniotic cavity.
Once he safely reaches the fetus, he gently pushes the fetoscope into the mouth and down the back of the throat. Inside the trachea, he inflates a tiny balloon that traps fluid inside the lungs. As the fetus grows, the lungs produce more fluid which stimulates the lung tissue to grow and expand forcing the intestines out of the chest cavity. The balloon is left in place for two months to give the lungs time to mature. Then the procedure is repeated and the balloon is removed in time for what everyone hopes will be a normal birth. Since this operation to treat babies with this defect has been available, it has increased their chance of survival by 50 percent. At 28 weeks or 7 months, the baby is over 2/3 of the way through her time in the womb and is gaining weight fast as she lays down a layer of fat under her skin. Her senses are buzzing and her cerebral cortex has matured enough to support consciousness.
Over the next four weeks, her nervous system will become as advanced as a newborn baby. She is becoming aware of the world around her and for the first time her brain is beginning to create memory. (Now, we were really screaming. First, I thought...) The fetus has spent so much time listening to her mother's voice, she is familiar with its rhythms. (...going to her mother, and talk agree.) With this constant exposure, she absorbs enough of these patterns to recognize and even respond to it. Researchers analyzing the cries of the newborns found that they already contain some of the rhythms and patterns of their mothers' speech. (Yeah, you can find.) The fetus can now hear, taste, smell and touch.
DC 2007-05-02, In The Womb 子宫日记 14
The baby's heart beats about twice as fast as her mother's. Monitoring her heartbeat gives a good indication of her general condition. The mother's heart rate and blood pressure are directly affected by her emotional state. If she's calm, her heart slows down and her blood pressure drops. If she's tense and stressed, her heart beats faster and her blood pressure rises.
Although the fetus has her own separate blood supply, these increases in heart rate and blood pressure are easily passed through the placenta and have a direct impact on the baby. It takes a while for the effects to filter through, but when the mother is recovering from the impact of stress and her heat rate is returning to normal, her baby's heart begins to race, as the physiological effects of stress creep through the placenta.
In the short term, stress in the mother can lead to low birth weight or premature birth. But it's also possible that the mother's prolonged anxiety and stress can be passed on, establishing a tendency for stress in the child, and making her more likely to develop chronic health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. It can even have a harmful effect on the child's mental development in the early years of her life.
By now, the mother can feel her baby move every day. Usually, it's the fetus kicking or pushing. But sometime she may feel the regular twitch of her baby's hiccups. Hiccups are an involuntary sudden contraction of the diaphragm. Why fetus has hiccup is a bit of a mystery. One theory is that it's a reflex that may help a baby latch on to a nipple and feed. The spasm of a fetus's hiccup is strong enough to feel. But unlike our own hiccups, it makes no sound at all. The sound of an adult hiccup is made by the sudden rush of air that's stopped by the closure of the vocal cords. But in the fetus's lungs, there is no air, hence, no hiccup sound.
The last of the major organs to form are the lungs. The lungs don't function during the time in the womb. All the fetus's oxygen is delivered from the mother's blood via the placenta. Inside the fetus's lungs, the branching network of tubes is filled with amniotic fluid during the entire time in the womb. And the tiny air sacs that will extract oxygen from the air remain closed. But the fetus still makes breathing movements with her lungs and diaphragm. This strengthens the chest muscles, so they are ready to expand and fill the lungs with air the moment the baby is born. Most fetuses that reach 26 weeks will make it through to birth with no problem. They simply put on weight and continue to exercise their reflexes and senses.
Although the fetus has her own separate blood supply, these increases in heart rate and blood pressure are easily passed through the placenta and have a direct impact on the baby. It takes a while for the effects to filter through, but when the mother is recovering from the impact of stress and her heat rate is returning to normal, her baby's heart begins to race, as the physiological effects of stress creep through the placenta.
In the short term, stress in the mother can lead to low birth weight or premature birth. But it's also possible that the mother's prolonged anxiety and stress can be passed on, establishing a tendency for stress in the child, and making her more likely to develop chronic health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. It can even have a harmful effect on the child's mental development in the early years of her life.
By now, the mother can feel her baby move every day. Usually, it's the fetus kicking or pushing. But sometime she may feel the regular twitch of her baby's hiccups. Hiccups are an involuntary sudden contraction of the diaphragm. Why fetus has hiccup is a bit of a mystery. One theory is that it's a reflex that may help a baby latch on to a nipple and feed. The spasm of a fetus's hiccup is strong enough to feel. But unlike our own hiccups, it makes no sound at all. The sound of an adult hiccup is made by the sudden rush of air that's stopped by the closure of the vocal cords. But in the fetus's lungs, there is no air, hence, no hiccup sound.
The last of the major organs to form are the lungs. The lungs don't function during the time in the womb. All the fetus's oxygen is delivered from the mother's blood via the placenta. Inside the fetus's lungs, the branching network of tubes is filled with amniotic fluid during the entire time in the womb. And the tiny air sacs that will extract oxygen from the air remain closed. But the fetus still makes breathing movements with her lungs and diaphragm. This strengthens the chest muscles, so they are ready to expand and fill the lungs with air the moment the baby is born. Most fetuses that reach 26 weeks will make it through to birth with no problem. They simply put on weight and continue to exercise their reflexes and senses.
DC 2007-04-30, In The Womb 子宫日记 13
In normal circumstances, there is no need for the scanning probe to go anywhere near the ear, but if the baby becomes at all unhappy she can easily wriggle away from the sound. Just as in this 4D scan, doctors have observed fetus's grimace and frown as they manipulate the fetus through the mother's abdomen, all part of the delicate expansion of the senses. During the final trimester, the fetus prepares for life outside the womb away from her comforting cocoon and its built-in life support. Many of the crucial tricks and skills she needs to survive on the outside are innate reflexes that she develops inside the womb.
From the 26th week, babies spend about 90 percent of their time sleeping, and when they sleep nothing can wake them. For the other 10 percent of the time they are awake and alert ready for whatever might happen next. They may react to sudden sounds with the startle reflex flinging their arms and legs out to the side. The startle reflex is thought to have originated at a time when we were more at a risk of being eaten. A sudden noise or touch from a predator triggers the reflex and causes the arms to fling out to the side in what may be an attempted self-preservation. This may not be so relevant to our lives today, but other reflexes are crucial to survival after birth.
In this 4D image, the fetus swallows amniotic fluid. During this trimester, she will swallow a pint of fluid every day. By drinking, the fetus helps maintain the liquid balance in the womb. It also helps her digestive system develop properly. But from the moment she is born and the cord is cut she needs to have perfected the art of taking food from her mouth to her stomach.
Along with swallowing one of the most important reflexes to perfect before birth is sucking. Anything vaguely nipple-size that comes close to her mouth triggers her attempts at the sucking reflex. This fetus, 25 weeks old, first sucked its thumb at about 11 weeks at which time it may have already begun to develop a lifelong preference for one hand or the other. Ultrasound scans have shown that as soon as thumb sucking begins, a fetus tends to show a clear preference for either the left or right thumb. This left or right handedness which stays with it for life develops in the womb rather than during early childhood as was previously thought.
At 26th weeks, the fetus measures almost 10 inches from head to toe. She is growing fast and as she moves through the third trimester towards birth, the fetus will triple her weight and double her length. The brain and nervous system will continue to grow dramatically. And soon the fetus will create something even more remarkable. At 26th weeks, the baby's parents may enjoy a pleasant surprise. Now it's possible to hear the fetal heartbeat just by putting an ear to the mother's abdomen. ("Is she kicking?")
From the 26th week, babies spend about 90 percent of their time sleeping, and when they sleep nothing can wake them. For the other 10 percent of the time they are awake and alert ready for whatever might happen next. They may react to sudden sounds with the startle reflex flinging their arms and legs out to the side. The startle reflex is thought to have originated at a time when we were more at a risk of being eaten. A sudden noise or touch from a predator triggers the reflex and causes the arms to fling out to the side in what may be an attempted self-preservation. This may not be so relevant to our lives today, but other reflexes are crucial to survival after birth.
In this 4D image, the fetus swallows amniotic fluid. During this trimester, she will swallow a pint of fluid every day. By drinking, the fetus helps maintain the liquid balance in the womb. It also helps her digestive system develop properly. But from the moment she is born and the cord is cut she needs to have perfected the art of taking food from her mouth to her stomach.
Along with swallowing one of the most important reflexes to perfect before birth is sucking. Anything vaguely nipple-size that comes close to her mouth triggers her attempts at the sucking reflex. This fetus, 25 weeks old, first sucked its thumb at about 11 weeks at which time it may have already begun to develop a lifelong preference for one hand or the other. Ultrasound scans have shown that as soon as thumb sucking begins, a fetus tends to show a clear preference for either the left or right thumb. This left or right handedness which stays with it for life develops in the womb rather than during early childhood as was previously thought.
At 26th weeks, the fetus measures almost 10 inches from head to toe. She is growing fast and as she moves through the third trimester towards birth, the fetus will triple her weight and double her length. The brain and nervous system will continue to grow dramatically. And soon the fetus will create something even more remarkable. At 26th weeks, the baby's parents may enjoy a pleasant surprise. Now it's possible to hear the fetal heartbeat just by putting an ear to the mother's abdomen. ("Is she kicking?")
DC 2007-04-27, In The Womb 子宫日记 12
At three months old, the fetus' most developed sense is hearing. The fetus may be completely surrounded by amniotic fluid, but because sound travels through fluid about four times faster than it does in air she has plenty to hear. The first sounds the fetus hears as her ears start picking up vibrations at 13 weeks are the gurgles and rumbles made by her mother's body. A succession of hiccups, burps, bubbles, sloshes and slurps marks the passage of food, liquid and air in, out and through the maze of passages and tubes just inches from the baby's ears.
The fetus also makes her own noises as she kicks and swishes in the amniotic fluid. She can also hear the competing flutter of heartbeats, her own racing at twice the speed of her mother's, both her constant companions during her time in the womb. The fetus can also hear sounds from the world outside: conversations, loud noises and music. The walls of the womb, together with the abdomen, act to filter out most of the high frequencies. All sounds reach the fetus distorted, but higher sounds are more muffled. Only the lower-bass notes of a piece of music have much impact.
Voice's sound is distorted too. Vowels are generally lower in pitch than consonants, so the fetus only hears the melody of speech without the percussion of consonants. The sound of the mother's voice is different from any other since it travels directly through the fluids of the body. This may help the baby develop the unique relationship it has with its mother. (Excellent, good luck, see you later, bye.)
Other voices like the father's must pass through air, then fluid and may not cut through the general background noise. (See, a little face there.) The loudest sound a fetus will ever hear may come during an ultrasound scan. It's impossible to hear the actual ultrasound waves. They are far too high at frequency to affect the human ear, but the ultrasound can cause secondary waves in the amniotic fluid that the baby can hear.
To produce finely-detailed images, ultrasound probes fire a rapid succession of pulses, each lasting less than one millionth of a second. The rapid switching on-and-off of these pulses can cause waves in the fluid which sound like a high-pitch tapping. If the probe is pointed directly at the baby's ear, it can sound as loud as a subway train.
The fetus also makes her own noises as she kicks and swishes in the amniotic fluid. She can also hear the competing flutter of heartbeats, her own racing at twice the speed of her mother's, both her constant companions during her time in the womb. The fetus can also hear sounds from the world outside: conversations, loud noises and music. The walls of the womb, together with the abdomen, act to filter out most of the high frequencies. All sounds reach the fetus distorted, but higher sounds are more muffled. Only the lower-bass notes of a piece of music have much impact.
Voice's sound is distorted too. Vowels are generally lower in pitch than consonants, so the fetus only hears the melody of speech without the percussion of consonants. The sound of the mother's voice is different from any other since it travels directly through the fluids of the body. This may help the baby develop the unique relationship it has with its mother. (Excellent, good luck, see you later, bye.)
Other voices like the father's must pass through air, then fluid and may not cut through the general background noise. (See, a little face there.) The loudest sound a fetus will ever hear may come during an ultrasound scan. It's impossible to hear the actual ultrasound waves. They are far too high at frequency to affect the human ear, but the ultrasound can cause secondary waves in the amniotic fluid that the baby can hear.
To produce finely-detailed images, ultrasound probes fire a rapid succession of pulses, each lasting less than one millionth of a second. The rapid switching on-and-off of these pulses can cause waves in the fluid which sound like a high-pitch tapping. If the probe is pointed directly at the baby's ear, it can sound as loud as a subway train.
DC 2007-04-25, In The Womb 子宫日记 11
They will allow her to develop a sense of self to interact with others, to explore and to learn. The new generation of 4D ultrasound scans continues to provide fresh insight into the behavior of the growing fetus. Technology is advancing and as the experience of practitioners evolves, new light is shed on this once invisible world.
In this image, a 24-week-old fetus seems sticking out her tongue. No one knows exactly why, but it is known that her mouth is full of taste buds, so she could be tasting the amniotic fluid. A fetus's mouth and nose are permanently filled with amniotic fluid that can carry the tastes and smells of the mother's food. Strong flavors pass easily through the placenta into the baby's blood stream and are eventually passed into the amniotic fluid to give the baby an early taste of her mother's cooking. A developed sense of taste and smell could help the baby take her first sips of breast milk once she is born. Just like the amniotic fluid, breast milk contains a similar selection of tastes and smells from the mother's food. If the newborn baby is already familiar with these flavors and likes the taste, this may encourage her to feed.
This scan shows a 24-week-old fetus opening and closing her eyes. The eyes are fully formed halfway through the pregnancy. But seeing is the one sense she can't experience until she is born. It's too dark in the womb. It's possible that some very bright light, direct sunlight for example, could penetrate into the uterus and the fetus may be able to detect a faint glow, but the uterine wall is so thick, buried under a protective layer of skin and fat, that most of the time, the fetus evolves in total darkness. While there may be nothing to see in the womb, opening and closing the eyes helps the fetus develop the blinking reflex, a reflex that stays with us for life to protect our eyes from foreign objects, keep them moist and shield them from bright light.
At 25 weeks, the eyes grow intricate lashes. But there is one detail that may not fully develop no matter how much time the fetus spends inside the womb, the color of the eyes. Some pigments need light to form properly and the baby's eyes may change color during the first month of life. Babies of Asian or African descent are usually born with dark brown or dark grey eyes that mature to deep brown or black. A Caucasian baby almost always has blue eyes in the womb, even if they change to green or brown after birth. Geneticists once believed that a single gene determined eye color. But new research shows that several genes are responsible. So it's impossible to predict just from looking at the parent's eyes what color the baby's eyes will be.
words and phrases:
stick out： 伸出
lash： 眼睫毛
pigment： 色素
In this image, a 24-week-old fetus seems sticking out her tongue. No one knows exactly why, but it is known that her mouth is full of taste buds, so she could be tasting the amniotic fluid. A fetus's mouth and nose are permanently filled with amniotic fluid that can carry the tastes and smells of the mother's food. Strong flavors pass easily through the placenta into the baby's blood stream and are eventually passed into the amniotic fluid to give the baby an early taste of her mother's cooking. A developed sense of taste and smell could help the baby take her first sips of breast milk once she is born. Just like the amniotic fluid, breast milk contains a similar selection of tastes and smells from the mother's food. If the newborn baby is already familiar with these flavors and likes the taste, this may encourage her to feed.
This scan shows a 24-week-old fetus opening and closing her eyes. The eyes are fully formed halfway through the pregnancy. But seeing is the one sense she can't experience until she is born. It's too dark in the womb. It's possible that some very bright light, direct sunlight for example, could penetrate into the uterus and the fetus may be able to detect a faint glow, but the uterine wall is so thick, buried under a protective layer of skin and fat, that most of the time, the fetus evolves in total darkness. While there may be nothing to see in the womb, opening and closing the eyes helps the fetus develop the blinking reflex, a reflex that stays with us for life to protect our eyes from foreign objects, keep them moist and shield them from bright light.
At 25 weeks, the eyes grow intricate lashes. But there is one detail that may not fully develop no matter how much time the fetus spends inside the womb, the color of the eyes. Some pigments need light to form properly and the baby's eyes may change color during the first month of life. Babies of Asian or African descent are usually born with dark brown or dark grey eyes that mature to deep brown or black. A Caucasian baby almost always has blue eyes in the womb, even if they change to green or brown after birth. Geneticists once believed that a single gene determined eye color. But new research shows that several genes are responsible. So it's impossible to predict just from looking at the parent's eyes what color the baby's eyes will be.
words and phrases:
stick out： 伸出
lash： 眼睫毛
pigment： 色素
DC 2007-04-23, In The Womb 子宫日记 10
She has grown to seven inches long and is showing an incredible level of detail. She even has her very own fingerprints. (We get a 3D picture just prepared for you in minute.)Most mothers have a more detailed second ultrasound scan around this time, which surveys the anatomy of the fetus and measures the rate of growth since the last scan. (Wow, she is now a baby, is it?) These scans are only performed for medical reasons to help predict possible complications. 4D scans are specially helpful in diagnosing a cleft palate. But doctors have discovered that, for parents-to-be, the scans also play a beneficial role in developing emotional bonds.
(The baby is kneeling. You see that? Yeah, hopefully, get a lovely picture.) Research has shown that seeing the face and expression of the developing fetus while it's still inside the womb can be an intense bonding experience. It can provide an important boost to the baby's development once it's born, and also to the long-term relationship between the child and her parents.
After six months of pregnancy, at the end of the second trimester, everything has developed and is functioning as it will in the fully-grown baby. It's all there, just very small and immature. In the next phase, she will embark on one of the most dramatic challenges of her time in the womb, the development of the senses.
At six months old, the fetus reaches a major landmark. Though barely longer than her father's hand, it's possible that she could survive outside the cradle of the womb. She'd still need extensive care, but 24 weeks is currently regarded as the earliest that a baby can be born and still have a good chance of surviving. Exceptionally, a few babies live when born as young as 22 weeks. But any baby that is born prematurely faces an increased risk of brain damage, with nearly half of all babies born before 26 weeks developing disabilities or learning difficulties. The big problem is the small lungs, which are too underdeveloped to take enough oxygen into the blood stream.
With three months to go before birth, growth is the big job for this little girl. With all her organs in place, now they need time to develop and mature. Around this time, the mother becomes more and more aware of movement made by the fetus. Her abdomen continues to grow and she is likely to be feeling better now than at any time throughout her pregnancy, very energetic and active. She's passed the effects of morning sickness and the fetus isn't big enough yet to cause the kind of discomfort she will feel at the end of pregnancy.
From 24 weeks or 6 months, the fetus enters one of the most exciting and dramatic periods of development. This is the time when she receives her first stimulation from the world beyond as her senses flicker to life. Most of the sense organs, ears, nose, taste buds and the nerves that respond to touch are now mature. Her brain is being bombarded by signals from the sensory cells, and she must begin to interpret this overload of sensation. Throughout her life, her senses will be her key to the world beyond.
(The baby is kneeling. You see that? Yeah, hopefully, get a lovely picture.) Research has shown that seeing the face and expression of the developing fetus while it's still inside the womb can be an intense bonding experience. It can provide an important boost to the baby's development once it's born, and also to the long-term relationship between the child and her parents.
After six months of pregnancy, at the end of the second trimester, everything has developed and is functioning as it will in the fully-grown baby. It's all there, just very small and immature. In the next phase, she will embark on one of the most dramatic challenges of her time in the womb, the development of the senses.
At six months old, the fetus reaches a major landmark. Though barely longer than her father's hand, it's possible that she could survive outside the cradle of the womb. She'd still need extensive care, but 24 weeks is currently regarded as the earliest that a baby can be born and still have a good chance of surviving. Exceptionally, a few babies live when born as young as 22 weeks. But any baby that is born prematurely faces an increased risk of brain damage, with nearly half of all babies born before 26 weeks developing disabilities or learning difficulties. The big problem is the small lungs, which are too underdeveloped to take enough oxygen into the blood stream.
With three months to go before birth, growth is the big job for this little girl. With all her organs in place, now they need time to develop and mature. Around this time, the mother becomes more and more aware of movement made by the fetus. Her abdomen continues to grow and she is likely to be feeling better now than at any time throughout her pregnancy, very energetic and active. She's passed the effects of morning sickness and the fetus isn't big enough yet to cause the kind of discomfort she will feel at the end of pregnancy.
From 24 weeks or 6 months, the fetus enters one of the most exciting and dramatic periods of development. This is the time when she receives her first stimulation from the world beyond as her senses flicker to life. Most of the sense organs, ears, nose, taste buds and the nerves that respond to touch are now mature. Her brain is being bombarded by signals from the sensory cells, and she must begin to interpret this overload of sensation. Throughout her life, her senses will be her key to the world beyond.
DC 2007-04-20, In The Womb 子宫日记 9
As the fetus explores her body, she spends a lot of time practicing her grasping reflex, grabbing hold of her hands, feet, fingers, toes and even her umbilical cord. Twins seem to have more fun, grasping and seemingly wrestling with each other. Identical twins show early contact at 12 weeks, and by 14 weeks are touching arms, legs, bodies and mouths. This close physical contact seems to occur earlier between female twins.
Nonidentical or fraternal twins are separated by membranes in the womb and don't have the same opportunity to bond with their sibling. The membrane in this 4-D scan can be seen just above the elbow of the lower twin across the middle of the picture. As identical twins grow bigger, they are almost always in contact, touching hands, faces, feet, and gradually becoming more aware of themselves and each other. This constant contact in the womb is mirrored in early life and is partly responsible for the incredibly close bonds the twins feel throughout their lives.
At 18 weeks, the fetus begins to mimic life outside the womb. Her digestive system shows signs of activity. She has no need to eat or drink, but as can be seen in this 4-D image, she begins to swallow the fluid she is floating in, the amniotic fluid. Some indigestible waste gathers in her intestines in the form of a greenish black paste called meconium. But most of the fluid passes through her urinary system and back out to rejoin the amniotic fluid.
Around this time when the fetus is about 18 weeks old, the mother may become aware of its movements for the first time. Although the fetus has been active for quite some time, it's only now that her movements are strong enough for her mother to feel. Women who have been pregnant before tend to be more alert to this slight fluttering sensation and may feel it when the baby is just 15 weeks old.
The eyes now in their correct position are generally thought to remain fuse shut until 24 weeks, but 4-D ultrasound has revealed some fetuses opening their eyes as early as 18 weeks. It's dark of course, so there is nothing to see. But even if there were light, the eyes don't work this early. It's just the first sign of the blinking reflex. The fetus, which has been growing for nearly 5 months, is half way through her journey toward birth.
words and phrases:
grasping reflex: 抓握反射
grab hold of ： 抓紧
Nonidentical or fraternal twins are separated by membranes in the womb and don't have the same opportunity to bond with their sibling. The membrane in this 4-D scan can be seen just above the elbow of the lower twin across the middle of the picture. As identical twins grow bigger, they are almost always in contact, touching hands, faces, feet, and gradually becoming more aware of themselves and each other. This constant contact in the womb is mirrored in early life and is partly responsible for the incredibly close bonds the twins feel throughout their lives.
At 18 weeks, the fetus begins to mimic life outside the womb. Her digestive system shows signs of activity. She has no need to eat or drink, but as can be seen in this 4-D image, she begins to swallow the fluid she is floating in, the amniotic fluid. Some indigestible waste gathers in her intestines in the form of a greenish black paste called meconium. But most of the fluid passes through her urinary system and back out to rejoin the amniotic fluid.
Around this time when the fetus is about 18 weeks old, the mother may become aware of its movements for the first time. Although the fetus has been active for quite some time, it's only now that her movements are strong enough for her mother to feel. Women who have been pregnant before tend to be more alert to this slight fluttering sensation and may feel it when the baby is just 15 weeks old.
The eyes now in their correct position are generally thought to remain fuse shut until 24 weeks, but 4-D ultrasound has revealed some fetuses opening their eyes as early as 18 weeks. It's dark of course, so there is nothing to see. But even if there were light, the eyes don't work this early. It's just the first sign of the blinking reflex. The fetus, which has been growing for nearly 5 months, is half way through her journey toward birth.
words and phrases:
grasping reflex: 抓握反射
grab hold of ： 抓紧
DC 2007-04-18, In The Womb 子宫日记 8
In most miscarriages, which occur in the first trimester, the mother is unaware of what has happened and may mistake her miscarriage for a heavy period. Initially, as they develop, male and female fetuses have identical genitals. Both sexes have a protuberance which for boys will become a penis and for girls a clitoris.
At 12 weeks, the only difference is that they stick out at different angles. Looking at an ultrasound, an expert might guess the sex of the baby based on this angle. But it will be a few more weeks before there is a clear difference between male and female genitals. But in each case the sex organs are already hard at work. For a male, the testicles are producing testosterone and the ovaries of a baby girl are already busy making her own supply of eggs.
After 4 months, the fetus is still running on reflexes but big changes are taking place. Her nervous system is up and running and her movements are increasingly being controlled by her brain. At 5 and a half inches long, she is much more mobile now, muscles are flexing, fingers and toes are separated and defined, and her bones are hardening.
Hands develop before the feet, which could be because they are going to be used first once the baby is born, or it could be, because the hands, being important sensory organs, develop at the same time as all the other sensors are beginning to form.
The eyes have grown closer together, giving the fetus a more human look. The central nervous system extends its connections from the brain to most parts of the body, allowing the brain to gradually establish total control. The heart, for instance, is no long beating spontaneously and spasmodically. Instead, the brain regulates the muscles and keeps them pumping blood at a steady 140 to 150 beats per minute.
Using a Doppler probe, it's now possible to hear what a baby's heart sounds like.
"It's 146 beats per minute in the heart, you see, which is just the right pace."
As the nervous system extends throughout the fetus, so too does her capacity to respond to stimulus. She is becoming sensitive to touch and if prodded through the mother's abdomen, she is likely to squirm.
From 4 months on, the fetus makes a lot of intricate movements. She can bend, flex and twist her extremities, her fingers, wrists, legs and toes. More incredible she is already beginning to develop an awareness of the space around her. It's called proprioception, the unconscious sense of her body's place in space that helps her interact with her environment.
This 4-D scan shows actual footage of a fetus reaching up to touch her head. In these computer-generated images, the movements have been taking directly from observations of the 4-D scans. Sensors give constant feedback to the brain and the movement can then be refined and gradually perfected.
words and phrases:
squirm: To twist about in a wriggling, snakelike motion; writhe. 蠕动，如同蛇一样弯弯曲曲地蠕动；扭动
flex : [1]To contract (a muscle, for example). [2]To bend (a joint).
At 12 weeks, the only difference is that they stick out at different angles. Looking at an ultrasound, an expert might guess the sex of the baby based on this angle. But it will be a few more weeks before there is a clear difference between male and female genitals. But in each case the sex organs are already hard at work. For a male, the testicles are producing testosterone and the ovaries of a baby girl are already busy making her own supply of eggs.
After 4 months, the fetus is still running on reflexes but big changes are taking place. Her nervous system is up and running and her movements are increasingly being controlled by her brain. At 5 and a half inches long, she is much more mobile now, muscles are flexing, fingers and toes are separated and defined, and her bones are hardening.
Hands develop before the feet, which could be because they are going to be used first once the baby is born, or it could be, because the hands, being important sensory organs, develop at the same time as all the other sensors are beginning to form.
The eyes have grown closer together, giving the fetus a more human look. The central nervous system extends its connections from the brain to most parts of the body, allowing the brain to gradually establish total control. The heart, for instance, is no long beating spontaneously and spasmodically. Instead, the brain regulates the muscles and keeps them pumping blood at a steady 140 to 150 beats per minute.
Using a Doppler probe, it's now possible to hear what a baby's heart sounds like.
"It's 146 beats per minute in the heart, you see, which is just the right pace."
As the nervous system extends throughout the fetus, so too does her capacity to respond to stimulus. She is becoming sensitive to touch and if prodded through the mother's abdomen, she is likely to squirm.
From 4 months on, the fetus makes a lot of intricate movements. She can bend, flex and twist her extremities, her fingers, wrists, legs and toes. More incredible she is already beginning to develop an awareness of the space around her. It's called proprioception, the unconscious sense of her body's place in space that helps her interact with her environment.
This 4-D scan shows actual footage of a fetus reaching up to touch her head. In these computer-generated images, the movements have been taking directly from observations of the 4-D scans. Sensors give constant feedback to the brain and the movement can then be refined and gradually perfected.
words and phrases:
squirm: To twist about in a wriggling, snakelike motion; writhe. 蠕动，如同蛇一样弯弯曲曲地蠕动；扭动
flex : [1]To contract (a muscle, for example). [2]To bend (a joint).
DC 2007-04-16, In The Womb 子宫日记 7
These 4D images are some of the earliest ever taken of a fetus in the womb. This is an embryo of just six weeks. The fetus is on the left and the yolk sac still bigger than the fetus is on the right. Here an embryo of eight weeks just over an inch long makes its first movements.
As well as checking the health of the baby, this scan gives the first opportunity to determine if you are pregnant with one baby or two or more. Multiple births run in families. If your mother's family has a history of non-identical twins, then you are far more likely to have twins yourself. Identical twins are formed when an egg splits in two. The twins will share identical DNA and could even share the same placenta, but only 1% of the time will they share an amniotic sac. If two eggs are released and fertilized at the same time, the twins are non-identical or fraternal and don't share identical DNA. In this case the twins are separated in the womb with each living in its own amniotic sac.
They also have separate placentas, so blood flow to each twin is carefully monitored throughout pregnancy. Other than a slightly early birth, complications are minimal.
Even though she won't be able to walk until she is around a year old, the building blocks to her first steps are present after just 11 weeks in the womb. These 4D scans show 11- and 12-week-old fetuses kicking and pushing out their legs in what's known as the stepping reflex. A reflex action is a preprogrammed biological impulse. When her feet touch the base of the uterus, the nervous system triggers an automatic muscle reaction in the legs.
At this age, there is so much space in the uterus. The fetus bounces and leaps around, using the walls of the womb like a trampoline. The ability to walk is an important survival skill. And the more the fetus moves, the stronger the reflex grows. This stepping reflex can clearly be seen in newborns when their feet dangle above the ground.
The period from 6 to 11 weeks has seen the most dramatic transformation of the entire pregnancy with the fetus undergoing the metamorphosis and growing nearly five times bigger in a frantic five-week burst. Over 200 types of cells have been made. Muscles and nerves are twitching. There is a liver, two kidneys, and a stomach no bigger than a grain of rice. All the organs of a human baby have formed and it's still less than three inches long.
After twelve weeks, the fetus enters the second trimester, the middle three months of pregnancy. Although she is still no bigger than a fist, she is much less delicate and there is less risk of a miscarriage. Miscarriages are most common in the first three months when new cells are developing. An imbalance in the immune system, stress, or if the mother has previously given birth to a boy could all increase the risk. Only 50 percent of fertilized eggs survive all the way through pregnancy.
words and phrases:
trampoline: 蹦床
dangle : To hang loosely and swing or sway to and fro
miscarriage: 流产
As well as checking the health of the baby, this scan gives the first opportunity to determine if you are pregnant with one baby or two or more. Multiple births run in families. If your mother's family has a history of non-identical twins, then you are far more likely to have twins yourself. Identical twins are formed when an egg splits in two. The twins will share identical DNA and could even share the same placenta, but only 1% of the time will they share an amniotic sac. If two eggs are released and fertilized at the same time, the twins are non-identical or fraternal and don't share identical DNA. In this case the twins are separated in the womb with each living in its own amniotic sac.
They also have separate placentas, so blood flow to each twin is carefully monitored throughout pregnancy. Other than a slightly early birth, complications are minimal.
Even though she won't be able to walk until she is around a year old, the building blocks to her first steps are present after just 11 weeks in the womb. These 4D scans show 11- and 12-week-old fetuses kicking and pushing out their legs in what's known as the stepping reflex. A reflex action is a preprogrammed biological impulse. When her feet touch the base of the uterus, the nervous system triggers an automatic muscle reaction in the legs.
At this age, there is so much space in the uterus. The fetus bounces and leaps around, using the walls of the womb like a trampoline. The ability to walk is an important survival skill. And the more the fetus moves, the stronger the reflex grows. This stepping reflex can clearly be seen in newborns when their feet dangle above the ground.
The period from 6 to 11 weeks has seen the most dramatic transformation of the entire pregnancy with the fetus undergoing the metamorphosis and growing nearly five times bigger in a frantic five-week burst. Over 200 types of cells have been made. Muscles and nerves are twitching. There is a liver, two kidneys, and a stomach no bigger than a grain of rice. All the organs of a human baby have formed and it's still less than three inches long.
After twelve weeks, the fetus enters the second trimester, the middle three months of pregnancy. Although she is still no bigger than a fist, she is much less delicate and there is less risk of a miscarriage. Miscarriages are most common in the first three months when new cells are developing. An imbalance in the immune system, stress, or if the mother has previously given birth to a boy could all increase the risk. Only 50 percent of fertilized eggs survive all the way through pregnancy.
words and phrases:
trampoline: 蹦床
dangle : To hang loosely and swing or sway to and fro
miscarriage: 流产
DC 2007-04-13, In The Womb 子宫日记 6
26'11 -
After starting at a feeble 20 to 25 beats per minute, it now pumps as fast as it will ever go, a frantic 157 beats every minute—an adult heartbeat is normally 70 to 80. After this peak, the heart rate will decrease as the heart, along with the rest of the body, gradually comes under the brain's control.
At 10 weeks old, the fetus has been hidden from the outside world, but the mother is about to get her first glimpse of the secret events unfolding inside her womb. Three months have passed since conception, and the time has arrived for the first ultrasound scan. Ultrasound scans that peer into the womb have revolutionized our understanding of fetal development and care for the mother.
"So here we have your little baby in there. Oops, now that's a bit of activity from there."
Professor Stuart Campbell of the Create Health Clinic in London is one of the world's leading experts in obstetrics.
"Can you see the head of the baby's looking to the side? And it all makes sense to you when the baby starts to move."
"OK."
The pictures are produced by sending ultrahigh frequency sound waves, far too high for us to hear, from the probe into the body of the mother. The waves penetrate through internal tissue, passing easily through fluid areas like amniotic fluid, but bouncing back strongly off solids like bone.
"See, one, two, three, four..."
The reflected waves are collected to produce an internal image similar to an X-ray but without the danger. Ultrasound scans aren't known to cause any harm to the fetus.
"Here's the face out there."
Inside the womb, the fetus lives in fluid—even the lungs are filled with fluid—and the ultrasound produces a moving image that to a trained eye reveals important information about the health and development of the fetus.
"This is the cerebellum, part of the brain that helps you keep your balance."
The first scan can also establish a more accurate due date based on the fetus's size instead of guessing from the date of the mother's last menstrual period.
"So it's 82.9 mm.", "Fine."
"For they cry not on me, ok? Now, just to the nuchal translucency, coz you haven’t had that."
"Right.", "Okay?"
The scan can also show early but not conclusive diagnostic features pointing toward genetic abnormalities.
"No, that's a test for Down syndrome. No, it doesn't definitely say babies have Down syndrome or not, but it tells you if you're at risk."
Until recently, noninvasive research into the development of the human fetus has been restricted to fetal autopsies or grainy, 2-dimensional ultrasound scans. But now this area of exploration has been revolutionized with the development of 3-dimensional scans, and, even more remarkably, 3D scans which move in real time, known as 4D scans.
"Oh, look, call it wow, yeah."
"It's her hand of, it's her face."
Obstetricians can directly observe how the fetus grows, behaves, reacts to stimulation and how its reflexes help it prepare for birth and for survival outside the womb.
Professor Campbell is a world-renowned pioneer of these new scans and is responsible for taking these incredible images. This scan shows a 30-week fetus yawning, and this one, a 32-week fetus playing with its nose.
After starting at a feeble 20 to 25 beats per minute, it now pumps as fast as it will ever go, a frantic 157 beats every minute—an adult heartbeat is normally 70 to 80. After this peak, the heart rate will decrease as the heart, along with the rest of the body, gradually comes under the brain's control.
At 10 weeks old, the fetus has been hidden from the outside world, but the mother is about to get her first glimpse of the secret events unfolding inside her womb. Three months have passed since conception, and the time has arrived for the first ultrasound scan. Ultrasound scans that peer into the womb have revolutionized our understanding of fetal development and care for the mother.
"So here we have your little baby in there. Oops, now that's a bit of activity from there."
Professor Stuart Campbell of the Create Health Clinic in London is one of the world's leading experts in obstetrics.
"Can you see the head of the baby's looking to the side? And it all makes sense to you when the baby starts to move."
"OK."
The pictures are produced by sending ultrahigh frequency sound waves, far too high for us to hear, from the probe into the body of the mother. The waves penetrate through internal tissue, passing easily through fluid areas like amniotic fluid, but bouncing back strongly off solids like bone.
"See, one, two, three, four..."
The reflected waves are collected to produce an internal image similar to an X-ray but without the danger. Ultrasound scans aren't known to cause any harm to the fetus.
"Here's the face out there."
Inside the womb, the fetus lives in fluid—even the lungs are filled with fluid—and the ultrasound produces a moving image that to a trained eye reveals important information about the health and development of the fetus.
"This is the cerebellum, part of the brain that helps you keep your balance."
The first scan can also establish a more accurate due date based on the fetus's size instead of guessing from the date of the mother's last menstrual period.
"So it's 82.9 mm.", "Fine."
"For they cry not on me, ok? Now, just to the nuchal translucency, coz you haven’t had that."
"Right.", "Okay?"
The scan can also show early but not conclusive diagnostic features pointing toward genetic abnormalities.
"No, that's a test for Down syndrome. No, it doesn't definitely say babies have Down syndrome or not, but it tells you if you're at risk."
Until recently, noninvasive research into the development of the human fetus has been restricted to fetal autopsies or grainy, 2-dimensional ultrasound scans. But now this area of exploration has been revolutionized with the development of 3-dimensional scans, and, even more remarkably, 3D scans which move in real time, known as 4D scans.
"Oh, look, call it wow, yeah."
"It's her hand of, it's her face."
Obstetricians can directly observe how the fetus grows, behaves, reacts to stimulation and how its reflexes help it prepare for birth and for survival outside the womb.
Professor Campbell is a world-renowned pioneer of these new scans and is responsible for taking these incredible images. This scan shows a 30-week fetus yawning, and this one, a 32-week fetus playing with its nose.
DC 2007-04-11, In The Womb 子宫日记 5
21'00- 26'11
8 weeks - 9 weeks -
After growing for eight weeks, the embryo looks more like a tiny human and becomes known as a fetus which in Latin means offspring. She has reached an important milestone. Until now the embryo has been dependent on the nutrients she could extract from her yolk sac, a floating balloon connected to the base of the umbilical cord. A human yolk sac is used briefly and then it vanishes. It is believed that for the first few weeks, it generates nutrients and blood cells for the tiny embryo.
yolk sac: 卵黄囊，一种附在胚胎上的薄膜囊，在硬骨鱼、鲨、爬行动物、鸟类和原始哺乳动物内以卵黄的形式提供早期营养物，在内部循环开始之前，作为人类胚胎的循环系统
umbilical cord: 脐带，在胎儿的肚脐部分和胎盘相连并含有两条脐动脉和一条脐静脉的有弹性的带状结构。脐静脉的作用是输送养料并运走废料
By two months, the yolk sac becomes redundant and shrivels away. The crucial job of feeding and nurturing the fetus is completely taken over by the placenta (胎盘), which is embedded into the wall of the uterus at the end of the umbilical cord. It provides nutrients while filtering out waste. The placenta is the fetus's life support system during her time in the womb. It's a network of very fine blood vessels, reaching into the wall of the uterus. Like the roots of a tree sucking nutrients from the soil, it extracts everything the fetus needs from the mother's bloodstream, food, oxygen, water, and it filters it before passing it into the fetus's bloodstream. Blood, enriched by the mother's diet, travels through the umbilical cord into the fetal arteries.
slab n.（名词） A broad, flat, thick piece, as of cake, stone, or cheese. 厚片：宽、平、厚的一片，如蛋糕、石头或奶酪
(... and passes it into the fetus' blood. )
Everything the fetus doesn't need or the waste products are siphoned out by the placenta and passed back into the mother's bloodstream.
The placenta also filters out many harmful substances that may be in the mother's bloodstream and could damage the fetus. But it can't stop everything and the mother has to be careful with things like prescription drugs, alcohol and nicotine which will pass directly to the fetus.
Some pregnant mothers have an instinctive reaction to avoid food or drink that could be harmful to the fetus. They may be revolted by the smell of alcohol or seafood, meat or mushrooms. The mother's body is effectively controlling her intake of food, telling her what to avoid and instigating cravings to ensure her child gets what it needs.
The first trimester can be an uncomfortable time for the mother. Apart from its nurturing role, the placenta also controls pregnancy by producing hormones, and early on these hormones are what give some women morning sickness. One of these, progesterone, is secreted throughout the term and prevents the mother from releasing more eggs. Others stop the mother's immune system from rejecting the unfamiliar growth inside her.
morning sickness: 孕妇晨吐，在早晨起床时的恶心、呕吐，尤指妊娠早期
progesterone n. 黄体荷尔蒙，黄体酮：类固醇荷尔蒙，化学式为C21H 30O 2，由卵巢的黄体和胎盘分泌，其活动准备子宫移植受精卵子，保持受孕，以及促进乳腺的增大
Another week passes and the nervous system is developing fast, spreading connections throughout the body. Over the course of nine months, the nervous system generates an average of two and a half million neurons every minute. The fetus has been still so far, but now at about nine weeks, her whole body starts to twitch. Movement plays a crucial role in stimulating the growth of muscles and strengthening of joints.
At this stage, the nerves may only extend from the muscles of the leg, for example, back to the spinal cord. The connection to the brain is still growing. So the brain isn't controlling the fetus's movements yet. They are still involuntary reflex spasms. The heart isn't controlled by the brain yet, either. It marches to its own beat and it's been gaining (=pick up 获得) speed since its first twitch to life in the third week.
spinal cord: 脊髓，从延髓开始沿脊柱延伸的粘稠、白色、索状的神经组织，由脊髓开始脊椎神经分叉伸向身体各个部位
spasms: A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles, 痉挛
words and phrases:
shrivel: To become or make much less or smaller; dwindle.
siphoned : To draw off or convey through or as if through a siphon.用虹吸管吸出.
instigate: To urge on; goad.
craving: A consuming desire; a yearning.
twitch: A sudden involuntary or spasmodic muscular movement
8 weeks - 9 weeks -
After growing for eight weeks, the embryo looks more like a tiny human and becomes known as a fetus which in Latin means offspring. She has reached an important milestone. Until now the embryo has been dependent on the nutrients she could extract from her yolk sac, a floating balloon connected to the base of the umbilical cord. A human yolk sac is used briefly and then it vanishes. It is believed that for the first few weeks, it generates nutrients and blood cells for the tiny embryo.
yolk sac: 卵黄囊，一种附在胚胎上的薄膜囊，在硬骨鱼、鲨、爬行动物、鸟类和原始哺乳动物内以卵黄的形式提供早期营养物，在内部循环开始之前，作为人类胚胎的循环系统
umbilical cord: 脐带，在胎儿的肚脐部分和胎盘相连并含有两条脐动脉和一条脐静脉的有弹性的带状结构。脐静脉的作用是输送养料并运走废料
By two months, the yolk sac becomes redundant and shrivels away. The crucial job of feeding and nurturing the fetus is completely taken over by the placenta (胎盘), which is embedded into the wall of the uterus at the end of the umbilical cord. It provides nutrients while filtering out waste. The placenta is the fetus's life support system during her time in the womb. It's a network of very fine blood vessels, reaching into the wall of the uterus. Like the roots of a tree sucking nutrients from the soil, it extracts everything the fetus needs from the mother's bloodstream, food, oxygen, water, and it filters it before passing it into the fetus's bloodstream. Blood, enriched by the mother's diet, travels through the umbilical cord into the fetal arteries.
slab n.（名词） A broad, flat, thick piece, as of cake, stone, or cheese. 厚片：宽、平、厚的一片，如蛋糕、石头或奶酪
(... and passes it into the fetus' blood. )
Everything the fetus doesn't need or the waste products are siphoned out by the placenta and passed back into the mother's bloodstream.
The placenta also filters out many harmful substances that may be in the mother's bloodstream and could damage the fetus. But it can't stop everything and the mother has to be careful with things like prescription drugs, alcohol and nicotine which will pass directly to the fetus.
Some pregnant mothers have an instinctive reaction to avoid food or drink that could be harmful to the fetus. They may be revolted by the smell of alcohol or seafood, meat or mushrooms. The mother's body is effectively controlling her intake of food, telling her what to avoid and instigating cravings to ensure her child gets what it needs.
The first trimester can be an uncomfortable time for the mother. Apart from its nurturing role, the placenta also controls pregnancy by producing hormones, and early on these hormones are what give some women morning sickness. One of these, progesterone, is secreted throughout the term and prevents the mother from releasing more eggs. Others stop the mother's immune system from rejecting the unfamiliar growth inside her.
morning sickness: 孕妇晨吐，在早晨起床时的恶心、呕吐，尤指妊娠早期
progesterone n. 黄体荷尔蒙，黄体酮：类固醇荷尔蒙，化学式为C21H 30O 2，由卵巢的黄体和胎盘分泌，其活动准备子宫移植受精卵子，保持受孕，以及促进乳腺的增大
Another week passes and the nervous system is developing fast, spreading connections throughout the body. Over the course of nine months, the nervous system generates an average of two and a half million neurons every minute. The fetus has been still so far, but now at about nine weeks, her whole body starts to twitch. Movement plays a crucial role in stimulating the growth of muscles and strengthening of joints.
At this stage, the nerves may only extend from the muscles of the leg, for example, back to the spinal cord. The connection to the brain is still growing. So the brain isn't controlling the fetus's movements yet. They are still involuntary reflex spasms. The heart isn't controlled by the brain yet, either. It marches to its own beat and it's been gaining (=pick up 获得) speed since its first twitch to life in the third week.
spinal cord: 脊髓，从延髓开始沿脊柱延伸的粘稠、白色、索状的神经组织，由脊髓开始脊椎神经分叉伸向身体各个部位
spasms: A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles, 痉挛
words and phrases:
shrivel: To become or make much less or smaller; dwindle.
siphoned : To draw off or convey through or as if through a siphon.用虹吸管吸出.
instigate: To urge on; goad.
craving: A consuming desire; a yearning.
twitch: A sudden involuntary or spasmodic muscular movement
DC 2007-04-09, In The Womb 子宫日记 4
14'55- 21'00
3 weeks - 4 weeks - 6 weeks - 7 weeks
One of the first organs to form is the heart. Until now the tiny clump of heart cells about the size of a poppy seed has been still. But after 22 days a single cell stirs as if jolted to life. This tiny movement sparks (=set off) a chain reaction and other cells in the cluster pick up the rhythm. Incredibly, they all begin to beat in perfect unison. The new cells divide, dance to the same beat and will grow to form the embryo's heart. The muscle cells of the heart are preprogrammed to contract. Later on when the nervous system is more developed, the brain will carefully control the rate of contraction, keeping it steadily beating and pumping for the rest of the child's life.
clump n. A clustered mass; a lump: 块；团：
If she lives to 75 that will be nearly 3 billion heart beats. Without a heart there is no way to deliver the food and oxygen the embryo needs to flourish. Now with the heart pumping, primitive blood cells start to circulate in the fetus through veins no thicker than a hair. The blood cells bring vital supplies of oxygen and nutrients to fuel her phenomenal growth over the next 8 months.
After 4 weeks, the embryo is no bigger than a kidney bean and is growing by about 1/10 of a centimeter everyday. Black dots on her head are the beginnings of eyes. Her miniature single-chambered heart beats 80 times per minute and is getting faster everyday. Emerging buds along her body will grow into arms and legs. Plates of tissue growing in from four sides create her face. The top section grows down to make her forehead and nose. The cheeks fold in from the sides and join to form her top lip. Even in the adulthood, we bear a clear mark from the scene, the vertical groove between the mouth and nose called the philtrum (n.[解]人中). If the sides don't join up properly the baby will develop a cleft palate (兔唇) and may need corrective surgery after she is born.
At day 30, even an expert would find it difficult to tell just from looking at it, if this embryo is going to become a human, a pig, or an ape. Just one and a half percent of our genes make us human. We share 98.5 percent of our DNA with chimpanzees, 3 quarters with dogs, half with fruit flies and a third with daffodils （水仙花）.
For the next few weeks, the embryo will continue to grow according to her own internal genetic blueprint and will become more like a human. The fetus has been growing now for 6 weeks. She is almost an inch long and would fit neatly inside a walnut shell. Just black dots a few days ago, her eyes are now glassy sightless stones with no eyelids set widely apart. Her head is still massive compared to her body. Even at birth, it would be a quarter of her body length. The rest of her body won't catch up with her head until adolescence.
3 weeks - 4 weeks - 6 weeks - 7 weeks
One of the first organs to form is the heart. Until now the tiny clump of heart cells about the size of a poppy seed has been still. But after 22 days a single cell stirs as if jolted to life. This tiny movement sparks (=set off) a chain reaction and other cells in the cluster pick up the rhythm. Incredibly, they all begin to beat in perfect unison. The new cells divide, dance to the same beat and will grow to form the embryo's heart. The muscle cells of the heart are preprogrammed to contract. Later on when the nervous system is more developed, the brain will carefully control the rate of contraction, keeping it steadily beating and pumping for the rest of the child's life.
clump n. A clustered mass; a lump: 块；团：
If she lives to 75 that will be nearly 3 billion heart beats. Without a heart there is no way to deliver the food and oxygen the embryo needs to flourish. Now with the heart pumping, primitive blood cells start to circulate in the fetus through veins no thicker than a hair. The blood cells bring vital supplies of oxygen and nutrients to fuel her phenomenal growth over the next 8 months.
After 4 weeks, the embryo is no bigger than a kidney bean and is growing by about 1/10 of a centimeter everyday. Black dots on her head are the beginnings of eyes. Her miniature single-chambered heart beats 80 times per minute and is getting faster everyday. Emerging buds along her body will grow into arms and legs. Plates of tissue growing in from four sides create her face. The top section grows down to make her forehead and nose. The cheeks fold in from the sides and join to form her top lip. Even in the adulthood, we bear a clear mark from the scene, the vertical groove between the mouth and nose called the philtrum (n.[解]人中). If the sides don't join up properly the baby will develop a cleft palate (兔唇) and may need corrective surgery after she is born.
At day 30, even an expert would find it difficult to tell just from looking at it, if this embryo is going to become a human, a pig, or an ape. Just one and a half percent of our genes make us human. We share 98.5 percent of our DNA with chimpanzees, 3 quarters with dogs, half with fruit flies and a third with daffodils （水仙花）.
For the next few weeks, the embryo will continue to grow according to her own internal genetic blueprint and will become more like a human. The fetus has been growing now for 6 weeks. She is almost an inch long and would fit neatly inside a walnut shell. Just black dots a few days ago, her eyes are now glassy sightless stones with no eyelids set widely apart. Her head is still massive compared to her body. Even at birth, it would be a quarter of her body length. The rest of her body won't catch up with her head until adolescence.
DC 2007-04-06, In The Womb 子宫日记 3
9' 50-14‘40
1 day - 1 week - 2 weeks
Soon after fertilization, the egg begins its journey, traveling along the fallopian tube toward the safety of the uterus. About a day after fertilization, the egg divides for the first time. Every cell in the body will need its own copy of the genetic blueprint. The chromosomes reproduce first, making an identical copy of the entire genetic code. When the two sets of chromosomes part, the nucleus splits in two and the cell divides.
This process of division continues as the clump of cells travels down the fallopian tube. After four or five days, the tiny ball called the blastocyst has grown to around 100 cells, and it begins to separate into two sets. The outer ring of cells will become the placenta (胎盘) —the life support system—while the inner circle will become the embryo itself.
At this stage, the inner cells are known as stem cells. Stem cells have the remarkable capacity to turn into （=become）any one of over 200 different types of cells, and they can grow to become any part of the body. After seven days, the blastocyst reaches the end of the fallopian tube and arrives in the uterus—a haven for the next nine months.
More than a week has passed since conception, but until she misses a menstrual (月经的) cycle, the mother may not even realize she is pregnant. Over the course of the first trimester or first three months, the single egg will begin to transform itself into a fully formed baby. But all the features of the human body—limbs, nerves, organs, muscles—will be mapped out in the fragile first nine weeks.
The embryo is now starting to take shape. During the third week, the embryonic ball of cells, no bigger than a pinhead, folds in on itself to form a long tube. The top of the tube is growing into the head, and the trunk of the body stretches down below. The head doesn't look much like a head yet. But at day 15, nerve cells begin to form in what will become the brain—as well as in the spinal column, which is exposed and totally unprotected by either skin or bone.
For now, the mother is most likely unaware that her body is creating a protected world—one that can successfully sustain a pregnancy. Yet drastic changes immediately begin to sweep through her system. Her blood volume may increase by up to 50% to cope with the extra demand for oxygen from the parasitic growth in her womb. Once the embryo embeds itself in the uterus, it starts to draw from the mother's bloodstream all that it needs to grow.
words and phrases:
blastocyst : 胚泡
spinal column: 脊柱
parasitic : 寄生的
1 day - 1 week - 2 weeks
Soon after fertilization, the egg begins its journey, traveling along the fallopian tube toward the safety of the uterus. About a day after fertilization, the egg divides for the first time. Every cell in the body will need its own copy of the genetic blueprint. The chromosomes reproduce first, making an identical copy of the entire genetic code. When the two sets of chromosomes part, the nucleus splits in two and the cell divides.
This process of division continues as the clump of cells travels down the fallopian tube. After four or five days, the tiny ball called the blastocyst has grown to around 100 cells, and it begins to separate into two sets. The outer ring of cells will become the placenta (胎盘) —the life support system—while the inner circle will become the embryo itself.
At this stage, the inner cells are known as stem cells. Stem cells have the remarkable capacity to turn into （=become）any one of over 200 different types of cells, and they can grow to become any part of the body. After seven days, the blastocyst reaches the end of the fallopian tube and arrives in the uterus—a haven for the next nine months.
More than a week has passed since conception, but until she misses a menstrual (月经的) cycle, the mother may not even realize she is pregnant. Over the course of the first trimester or first three months, the single egg will begin to transform itself into a fully formed baby. But all the features of the human body—limbs, nerves, organs, muscles—will be mapped out in the fragile first nine weeks.
The embryo is now starting to take shape. During the third week, the embryonic ball of cells, no bigger than a pinhead, folds in on itself to form a long tube. The top of the tube is growing into the head, and the trunk of the body stretches down below. The head doesn't look much like a head yet. But at day 15, nerve cells begin to form in what will become the brain—as well as in the spinal column, which is exposed and totally unprotected by either skin or bone.
For now, the mother is most likely unaware that her body is creating a protected world—one that can successfully sustain a pregnancy. Yet drastic changes immediately begin to sweep through her system. Her blood volume may increase by up to 50% to cope with the extra demand for oxygen from the parasitic growth in her womb. Once the embryo embeds itself in the uterus, it starts to draw from the mother's bloodstream all that it needs to grow.
words and phrases:
blastocyst : 胚泡
spinal column: 脊柱
parasitic : 寄生的
DC 2007-04-04, In The Womb 子宫日记 2
(4'45-9'48)
Each month a woman's ovaries (卵巢) release one egg that contains her own genetic code. She made these eggs while she was still a fetus herself, nestled inside her own mother's womb. And they've been kept in storage ever since, through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, ready to burst into life.
nestle: to settle comfortably
ado'lescence: 青春期
How the sperm find their way to the egg is something of a mystery. Recent research indicates that sperm have a sense of smell and can sniff their way to the egg. The journey is so long and arduous for the sperm that only a handful survive. It may take up to ten hours before the actual moment of conception. The first sperm to reach the egg are the strongest and fittest, and the first to burrow its head through the egg surface will be the winner. There are no prizes for coming in second. The instant one sperm enters the egg, it triggers a change in the egg's membrane, making it impenetrable to all other sperm, which all die off within a week.
sniff: to perceive or detect
arduous: difficult
Once within the egg wall, the sperm's nucleus is drawn toward the egg's. The two cells gradually and gracefully become one. This is the moment of conception, when an individual's unique set of DNA is created- a human signature that never existed before and will never be repeated. The genetic code is stored in these bundles (捆) called chromosomes, 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. Each chromosome is made of a tightly-coiled strand of DNA. This molecule, shaped like a double helix （双螺旋）, carries our genetic code. Each microscopic chromosome contains over six feet （two meters）of DNA. A pattern of chemical codes creates this twisting ribbon of DNA and holds the key to our uniqueness- our genes.
It takes between 20,000 and 25,000 genes to make a human, roughly the same number as a chicken. All of us have a complete set from each of our parents, deep in the nucleus of every cell in our bodies. Our genes are a set of instructions that tell us to become a human rather than a fish or a tree, as well as deciding exactly what kind of person we will be. Each gene or combination of genes is responsible for a specific trait- whether our baby girl will have her mother's hair and strands or her father's eye color and long fingers.
Some genes will be dominant, others completely hidden, making each one of us physically and genetically unique. Our parents make an equal contribution to most of our genetic makeup. But the sex of the child is determined solely by the father. The 23rd pair of chromosomes has the specific job of determining sex. The sex chromosome that comes from the mother is always the same, type X. But the chromosome that comes from the father could be one of two types, X for a girl, or Y, a much smaller chromosome, for a boy.
An X sperm won the fertilization race for these parents and they are going to have a girl. The genes she's inherited have already predetermined her looks and much of her character- whether she is stubborn, intelligent, a thrill seeker or good at music, and even her vulnerability to certain diseases like cancers, schizophrenia (精神分裂症) or diabetes. The exact course of her life will depend on such things as her friends, family and environment; but at the instant of fertilization, much of her future is predetermined.
words and phrases:
burrow : To move or progress by or as if by digging or tunneling
Each month a woman's ovaries (卵巢) release one egg that contains her own genetic code. She made these eggs while she was still a fetus herself, nestled inside her own mother's womb. And they've been kept in storage ever since, through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, ready to burst into life.
nestle: to settle comfortably
ado'lescence: 青春期
How the sperm find their way to the egg is something of a mystery. Recent research indicates that sperm have a sense of smell and can sniff their way to the egg. The journey is so long and arduous for the sperm that only a handful survive. It may take up to ten hours before the actual moment of conception. The first sperm to reach the egg are the strongest and fittest, and the first to burrow its head through the egg surface will be the winner. There are no prizes for coming in second. The instant one sperm enters the egg, it triggers a change in the egg's membrane, making it impenetrable to all other sperm, which all die off within a week.
sniff: to perceive or detect
arduous: difficult
Once within the egg wall, the sperm's nucleus is drawn toward the egg's. The two cells gradually and gracefully become one. This is the moment of conception, when an individual's unique set of DNA is created- a human signature that never existed before and will never be repeated. The genetic code is stored in these bundles (捆) called chromosomes, 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. Each chromosome is made of a tightly-coiled strand of DNA. This molecule, shaped like a double helix （双螺旋）, carries our genetic code. Each microscopic chromosome contains over six feet （two meters）of DNA. A pattern of chemical codes creates this twisting ribbon of DNA and holds the key to our uniqueness- our genes.
It takes between 20,000 and 25,000 genes to make a human, roughly the same number as a chicken. All of us have a complete set from each of our parents, deep in the nucleus of every cell in our bodies. Our genes are a set of instructions that tell us to become a human rather than a fish or a tree, as well as deciding exactly what kind of person we will be. Each gene or combination of genes is responsible for a specific trait- whether our baby girl will have her mother's hair and strands or her father's eye color and long fingers.
Some genes will be dominant, others completely hidden, making each one of us physically and genetically unique. Our parents make an equal contribution to most of our genetic makeup. But the sex of the child is determined solely by the father. The 23rd pair of chromosomes has the specific job of determining sex. The sex chromosome that comes from the mother is always the same, type X. But the chromosome that comes from the father could be one of two types, X for a girl, or Y, a much smaller chromosome, for a boy.
An X sperm won the fertilization race for these parents and they are going to have a girl. The genes she's inherited have already predetermined her looks and much of her character- whether she is stubborn, intelligent, a thrill seeker or good at music, and even her vulnerability to certain diseases like cancers, schizophrenia (精神分裂症) or diabetes. The exact course of her life will depend on such things as her friends, family and environment; but at the instant of fertilization, much of her future is predetermined.
words and phrases:
burrow : To move or progress by or as if by digging or tunneling
DC 2007-04-02, In The Womb 子宫日记 1
This baby has come to the end of a nine-month-long journey. She can already taste, hear, smell, touch and learn. After 266 days, her soft cocoon has grown increasingly cramped and uncomfortable and there is only one way out into an unknown world of bright lights, loud noises and cold air, and there is no turning back.
This is her story, as seen from inside the mother's womb, from the moment two cells fuse into one to the birth of a baby girl in just nine months.
This baby is about to begin the journey of a lifetime, having spent nine months hidden in her mother's womb. In just 38 weeks, she's transformed from a single cell into trillions with over 200 specialized types, organized into the incredibly complex form of an infant girl.
Using new 3D and even 4D scanning techniques, a window has opened on the womb, allowing us to see fetal development unfold before our eyes. Real footage and computer imagery based on scientific observation take us on a journey inside the womb as it's never been seen before and reveal that the fetus behaves in a much more complex way than previously imagined. During her odyssey in the womb, she will smile, recognize her mother's voice and maybe even dream. The mother provides the shelter and the basics--food, water and oxygen, but the real star of the show is the fetus herself, building, dividing and growing according to an intricate set of plans created at the moment of conception.
Here is how it begins, during ejaculation, a mature healthy man expels up to 500 million sperm inside a woman's vagina. Each sperm carries a precious cargo--the father's genetic code. A man's testes are constantly at work, churning out over a thousand sperm every second. The quality of these sperm depends on the man's lifestyle. If you avoid smoking, excessive alcohol, hot bath, even tight underwear, you will produce stronger, healthier sperm.
Coffee, on the other hand, appears to stimulate sperm to swim further, faster and harder. It's a slow journey for the sperm, the smallest cell in the human body. They travel one tenth of an inch per minute and there are hurdles at every turn. From the vagina, they pass through the cervix, up into the uterus and on into the fallopian tube where the woman's egg, the largest cell in the body, awaits.
words and phrases:
cramped: Uncomfortably small or restricted.
odyssey: An extended adventurous voyage or trip.
churn out: to produce mechanically or copiously.
This is her story, as seen from inside the mother's womb, from the moment two cells fuse into one to the birth of a baby girl in just nine months.
This baby is about to begin the journey of a lifetime, having spent nine months hidden in her mother's womb. In just 38 weeks, she's transformed from a single cell into trillions with over 200 specialized types, organized into the incredibly complex form of an infant girl.
Using new 3D and even 4D scanning techniques, a window has opened on the womb, allowing us to see fetal development unfold before our eyes. Real footage and computer imagery based on scientific observation take us on a journey inside the womb as it's never been seen before and reveal that the fetus behaves in a much more complex way than previously imagined. During her odyssey in the womb, she will smile, recognize her mother's voice and maybe even dream. The mother provides the shelter and the basics--food, water and oxygen, but the real star of the show is the fetus herself, building, dividing and growing according to an intricate set of plans created at the moment of conception.
Here is how it begins, during ejaculation, a mature healthy man expels up to 500 million sperm inside a woman's vagina. Each sperm carries a precious cargo--the father's genetic code. A man's testes are constantly at work, churning out over a thousand sperm every second. The quality of these sperm depends on the man's lifestyle. If you avoid smoking, excessive alcohol, hot bath, even tight underwear, you will produce stronger, healthier sperm.
Coffee, on the other hand, appears to stimulate sperm to swim further, faster and harder. It's a slow journey for the sperm, the smallest cell in the human body. They travel one tenth of an inch per minute and there are hurdles at every turn. From the vagina, they pass through the cervix, up into the uterus and on into the fallopian tube where the woman's egg, the largest cell in the body, awaits.
words and phrases:
cramped: Uncomfortably small or restricted.
odyssey: An extended adventurous voyage or trip.
churn out: to produce mechanically or copiously.
Microsoft to finally agree Yahoo deal
Published Date: 23 November 2008
By Bill Magee
MICROSOFT is finally set to tie up with (和...有密切关系) Yahoo and challenge Google head on, now that the beleaguered online search and advertising firm's chief executive (Jerry Yang) has announced he is stepping down (下台).
head-on
Adverb, adj
1. front foremost: a head-on collision 对心碰撞
2. with directness or without compromise: a head-on confrontation with the unions
Jerry Yang has proved the stumbling block for several months to the software giant's efforts to buy the company outright (=wholly, totally), or at least its search engine division.
Back in May, Microsoft's unsolicited $47.5bn bid to buy Yahoo was rejected by Yang, a move that infuriated some institutional shareholders.
However, as soon as Yang made his resignation announcement last week, Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer reopened the door to a potential deal.
On holding fresh talks with Yahoo about a search collaboration, Ballmer told a shareholders' meeting: "We'd be very open to it." Timing of a deal will probably depend on how quickly a successor is found for Yang.
用法：tell a meeting 在会上讲，字面意义，告诉会议
Murray Ferguson, head of sales at API Software which has offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, said: "A link-up (=causal connection) now seems more likely to happen, if for nothing else that Yahoo has to do something to arrest its declining share price."
arrest
v.tr. To stop; check: 停止；阻止：
Combining the two companies' search capabilities would give them a bigger share of the $10bn US internet search market. Currently, undisputed market leader Google enjoys more than 70% of that business, according to research group SearchIgnite.
The most likely link-up, according to analyst Sandeep Aggarwal at Collins Stewart, is a "sale and leaseback(反租)" deal. Yahoo would sell its search technology, patents and online traffic to Microsoft for a $1bn upfront payment plus minimum guarantees of $2.5bn annually.
upfront In advance; beforehand: demanded to be paid up front for the photographs
Microsoft would provide search results appearing on Yahoo web pages, with Yahoo selling adverts (=advertisements) and sharing the revenues.
Ryan Jacob, chairman of Jacob Asset Management, holding 101,874 Yahoo shares, recently said: "Microsoft and Yahoo alone would have a very difficult time fighting Google. Together, they have a better chance."
Microsoft remains in a position of financial strength but Ballmer told shareholders the world's biggest software maker was "not immune" to the tough economic climate.
The company has seen growth in all of its business groups but is now looking to cut costs, although research and development, standing at $7bn per annum, will not be reduced.
Earlier this month, Microsoft
Yahoo has seen its value drop more than $30bn since it rejected Microsoft's takeover bid. But its ability to attract new clients, such as T-Mobile's decision to launch a new mobile portal powered by Yahoo, is not lost on the software company.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is having to watch its back as Google announced last week that it is planning to install its Chrome browser on personal computers, challenging Microsoft's predominant Internet Explorer browser.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friends【102】The One With The Sonogram At The End
by zappleweb , putfan
antique’s
No.2 The One With the Sonogram at the End
上 集说道Rach和Ross分别经历了感情镇痛，这一集开始，Ross得知前妻Carol有了身孕，被迫同Carol的同志伴侣Susan一起，陪 Carol参加助产训练班。Ross和Monica的父母来吃饭，由于Monica从小就在家里不如Ross优秀，所以再次感到巨大压力，只好抖出 Ross和Carol的事情。Ross和Rachel同病相怜,Rachel把戒指还给Barry, 结果发现，Barry不仅没有寻死觅活，反而过的很开心，原来他已经和Rachel的伴娘Mindy好上了。这一集里面我选了十多个句子简单讲解下。
1． Rachel: Everything you need to know is in that first kiss. 几个好朋友在一起聊性的话题，Monica说男人不懂接吻的重要性，Joey根本不屑一顾，于是Rachel说了这样一句话，意思是：初吻可以让你明白一 切。呵呵，是不是想起自己的初吻了？
2．Chandler: Yeah, I think for us, kissing is pretty much like an opening act, y'know? I mean it's like the stand-up comedian you have to sit through before Pink Floyd comes out. Chandler也发表了自己的观点，他说接吻很大程度上像是序幕（an opening act）,像是你听Pink Floyd的音乐会之前不得不忍受的笑星们的表演一样。Pink Floyd是美国一支很著名的乐队。能听出Chandler的潜台词吧？
Chandler: The problem is, though, after the concert's over, no matter how great the show was, you girls are always looking for the comedian again, y'know? I mean, we're in the car, we're fighting traffic... basically just trying to stay awake.
用法：
fight traffic：奋力以通行
fight traffic ticket: 争辩以避免罚单
Rachel: Yeah, well, word of advice（奉劝一句）: Bring back the comedian. Otherwise next time you're gonna find yourself sitting at home, listening to that album alone.
3．Marsha: Well, she has issues. Issues在这里是烦恼、问题的意思，以后碰到别人好像闷闷不乐的时候，你就可以上前来上一句Do you have any issues?
Ross: Marsha, these are cave people. Okay? They have issues like 'Gee (=Jesus), that glacier's getting kinda close.' See?
Ross: Okay, okay, yes, it is. (waves) How about I'll, uh, catch up with (赶上，逮住) you in the Ice Age.
用法：How about + 句子
4． Carol: Marty's still totally paranoid.Carol去Museum里找Ross,Ross非常尴尬，于是没话找话问Carol的家人怎么看待她是Lesbian的事儿，于是 Carol告诉他，马堤仍然神经兮兮的。Paranoid这个单词是类似妄想狂的意思，有点histerical的意思。
Chandler: Oh, uh, that would be mine. See, I wrote a note to myself, and then I realised I didn't need it, so I balled it up (揉成团) and... (sees that Monica is glaring at him) ...now I wish I was dead.
Phoebe: She's already fluffed （make fluffy 使松软）that pillow... Monica, you know, you've already fluffed that- (Monica glares at her.) -but, it's fine!
Phoebe: Monica- Hi! Um, Monica, you're scaring me. I mean, you're like, you're like all chaotic and twirly（whirling）. And not-not in a good way.
5． Rachel: Oh, like I wasn't dreading tomorrow enough, having to give it back to him... 'Hi Barry! Remember me? I'm the girl in the veil who stomped on your heart in front of your entire family!' Oh God and now I'm gonna have to return the ring, without the ring, which makes it so much harder...这里“stomp on one’s heart”stomp是用脚踏的意思，可以想象用脚踏在心上是什么意思了吧，对，就是让人心碎的意思。
Chandler: You don't get a lot of 'doy' these days...
doy: Slang. A stupid, inept, or foolish person
6．Chandler: Kinda puts that whole pillow thing in perspective, huh, Mon?“kinda”在片中出现的次数非常频繁，也是口语中非常实用的词语，意思是有一点儿，相当于kind of.这句话的意思比较令人费解，结合场景，这里应该是Chandler挖苦Monica，跟Ross相比，你简直没有什么值得担心的，枕头算什么。
put sth. in perspective 相比较而言，你境况不错了。相当于我们的 “忆苦思甜”。
To put something in perspective is to take an objective look at something. For example, if you are unhappy with your job, then observe the terrible working conditions others must endure in another occupation, it helps you put your own situation in perspective. Your objective observation of your job in comparison to theirs makes you appreciate your situation.
Ross: Anyway, they want me to go down to this- sonogram （B超）thing with them tomorrow.
8．Mrs. Geller: Well, at least she had the chance to leave a man at the altar..."at the altar"应该理解为“在婚礼上，在举行婚礼时”，altar这里就可以理解为”教堂“，所以这句话的意思，我认为应该是：（虽然Rachel的父母为 筹备婚礼花了不少钱，而Rachel又逃婚），但是至少Rachel还有机会在举行婚礼之际离开那个男人，（言下之意，Monica到现在连个结婚还都没 有）。
9．Mr. Geller: Look, there are people like Ross who need to shoot for the stars, with his museum, and his papers getting published. Other people are satisfied with staying where they are- I'm telling you, these are the people who never get cancer. “shoot for”是争取、得到或完成的意思。老爸盖勒也似乎对女儿不太友好，他一方面赞扬Ross，一方面不忘贬低Monica,说她满足于现状不思进取，说她这 样的人绝对不会得癌症…
Monica: (trying desperately to change the subject) So, Ross, what's going on with you? Any stories? (Digs her elbow into his hand.) No news, no little anecdotes to share with the folks?
folks = parents
10. Ross: Well, you may wanna steer clear of the word 'dumped'. Chances are (=Probably) he's gonna be this, this broken shell of a man, y'know, so you should try not to look too terrific, I know it'll be hard. Or, y'know, uh, hey!, I'll go down there, and I'll give Barry back his ring, and you can go with Carol and Susan to the OB/GYN...
steer clear of something/someoneto
To avoid something or someone because they are dangerous or bad for you.
11. Ross: How could I forget? 我觉得这句话应该熟记，这样你就可以咬牙切齿的对某个人，某件事说“how could I forget?”，我怎么能忘记呢？打死我也不会忘记的。可以想见Ross当时的神态了吧，真有种欲杀Susan而后快的感觉。
Carol: Ross? That opens my cervix (宫颈). (He drops it in horror.)
12. Ross: 'S'funny, um, uh, we agreed we'd spend the rest of our lives together. Things change, roll with the punches. I believe Julia's on the table..?。 “on the table”是“在桌面上，公开的”意思，Ross认为如果他和Carol的孩子是女儿的话，应该光明堂皇的叫做Julia。
roll with the punches 因势利导，与时俱进
Barry: Sorry about that. So. What have you been up to?
What have you been up to? = How have you been?
What are you up to? = How are you doing?
都是问候语。
Rachel: Why are- why are you so tanned?
Barry: Yeah, well, uh, we're kind of a thing now.
“我们在一起了” 的隐语
Susan: Oh, no, nonononono, you see what he's doing? He knows no-one's gonna say all those names, so they'll wind up (=end up with) calling her Geller, then he gets his way(得逞了)!
Dr. Oberman: Well, I was just wondering about the mother-to-be, but.. thanks for sharing. (To Carol) Uh, lie back..
lie back 倚靠在椅子上
13． Chandler: I dunno, but.. I think it's about to attack the Enterprise. “dunno”是don’t know的缩写，Chandler和Joey被逼着看sonogram的录像带，可是看得一头雾水，Chandler居然说似乎是胎儿要进攻了. 肯定是指Star Trek，Chan觉得那个超声波图看起来像是Alien Vessel。
Phoebe: You know, if you tilt (歪斜) your head to the left, and relax your eyes, it kinda looks like an old potato.
－－－－－－－－－
1. Ross: Does she.
Marsha: He's out banging other women over the head with a club, while she sits at home trying to get the mastodon smell out of the carpet!
Q:他在外头用棍子痛击其他女人的脑袋，而她却坐在家里想方设法地除去地毯里野象的味道。这 里该是Masha和Ross调侃的一段话，没有什么特殊含义，可是Ross却非常较劲儿，居然真的和Masha讨论起来究竟那些Mannequin所代表 的原始人的烦恼起来，还说他们应该真正担心的是冰河世纪的到来......真不接风情，还好这时候Carol来了，解了Masha的围。
2. Phoebe: She's already fluffed that pillow... Monica, you know, you've already fluffed that- (Monica glares at her.) -but, it's fine!
Monica: Look , I'm sorry, guys, I just don't wanna give them any more ammunition than they already have.
Q:ammunition在这里指什么？
A:ammunition的本意是“军火、弹药”，这里Monica给Phoebe解释为什么她会这么在意枕头是否“松”，因为她不想让她那个挑剔的母亲又有更多口实来说她。（虽然后面她母亲还是没有放过这么一个小小的细节）
3.Phoebe: Monica- Hi! Um, Monica, you're scaring me. I mean, you're like, you're like all chaotic and twirly. And not-not in a good way.
Q:chaotic and twirly是表示举止反常的意思吧。
A:Phoe对正在弄枕头的mon说的“chaotic and twirly”其实是老美要来形容人“慌慌张张的……”的意思。（chaotic混乱的 、twirly团团转的）
4.Chandler: Ugly Naked Guy got a Thighmaster!
Q:Thighmaster是什么？这句话什么意思？
A:Chandler突然发现他们六个人一直关心的裸男竟然买了一个健腿器，所以很惊讶的说了这句话。那个裸男一直没有露脸过，但是却一直贯穿在这个电视中，常常会因为他的一些事情让这六个人大发感慨。
Thigh Master
5.ob/gyn的正确意思 Main Entry: OB-GYN
Function: abbreviation：obstetrician gynecologist, obstetrics gynecology
6.chandler说monica:You don't get a lot of 'doy' these days
这是什么意思啊？'doy指什么？
first people used to say "duh" which is a sound that indicated stupidity, but for a little while, it turned into "doy" which has the same meaning. it just SOUNDS stupid.
7.the "comedian" argument
Chandler: The problem is, though, after the concert's over, no matter how great the show was, you girls are always looking for the comedian again, y'know? I mean, we're in the car, we're fighting traffic... basically just trying to stay awake.
Rachel: Yeah, well, word of advice: Bring back the comedian. Otherwise next time you're gonna find yourself sitting at home, listening to that album alone.
1.chan用类比，show对应sex，comedian对应first kiss，
fighting traffic 我想是指男人面对女人总要找 more feelings of first kiss than sex，
basically just trying to stay awake 我想是指男人通常就会搞得很没心情
rach用comedian对应first kiss，listening to that album对应sex
2.我想这是chandler的Joke Package的一部分吧.
－－－－－－－－－
1、issues大部分的时候都可以解释为“问题”，但在不同的语境里面翻译会有少许的不同，在这里可以理解成“她有点困扰（的事情）。”
2、 “He's out ”在这里表状态，表示“他在外面……”，后面“banging other women over the head with a club”是他在外面所干的事。一般口语中常常会忽略语法，所以如果死抠语法，会发现很多不合语法的地方的。整句翻译“他在外头乱搞女人，而她却待家里设 法去除地毯上乳齿象的味道”。CLUB是棍子的意思
3、speaking of issues直译为“谈到问题，……”就可以了，这是马莎要引起下一句所用的一个小转折而已。
4、I gave you one job“我只给了你一件事干！！”潜台词是“你却把它搞砸了！”
5、Do that for another two hours, you might be where I am right about now.“你（的表情）再保持这样两小时，就会变成我现在这样。”
6、Kinda puts that whole pillow thing in perspective, huh, Mon“这样的话，枕头的事就可先放在一旁?是不是，mon？” CHAN式的幽默，用来讽刺MON太紧张房间是否整洁的玩笑。
7、fit into 有适应、协调的意思，这句翻译为“你打算怎么处理（面对）整件事？”
8、up to me！——由我决定！
9、sonogram指“B超图”的意思。son-声音的
11.Chances are he's gonna be this,this broken shell of a man."“现在他可能痛不欲生”
12.stomped on your heart 是把你的心踩碎了
13.shoot for stars是比喻，像星星发射市发射的很远，就是目标很高，大体是这样
14.pro是专业的, =professional. Mathew plays tennis like a pro. mathew打网球很专业(像一个专业的网球player)
15.maid of honor伴娘, best man伴郎
16.borders on就是快要根什么什么联系起来了,就是说快变成什么了.Carol说,那几乎是虐待儿童了
17.cheap shot
shot是指她尝试做的那件事情, 比如give it a shot就是give it a try 那种做法有点贱, 贱就是便宜, 便宜就是 cheap
18."you've got me! 你难到我了".
19. high-powered,driven career type指那种热衷于工作的人；
20.on the table这里指在讨论的范围之内，这里他们讨论的是Baby的name，Ross觉得Julia不错
21.I,m an orthodontist就是做牙齿矫形、正畸的医生
22.roll with the punches世事难料，兵来将挡
23.plugs 植发；They haven't quite taken yet。还没牢固呢；lenses 隐形眼睛
24.Ross:“Well, y'know, these people are pros. They know what they're doing, they take their time, they get the job done.”
ross意思是无论发生什么事，他父母最后都能把问题绕到monica身上
25.Greenstein's gagging. Greenstein在作呕
26.Helen Willick-Bunch-Geller Cause I think that borders on （差不多是）child abuse.
名字长并且奇怪会给孩子带来很多不便！可能其他同龄人会嘲笑这个孩子，给孩子心灵造成伤害，所以是虐待儿童！
27.gets his way 是说Ross的"如意算盘"可以实现了
28.I was just wondering about the mother-to-be, but.. thanks for sharing.
医生问准妈妈有没有恶心，Ross和那个lesbian女人也说恶心（其实是由于刚才取名争执引起的不愉快），医生不明白发生了什么，所以说thanks for sharing (what your feel)
29.you're welling up. 涌出, 涌现
well up = come up
if feelings well up inside you, they become very strong:A sense of hurt and outrage welled up inside him.
antique’s
No.2 The One With the Sonogram at the End
上 集说道Rach和Ross分别经历了感情镇痛，这一集开始，Ross得知前妻Carol有了身孕，被迫同Carol的同志伴侣Susan一起，陪 Carol参加助产训练班。Ross和Monica的父母来吃饭，由于Monica从小就在家里不如Ross优秀，所以再次感到巨大压力，只好抖出 Ross和Carol的事情。Ross和Rachel同病相怜,Rachel把戒指还给Barry, 结果发现，Barry不仅没有寻死觅活，反而过的很开心，原来他已经和Rachel的伴娘Mindy好上了。这一集里面我选了十多个句子简单讲解下。
1． Rachel: Everything you need to know is in that first kiss. 几个好朋友在一起聊性的话题，Monica说男人不懂接吻的重要性，Joey根本不屑一顾，于是Rachel说了这样一句话，意思是：初吻可以让你明白一 切。呵呵，是不是想起自己的初吻了？
2．Chandler: Yeah, I think for us, kissing is pretty much like an opening act, y'know? I mean it's like the stand-up comedian you have to sit through before Pink Floyd comes out. Chandler也发表了自己的观点，他说接吻很大程度上像是序幕（an opening act）,像是你听Pink Floyd的音乐会之前不得不忍受的笑星们的表演一样。Pink Floyd是美国一支很著名的乐队。能听出Chandler的潜台词吧？
Chandler: The problem is, though, after the concert's over, no matter how great the show was, you girls are always looking for the comedian again, y'know? I mean, we're in the car, we're fighting traffic... basically just trying to stay awake.
用法：
fight traffic：奋力以通行
fight traffic ticket: 争辩以避免罚单
Rachel: Yeah, well, word of advice（奉劝一句）: Bring back the comedian. Otherwise next time you're gonna find yourself sitting at home, listening to that album alone.
3．Marsha: Well, she has issues. Issues在这里是烦恼、问题的意思，以后碰到别人好像闷闷不乐的时候，你就可以上前来上一句Do you have any issues?
Ross: Marsha, these are cave people. Okay? They have issues like 'Gee (=Jesus), that glacier's getting kinda close.' See?
Ross: Okay, okay, yes, it is. (waves) How about I'll, uh, catch up with (赶上，逮住) you in the Ice Age.
用法：How about + 句子
4． Carol: Marty's still totally paranoid.Carol去Museum里找Ross,Ross非常尴尬，于是没话找话问Carol的家人怎么看待她是Lesbian的事儿，于是 Carol告诉他，马堤仍然神经兮兮的。Paranoid这个单词是类似妄想狂的意思，有点histerical的意思。
Chandler: Oh, uh, that would be mine. See, I wrote a note to myself, and then I realised I didn't need it, so I balled it up (揉成团) and... (sees that Monica is glaring at him) ...now I wish I was dead.
Phoebe: She's already fluffed （make fluffy 使松软）that pillow... Monica, you know, you've already fluffed that- (Monica glares at her.) -but, it's fine!
Phoebe: Monica- Hi! Um, Monica, you're scaring me. I mean, you're like, you're like all chaotic and twirly（whirling）. And not-not in a good way.
5． Rachel: Oh, like I wasn't dreading tomorrow enough, having to give it back to him... 'Hi Barry! Remember me? I'm the girl in the veil who stomped on your heart in front of your entire family!' Oh God and now I'm gonna have to return the ring, without the ring, which makes it so much harder...这里“stomp on one’s heart”stomp是用脚踏的意思，可以想象用脚踏在心上是什么意思了吧，对，就是让人心碎的意思。
Chandler: You don't get a lot of 'doy' these days...
doy: Slang. A stupid, inept, or foolish person
6．Chandler: Kinda puts that whole pillow thing in perspective, huh, Mon?“kinda”在片中出现的次数非常频繁，也是口语中非常实用的词语，意思是有一点儿，相当于kind of.这句话的意思比较令人费解，结合场景，这里应该是Chandler挖苦Monica，跟Ross相比，你简直没有什么值得担心的，枕头算什么。
put sth. in perspective 相比较而言，你境况不错了。相当于我们的 “忆苦思甜”。
To put something in perspective is to take an objective look at something. For example, if you are unhappy with your job, then observe the terrible working conditions others must endure in another occupation, it helps you put your own situation in perspective. Your objective observation of your job in comparison to theirs makes you appreciate your situation.
Ross: Anyway, they want me to go down to this- sonogram （B超）thing with them tomorrow.
Mr. Geller: (To Ross) Do you remember the Ludwins? The big one had a thing for you, didn't she?
Mrs. Geller: They all had a thing (很喜欢) for him.
7．Monica: I know this is going to sound unbelievably selfish, but, were you planning on bringing up the whole baby/lesbian thing? Because I think it might take some of the heat off me.Ross和Monica的父母来看望他们，由于从小父母就喜欢Ross（因为Ross成绩优异，为人老实，而Monica性格独立，而且那时候还很 胖chubby）,所以在吃饭的时候老是无意识的讽刺Monica,于是Monica想让Ross提提自己老婆是Lesbian而且有了孩子的事儿转移注 意力。Take some of the heat off sb,这里是帮Monica减轻压力的意思。8．Mrs. Geller: Well, at least she had the chance to leave a man at the altar..."at the altar"应该理解为“在婚礼上，在举行婚礼时”，altar这里就可以理解为”教堂“，所以这句话的意思，我认为应该是：（虽然Rachel的父母为 筹备婚礼花了不少钱，而Rachel又逃婚），但是至少Rachel还有机会在举行婚礼之际离开那个男人，（言下之意，Monica到现在连个结婚还都没 有）。
9．Mr. Geller: Look, there are people like Ross who need to shoot for the stars, with his museum, and his papers getting published. Other people are satisfied with staying where they are- I'm telling you, these are the people who never get cancer. “shoot for”是争取、得到或完成的意思。老爸盖勒也似乎对女儿不太友好，他一方面赞扬Ross，一方面不忘贬低Monica,说她满足于现状不思进取，说她这 样的人绝对不会得癌症…
Monica: (trying desperately to change the subject) So, Ross, what's going on with you? Any stories? (Digs her elbow into his hand.) No news, no little anecdotes to share with the folks?
folks = parents
10. Ross: Well, you may wanna steer clear of the word 'dumped'. Chances are (=Probably) he's gonna be this, this broken shell of a man, y'know, so you should try not to look too terrific, I know it'll be hard. Or, y'know, uh, hey!, I'll go down there, and I'll give Barry back his ring, and you can go with Carol and Susan to the OB/GYN...
steer clear of something/someoneto
To avoid something or someone because they are dangerous or bad for you.
11. Ross: How could I forget? 我觉得这句话应该熟记，这样你就可以咬牙切齿的对某个人，某件事说“how could I forget?”，我怎么能忘记呢？打死我也不会忘记的。可以想见Ross当时的神态了吧，真有种欲杀Susan而后快的感觉。
Carol: Ross? That opens my cervix (宫颈). (He drops it in horror.)
12. Ross: 'S'funny, um, uh, we agreed we'd spend the rest of our lives together. Things change, roll with the punches. I believe Julia's on the table..?。 “on the table”是“在桌面上，公开的”意思，Ross认为如果他和Carol的孩子是女儿的话，应该光明堂皇的叫做Julia。
roll with the punches 因势利导，与时俱进
to adjust to difficult events as they happen. E.g.: She had to perform shortly after her brother died, but she rolled with the punches and put on a great show.
Etymology: based on boxing, from the literal meaning roll with the punches (= step back or to one side as you are being hit), so that you do not receive the full force of the attack.
on the table 作为备选being discussed or considered. E.g.: I'd like to put another idea on the table to see what you think.
Barry: Sorry about that. So. What have you been up to?
What have you been up to? = How have you been?
What are you up to? = How are you doing?
都是问候语。
Rachel: Why are- why are you so tanned?
Barry: Yeah, well, uh, we're kind of a thing now.
“我们在一起了” 的隐语
Susan: Oh, no, nonononono, you see what he's doing? He knows no-one's gonna say all those names, so they'll wind up (=end up with) calling her Geller, then he gets his way(得逞了)!
Dr. Oberman: Well, I was just wondering about the mother-to-be, but.. thanks for sharing. (To Carol) Uh, lie back..
lie back 倚靠在椅子上
13． Chandler: I dunno, but.. I think it's about to attack the Enterprise. “dunno”是don’t know的缩写，Chandler和Joey被逼着看sonogram的录像带，可是看得一头雾水，Chandler居然说似乎是胎儿要进攻了. 肯定是指Star Trek，Chan觉得那个超声波图看起来像是Alien Vessel。
Phoebe: You know, if you tilt (歪斜) your head to the left, and relax your eyes, it kinda looks like an old potato.
－－－－－－－－－
1. Ross: Does she.
Marsha: He's out banging other women over the head with a club, while she sits at home trying to get the mastodon smell out of the carpet!
Q:他在外头用棍子痛击其他女人的脑袋，而她却坐在家里想方设法地除去地毯里野象的味道。这 里该是Masha和Ross调侃的一段话，没有什么特殊含义，可是Ross却非常较劲儿，居然真的和Masha讨论起来究竟那些Mannequin所代表 的原始人的烦恼起来，还说他们应该真正担心的是冰河世纪的到来......真不接风情，还好这时候Carol来了，解了Masha的围。
2. Phoebe: She's already fluffed that pillow... Monica, you know, you've already fluffed that- (Monica glares at her.) -but, it's fine!
Monica: Look , I'm sorry, guys, I just don't wanna give them any more ammunition than they already have.
Q:ammunition在这里指什么？
A:ammunition的本意是“军火、弹药”，这里Monica给Phoebe解释为什么她会这么在意枕头是否“松”，因为她不想让她那个挑剔的母亲又有更多口实来说她。（虽然后面她母亲还是没有放过这么一个小小的细节）
3.Phoebe: Monica- Hi! Um, Monica, you're scaring me. I mean, you're like, you're like all chaotic and twirly. And not-not in a good way.
Q:chaotic and twirly是表示举止反常的意思吧。
A:Phoe对正在弄枕头的mon说的“chaotic and twirly”其实是老美要来形容人“慌慌张张的……”的意思。（chaotic混乱的 、twirly团团转的）
4.Chandler: Ugly Naked Guy got a Thighmaster!
Q:Thighmaster是什么？这句话什么意思？
A:Chandler突然发现他们六个人一直关心的裸男竟然买了一个健腿器，所以很惊讶的说了这句话。那个裸男一直没有露脸过，但是却一直贯穿在这个电视中，常常会因为他的一些事情让这六个人大发感慨。
Thigh Master
5.ob/gyn的正确意思 Main Entry: OB-GYN
Function: abbreviation：obstetrician gynecologist, obstetrics gynecology
6.chandler说monica:You don't get a lot of 'doy' these days
这是什么意思啊？'doy指什么？
first people used to say "duh" which is a sound that indicated stupidity, but for a little while, it turned into "doy" which has the same meaning. it just SOUNDS stupid.
7.the "comedian" argument
Chandler: The problem is, though, after the concert's over, no matter how great the show was, you girls are always looking for the comedian again, y'know? I mean, we're in the car, we're fighting traffic... basically just trying to stay awake.
Rachel: Yeah, well, word of advice: Bring back the comedian. Otherwise next time you're gonna find yourself sitting at home, listening to that album alone.
1.chan用类比，show对应sex，comedian对应first kiss，
fighting traffic 我想是指男人面对女人总要找 more feelings of first kiss than sex，
basically just trying to stay awake 我想是指男人通常就会搞得很没心情
rach用comedian对应first kiss，listening to that album对应sex
2.我想这是chandler的Joke Package的一部分吧.
－－－－－－－－－
1、issues大部分的时候都可以解释为“问题”，但在不同的语境里面翻译会有少许的不同，在这里可以理解成“她有点困扰（的事情）。”
2、 “He's out ”在这里表状态，表示“他在外面……”，后面“banging other women over the head with a club”是他在外面所干的事。一般口语中常常会忽略语法，所以如果死抠语法，会发现很多不合语法的地方的。整句翻译“他在外头乱搞女人，而她却待家里设 法去除地毯上乳齿象的味道”。CLUB是棍子的意思
3、speaking of issues直译为“谈到问题，……”就可以了，这是马莎要引起下一句所用的一个小转折而已。
4、I gave you one job“我只给了你一件事干！！”潜台词是“你却把它搞砸了！”
5、Do that for another two hours, you might be where I am right about now.“你（的表情）再保持这样两小时，就会变成我现在这样。”
6、Kinda puts that whole pillow thing in perspective, huh, Mon“这样的话，枕头的事就可先放在一旁?是不是，mon？” CHAN式的幽默，用来讽刺MON太紧张房间是否整洁的玩笑。
7、fit into 有适应、协调的意思，这句翻译为“你打算怎么处理（面对）整件事？”
8、up to me！——由我决定！
9、sonogram指“B超图”的意思。son-声音的
11.Chances are he's gonna be this,this broken shell of a man."“现在他可能痛不欲生”
12.stomped on your heart 是把你的心踩碎了
13.shoot for stars是比喻，像星星发射市发射的很远，就是目标很高，大体是这样
14.pro是专业的, =professional. Mathew plays tennis like a pro. mathew打网球很专业(像一个专业的网球player)
15.maid of honor伴娘, best man伴郎
16.borders on就是快要根什么什么联系起来了,就是说快变成什么了.Carol说,那几乎是虐待儿童了
17.cheap shot
shot是指她尝试做的那件事情, 比如give it a shot就是give it a try 那种做法有点贱, 贱就是便宜, 便宜就是 cheap
18."you've got me! 你难到我了".
19. high-powered,driven career type指那种热衷于工作的人；
20.on the table这里指在讨论的范围之内，这里他们讨论的是Baby的name，Ross觉得Julia不错
21.I,m an orthodontist就是做牙齿矫形、正畸的医生
22.roll with the punches世事难料，兵来将挡
23.plugs 植发；They haven't quite taken yet。还没牢固呢；lenses 隐形眼睛
24.Ross:“Well, y'know, these people are pros. They know what they're doing, they take their time, they get the job done.”
ross意思是无论发生什么事，他父母最后都能把问题绕到monica身上
25.Greenstein's gagging. Greenstein在作呕
26.Helen Willick-Bunch-Geller Cause I think that borders on （差不多是）child abuse.
名字长并且奇怪会给孩子带来很多不便！可能其他同龄人会嘲笑这个孩子，给孩子心灵造成伤害，所以是虐待儿童！
27.gets his way 是说Ross的"如意算盘"可以实现了
28.I was just wondering about the mother-to-be, but.. thanks for sharing.
医生问准妈妈有没有恶心，Ross和那个lesbian女人也说恶心（其实是由于刚才取名争执引起的不愉快），医生不明白发生了什么，所以说thanks for sharing (what your feel)
29.you're welling up. 涌出, 涌现
well up = come up
if feelings well up inside you, they become very strong:A sense of hurt and outrage welled up inside him.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friends [101] The One Where Monica Gets a New Roommate
by zippa, putfan
关于TOW，实际上是是the one with... 或者the one where,或者the one which...的意思。
No, no don't! Stop cleansing my aura（气氛）!
aura：a quality or feeling that seems to surround or come from a person or a place
Monica: Oh God, is it 6:30? Buzz him in!
buzz:
To signal with a buzzer. 蜂鸣：用蜂鸣器向…发出信号
To make a telephone call to. 打电话给…
buzz:嗡嗡声，门铃的声音。buzz him in就是形象地让他进来。
Chandler: Ooh, this is a Dear Diary moment.
西方人写日记一开头总爱写Dear Diary,……
Dear Diary moment也许是讲这个时刻不同寻常，有重要意义，值得写进日记的意思吧
这是一个值得纪念的日子/时刻”的意思。
Chandler: I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Paul, was it?
What're you up to? = What are you going to do?
Rachel: Well, I was kinda supposed to be headed for Aruba on my honeymoon, so nothing!
be headed for = go to
Ross: (squatting and reading the instructions) I'm supposed to attach a brackety (支架的) thing to the side things, using a bunch of these little worm guys. I have no brackety thing, I see no whim guys whatsoever and- I cannot feel my legs.
Joey: Done with the bookcase!
be done with sth. 把...做完了
Joey: You got screwed.
screw = cheat
Rachel: Hi, machine cut me off again... anyway
电话断线了
Joey: There's Rocky Road, and Cookie Dough, and Bing! Cherry Vanilla.
Joey: You got married, you were, like, what, eight?
你不是八岁的孩子
Chandler: Stay out of my freezer!
Paul: Ever since she walked out on me, I, uh...
Monica: What?..... What, you wanna spell it out with noodles?
spell out 讲清楚
Monica: I know being spit on is probably not what you need right now. Um... how long?
spit on sb. 向...吐口水
Joey: Listen, while you're on a roll, if you feel like you gotta make like a Western omelet or something...
Chandler: All right, kids, I gotta get to work. If I don't input those numbers,... it doesn't make much of a difference...
Chandler: 'Look, Gippetto, I'm a real live boy.'
Rachel: Oh, look, wish me luck!
Frannie: Are you kidding? I take credit for Paul. Y'know before me, there was no snap in his turtle for two years.
I take credit for Paul. 我给Paul打保票
snap:
The sudden release of something held under pressure or tension.
turtle:
Joey: (sitting on the arm of the couch)Of course it was a line! 当然是个骗局了呀！friends的用词真的很讲究，JOEY是个演员，他说的话也带上了职业特征。line还有“台词”的意思。
Rachel: Are you kidding? I'm trained for nothing! I was laughed out of twelve interviews today.
Chandler: And yet you're surprisingly upbeat.
upbeat: 乐观的
Chandler: Oh, how well you know me...
Phoebe: You're welcome. I remember when I first came to this city. I was fourteen. My mom had just killed herself and my step-dad was back in prison, and I got here, and I didn't know anybody. And I ended up living with this al'bino guy who was, like, cleaning windshields outside port authority, and then he killed himself, and then I found aromatherapy. So believe me, I know exactly how you feel.
Phoebe的经历
Slang a. To find temporary lodging or shelter, as for the night. b. To go to sleep.
Ross: Okay. (They split it.) You know you probably didn't know this, but back in high school, I had a, um, major crush on you.
had a crush on: 对...有好感
Ross: You did! Oh.... I always figured you just thought I was Monica's geeky older brother.
geeky：
adj.〈俚〉令人讨厌的
geek：
An odd or ridiculous person.
畸形人，怪人：一个奇怪或不可思议的人
关于TOW，实际上是是the one with... 或者the one where,或者the one which...的意思。
关于central perk:
关于Central Perk，好像在友坛上已经有过了。我实在记不起来在哪里看过。最近问了个美国的老友fan，据她说只是编剧对纽约“central park”的戏称，同时这是个咖啡店的名字，咖啡提神，perk有变得突然振奋、兴奋之义，所以就成了central perk. 她本人居然也有个小coffeehouse，叫central perk，羡呀！ perk也是percolate的简写，percolate ：water pass slowly through coffee.
Monica: There’s nothing to tell! He’s just some guy I work with! 没有什么好说的嘛，他只是我的同事！
nothing是个最常用的词，口语至宝。例句如下：There’s nothing I can do for you! There’s nothing wrong!
Joey: C’mon, you’re going out with the guy! There’s gotta be something wrong with him!
这句话是Joey挖苦Monica的话，是说这个人（paul）居然和Monica出去约会，一定是有什么毛病的。这句话里going out with someone意思是having a date with someone。还有gotta其实就是have got to的意思，类似的还有gonna=going to；wanna=wanta=want to；
So does he have a hump? A hump and a hairpiece (假发)?
Phoebe: Just, ’cause, I don’t want her to go through what I went through with Carl- oh!
go through：往前走，一直穿过去，或者是通过幸福，或者是经历煎熬。
还有过海关是go through the customs,受苦就是go through the pains,隐喻肉体或者精神的炼狱。
what am I supposed to go through before I can make myself a qualified detective like you? ” (那我究竟需要经历哪些事情，才能真的成为像你这么出色的侦探？)
Monica: Okay, everybody relax. This is not even a date. It’s just two people going out to dinner and- not having sex.
Monica: Okay, everybody relax. This is not even a date. It’s just two people going out to dinner and- not having sex.
Chandler: Sounds like a date to me.
其实第一集中就已经开始明示或暗示六位老友的性格特征。比如chandler面对女士的笨拙，以及他本人似乎存在的gay倾向。
everybody relax.关于everybody和everyone的区别。据我的外教说，基本上没有区别，但在中等正规或超级正规的场合，一般使用 everyone，因为body还有“尸体”的意思，everybody会给人带来不良影响。除非在特殊场合，比如摇滚舞厅，“everybody rocks！”需要强调身体的时候。
sounds like 听起来像...类似的还有feels like...looks like...很好用的口语要素。
Chandler: Finally, I figure I’d better answer it, and it turns out it’s my mother, which is very-very weird, because- she never calls me!
figure:认为 figure out:领会到，断定，合计着
turn out:结果是..
weird：怪异的, 超自然的, 神秘的, 不可思议的, 超乎事理之外的
Ross: I just feel like someone reached down my throat, grabbed my small intestine, pulled it out of my mouth and tied it around my neck...
lavanew的笔记中写道：这段话是不是很熟悉呀？对，《大话西游》里面一开始孙猴子发狠就是这样子讲的哦，不知道是谁抄袭谁，意思不用我解释了吧，这里Ross用来形容妻子Carol是Lesbian并同他离婚后的心情。
Carol moved her stuff out today.No, no don't! Stop cleansing my aura（气氛）!
aura：a quality or feeling that seems to surround or come from a person or a place
Ross: No I don't, to hell with her, she left me!
to hell with her: 滚他妈的
Ross: No!! Okay?! Why does everyone keep fixating on that? She didn’t know, how should I know?
fixate：
To make fixed, stable, or stationary. 使固定、稳固或不动
Joey: Alright Ross, look. You're feeling a lot of pain right now. You're angry. You're hurting（你很受伤）. Can I tell you what the answer is?
Joey: Strip joint! C’mon, you’re single! Have some hormones!
strip joint = strip club,a place where the audience is entertained by performers who remove their clothes while dancing to music，joint=place通常指不那么高雅的地方
（Monica: Oh really, so that hysterical phone call I got from a woman at sobbing 3:00 A.M., "I’ll never have grandchildren, I’ll never have grandchildren." was what? A wrong number?）
关于single:比如说，由于zippa长时间单身，寂寞难耐，终于忍不住去向女士搭讪，那么有两种问法：
Are you alone?你一个人（孤单）吗？
Are you single?你结婚了（单身）吗？
这样就可以看出区别了，但是要知道的是问这样的问题是很不礼貌的喔。结果就是不同的两个问题，zippa却得到了同样的答案，当场就被人kick ass了，真是衰呀！
hormone：荷尔蒙
Rachel: Oh God Monica hi! Thank God! I just went to your building and you weren’t there and then this guy with a big hammer said you might be here and you are, you are!
God这是一个宗教意义的词，中文可翻译为神，造物主，上帝，安拉，真主等。但Rachel在剧中的用法是作为一个感叹词。可能大多数人都会在感到 意外，惊恐的时候会喊上一句”My God!” 但是真正虔诚的宗教徒是比较忌讳拿”God, Jesus Christ”等词来表达情绪的，所以非要用来表达一种特定情绪的时候，他们选择说”man, boy, gosh”。类似的还有用shoot代替shit，用Gee, Jeez代替Jesus Christ.与God有关的语气词还有God knows（天晓得），比如说Rachel逃婚了，但她的未婚夫和亲朋好友并不知情，他们在教堂等待着新娘的到来，却迟迟不见Rachel的踪影。终于有 人忍无可忍的问了一句“Where the hell is she?“,这是Barry无奈的耸耸肩”God knows!”另外还有Thank God（谢天谢地），Rachel见到Monica的第一句话就是”Thank God”表示一种因困难已过而格外高兴的心情。
Waitress: Can I get you some coffee?
Monica: (pointing at Rachel) De-caff. (to All) Okay, everybody, this is Rachel, another Lincoln High survivor. (to Rachel) This is everybody, this is Chandler, and Phoebe, and Joey, and- you remember my brother Ross?
De-caff是不含咖啡因的咖啡。
Lincoln High 指Lincoln High School.能活着离开学校当然是surviors了，一老美说，说Rachel是survior，说明他们的成绩很差，勉勉强强才能毕业
Rachel: Oh God... well, it started about a half hour before the wedding. I was in the room where we were keeping all the presents, and I was looking at this gravy boat. This really gorgeous Lamauge gravy boat. When all of a sudden- (to the waitress that brought her coffee)Sweet 'n Low?- I realized that I was more turned on by this gravy boat than by Barry! And then I got really freaked out, and that's when it hit me: how much Barry looks like Mr. Potato Head. Y'know, I mean, I always knew looked familiar, but... Anyway, I just had to get out of there, and I started wondering 'Why am I doing this, and who am I doing this for?'. (to Monica) So anyway I just didn't know where to go, and I know that you and I have kinda drifted apart, but you're the only person I knew who lived here in the city.
Monica: Who wasn't invited to the wedding.
Rachel: Ooh, I was kinda hoping that wouldn't be an issue..gravy boat ： 中文字典上解释为船行卤肉盘，这里说的boat是一种有手柄的，用来盛gravy（浇在菜上调味用的肉汁）的船形盘。
freak out 很常用，就是吓坏了
Sweet'n Low (trademarked as Sweet'N Low) is a brand of artificial sweetener.
Sweet ’n’ Low=sweet and low；’n=’and，比如说Rock and Roll就会写成Rock ’n’ Roll。
跟老友一起傻笑: Mr. Potato Head:瑞秋和众人谈到了她逃婚的原因，她说这是因为她突然发现她的未婚夫巴里医生长得活像“薯头先生(Mr．Potato Head)”，这是在美国家喻户晓的卡通人物。如果大家看过《玩具 总动员(Toy Story)》，就会在里面发现他和他的夫人“薯头太太(Mrs．Potato Head)”叽叽歪歪，经常批评这、批评那的形象。尽管“薯头先生”很可爱，但卡通毕竟是卡通，如果你在乎未婚夫的容貌，而未婚夫又不幸长得和“薯头先 生”一副嘴脸，你最好还是和瑞秋一样赶紧逃婚。
Hit 在文章中的用法既简单又形象，表示某人的脑子突然被一个事实或想法击中，它就相当于前面的realize。这是一个老美很喜欢用，但中国人不太会用的动 词，通常指开始做某事。例如摇滚乐团的主唱常会看看其他吉他手，键盘手，贝斯手准备好了没有，如果大家都准备好了的话，他就会大喊一声: “Let’s hit it.”=Let’s go. Let’s start.。再如去洗澡，大多数人说take a shower，如果你说hit a shower和老美一样，那种层次立马就不一样。类似的用法还有像睡觉hit the bed,上路说hit the road.去电影院hit the movie theater,去酒吧hit the bar,甚至去学校hit the school，去纽约城hit New York city，主打歌hit song打入排行榜hit the billboard,还可以表示遇见某样东西，如hit the traffic light, hit the stop sign。再介绍两个与之相关的短语:hit on sb. &hit it off. Hit on是当作搭讪来解释。电视剧里常有一个男的跑去跟一个陌生女孩多吗说了两句话，那个女生就说:”Are you hitting on me? ”（你现在是在跟我搭讪吗？）而hit it off表示合得来，比如说He was introduced to a party woman and they seem to hit it off immediately.(给他介绍一位漂亮女子后，他们似乎就一见钟情)。
Monica: Who wasn’t invited to the wedding.
drift apart: 关系疏远了
wouldn't be an issue：不会有问题
Monica: Joey, stop hitting on (挑逗) her! It's her wedding day!
hit on 挑逗 = make a pass at = make a move onMonica: Oh God, is it 6:30? Buzz him in!
buzz:
To signal with a buzzer. 蜂鸣：用蜂鸣器向…发出信号
To make a telephone call to. 打电话给…
buzz:嗡嗡声，门铃的声音。buzz him in就是形象地让他进来。
Chandler: Ooh, this is a Dear Diary moment.
西方人写日记一开头总爱写Dear Diary,……
Dear Diary moment也许是讲这个时刻不同寻常，有重要意义，值得写进日记的意思吧
这是一个值得纪念的日子/时刻”的意思。
Chandler: I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Paul, was it?
Ross: A wandering?
我猜是ross取笑妹妹的话，说他见到Paul，神魂颠倒，happy的有点恍惚了，不知道该干什么。
wandering:漫游,徘徊,神情恍惚
Phoebe: Oh, I wish I could, but I don’t want to.
超级句型.I wish I could, But....我希望我可以,但是...
Ross: So Rachel, what're you, uh... what're you up to tonight?What're you up to? = What are you going to do?
Rachel: Well, I was kinda supposed to be headed for Aruba on my honeymoon, so nothing!
be headed for = go to
Ross: (squatting and reading the instructions) I'm supposed to attach a brackety (支架的) thing to the side things, using a bunch of these little worm guys. I have no brackety thing, I see no whim guys whatsoever and- I cannot feel my legs.
Joey: Done with the bookcase!
be done with sth. 把...做完了
Joey: You got screwed.
screw = cheat
Rachel: Hi, machine cut me off again... anyway
电话断线了
Joey: There's Rocky Road, and Cookie Dough, and Bing! Cherry Vanilla.
Joey: You got married, you were, like, what, eight?
你不是八岁的孩子
Chandler: Stay out of my freezer!
Paul: Ever since she walked out on me, I, uh...
Monica: What?..... What, you wanna spell it out with noodles?
spell out 讲清楚
Monica: I know being spit on is probably not what you need right now. Um... how long?
spit on sb. 向...吐口水
Joey: Listen, while you're on a roll, if you feel like you gotta make like a Western omelet or something...
on a roll Informal
Undergoing or experiencing sustained, even increasing good fortune or success: "The stock market's on a roll" Karen Pennar.
Chandler: All right, kids, I gotta get to work. If I don't input those numbers,... it doesn't make much of a difference...
Chandler: 'Look, Gippetto, I'm a real live boy.'
Rachel: Oh, look, wish me luck!
Frannie: Are you kidding? I take credit for Paul. Y'know before me, there was no snap in his turtle for two years.
I take credit for Paul. 我给Paul打保票
snap:
The sudden release of something held under pressure or tension.
turtle:
| n. an uncircumcised penis; the head of the penis enclosed in the prepuce The turtle came out of its shell while I was playing with it. | ||
Joey: (sitting on the arm of the couch)Of course it was a line! 当然是个骗局了呀！friends的用词真的很讲究，JOEY是个演员，他说的话也带上了职业特征。line还有“台词”的意思。
Rachel: Are you kidding? I'm trained for nothing! I was laughed out of twelve interviews today.
Chandler: And yet you're surprisingly upbeat.
upbeat: 乐观的
Chandler: Oh, how well you know me...
Phoebe: You're welcome. I remember when I first came to this city. I was fourteen. My mom had just killed herself and my step-dad was back in prison, and I got here, and I didn't know anybody. And I ended up living with this al'bino guy who was, like, cleaning windshields outside port authority, and then he killed himself, and then I found aromatherapy. So believe me, I know exactly how you feel.
Phoebe的经历
Monica: Well, that's it (To Ross) You gonna crash on the couch?
Ross: No. No, I gotta go home sometime.
crash.Slang a. To find temporary lodging or shelter, as for the night. b. To go to sleep.
had a crush on: 对...有好感
Ross: You did! Oh.... I always figured you just thought I was Monica's geeky older brother.
geeky：
adj.〈俚〉令人讨厌的
geek：
An odd or ridiculous person.
畸形人，怪人：一个奇怪或不可思议的人
Friends【201】The One With Ross' New Girlfriend
by zappleweb
ice's note
1.Phoebe:...Chandler let it slip that Ross was in love with Rachel...
let sth slip 说漏嘴泄露秘密。
另一用法： 错过或放过（机会） She let it slip a chance to work abroad.
2.RACHEL: I am? Oh, look at that, yes I am. Enough about me, enough about me, Mr. Back from the Orient.
许多欧美人习惯称亚洲为 the Orient。 这里的Mr.Back from the Qrient.是Rachel六神无主，用“幽默”来竭力掩盖自己的尴尬。
3.RACHEL: Ok, well, not a problem. We'll just use them to stop the bleeding. Ok. Baggage claim? Ok.
Baggage claim 机场领取行李的专用语
4.MONICA: Guys, you got your hair cut.
CHANDLER: Yes, yes, we did, thanks to Vidal Buffay.
著名美发沙宣 vidal sussoon， Chan 说成是Vidal Buffay, 即表示对Phoebe手艺的赞赏，又幽默了一把。
5.CHANDLER: Ok, I think she's trying to tell us something. Quick, get the verbs.
get the verbs.做动作猜动词的游戏。
6.RACHEL: (to Chandler) You, you, you said he liked me. (Ross and Julie enter) You, you slowpokes!
slowpokes美国口语中行动迟缓笨拙的人
7.JULIE: Well, Ross and I were in grade school together.
grade school = primary school 小学
8.RACHEL: Julie! Julie, isn't that great? I mean, isn't that just kick- you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?
kick- you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck 都是有苦说不出的碰巧境遇
9.CHANDLER: Well, maybe it was God, doing me.
说到某某人模仿我，不必有板有眼的sb imitate me，简简单单 do me 就可以了。
10.CHANDLER: He said, he said that they're having a great time. I'm sorry. But, the silver lining, if you wanna see it, is that he made the decision all by himself without any outside help whatsoever.
RACHEL: How is that the silver lining?
the sliver lining（不幸或失望中的）有一线希望
11.CHANDLER: (entering) Hi. Anybody know a good tailor?
JOEY: Needs some clothes altered?
CHANDLER: No, no, I'm just looking for a man to draw on me with chalk.
Joe 常常问出一些傻傻的问题，而此时chan就会开一些玩笑来取笑他。
类似的再举一例，一次
Chandler 说, "I got her machine." 结果 Joey 还呆呆地问他, "Her answering
machine?" Chandler 就讽刺 Joey 的无知说, "No. interestingly enough, her leaf blower (machine) picked up the phone."
12.CHANDLER: People do stupid things when they're upset.
挺有用一句话。
13.CHANDLER: Are you sure he's gonna be able to crack that code?
crack the code 解密 。对密码的破解，对软件的破解等等都可以称为crack。在网络世界，也存在一些从事这些活动的伪黑客------cracker
14.CHANDLER: Joey's tailor...took advantage of me.
占便宜，吃豆腐都可用take advantage of sb
15.Ross:.......You are way too good to be with a guy like that. You deserve to be with someone who appreciates you, and who gets how funny and sweet and amazing, and adorable, and sexy you are, you know? .......
这句话对心仪的女孩说，再经典不过了。当然最后要加，someone like me~
－－－－－－－－－－
1.Q- TIP，有名的脱脂棉签的牌子，老外掏耳朵都用棉棒，我想这句话意思是，掏耳朵遇到障碍物就得停下来了，你joey脑子不好用，就别再想了...
医学上有Q-Tip测试，是用Q-Tip棉棒测膀胱的功能什么的，不知道是不是跟这有关系。
2.paisan 应该是意大利语吧，我查到 费里尼 有部作品《paisan》被译成《老乡》
paisan also paisano: 字源：Spanish，French
1. a countryman. a compatriot.
2.(slang) a friend, a pal.
3.JULIE: And then we've gotta get some sleep.
ROSS: Yeah, it's really 6:00 tomorrow night our time.
CHANDLER: Well, listen, don't tell us what's gonna happen though, 'cause I like to be surprised.
chanler的意思是，你们再这么说下去，下一个就该说到上床了，这个就别说了，我们知道就好。
4.ROSS: Ironically, these are the guys who were picked last in gym.
胖子通常是体育课时被人挑剩下的，没人愿意和胖子搭档，但是在相扑界，却很受欢迎，所以很有讽刺性。
5.MONICA: Phoebes, you know what I'm thinking?
PHOEBE: Oh, ok. How, it's been so long since you've had sex, you're wondering if they've changed it?
they就是泛指人们吧 这么久了,是不是做的方式都变了
ice's note
1.Phoebe:...Chandler let it slip that Ross was in love with Rachel...
let sth slip 说漏嘴泄露秘密。
另一用法： 错过或放过（机会） She let it slip a chance to work abroad.
2.RACHEL: I am? Oh, look at that, yes I am. Enough about me, enough about me, Mr. Back from the Orient.
许多欧美人习惯称亚洲为 the Orient。 这里的Mr.Back from the Qrient.是Rachel六神无主，用“幽默”来竭力掩盖自己的尴尬。
3.RACHEL: Ok, well, not a problem. We'll just use them to stop the bleeding. Ok. Baggage claim? Ok.
Baggage claim 机场领取行李的专用语
4.MONICA: Guys, you got your hair cut.
CHANDLER: Yes, yes, we did, thanks to Vidal Buffay.
著名美发沙宣 vidal sussoon， Chan 说成是Vidal Buffay, 即表示对Phoebe手艺的赞赏，又幽默了一把。
5.CHANDLER: Ok, I think she's trying to tell us something. Quick, get the verbs.
get the verbs.做动作猜动词的游戏。
6.RACHEL: (to Chandler) You, you, you said he liked me. (Ross and Julie enter) You, you slowpokes!
slowpokes美国口语中行动迟缓笨拙的人
7.JULIE: Well, Ross and I were in grade school together.
grade school = primary school 小学
8.RACHEL: Julie! Julie, isn't that great? I mean, isn't that just kick- you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?
kick- you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck 都是有苦说不出的碰巧境遇
9.CHANDLER: Well, maybe it was God, doing me.
说到某某人模仿我，不必有板有眼的sb imitate me，简简单单 do me 就可以了。
10.CHANDLER: He said, he said that they're having a great time. I'm sorry. But, the silver lining, if you wanna see it, is that he made the decision all by himself without any outside help whatsoever.
RACHEL: How is that the silver lining?
the sliver lining（不幸或失望中的）有一线希望
11.CHANDLER: (entering) Hi. Anybody know a good tailor?
JOEY: Needs some clothes altered?
CHANDLER: No, no, I'm just looking for a man to draw on me with chalk.
Joe 常常问出一些傻傻的问题，而此时chan就会开一些玩笑来取笑他。
类似的再举一例，一次
Chandler 说, "I got her machine." 结果 Joey 还呆呆地问他, "Her answering
machine?" Chandler 就讽刺 Joey 的无知说, "No. interestingly enough, her leaf blower (machine) picked up the phone."
12.CHANDLER: People do stupid things when they're upset.
挺有用一句话。
13.CHANDLER: Are you sure he's gonna be able to crack that code?
crack the code 解密 。对密码的破解，对软件的破解等等都可以称为crack。在网络世界，也存在一些从事这些活动的伪黑客------cracker
14.CHANDLER: Joey's tailor...took advantage of me.
占便宜，吃豆腐都可用take advantage of sb
15.Ross:.......You are way too good to be with a guy like that. You deserve to be with someone who appreciates you, and who gets how funny and sweet and amazing, and adorable, and sexy you are, you know? .......
这句话对心仪的女孩说，再经典不过了。当然最后要加，someone like me~
－－－－－－－－－－
1.Q- TIP，有名的脱脂棉签的牌子，老外掏耳朵都用棉棒，我想这句话意思是，掏耳朵遇到障碍物就得停下来了，你joey脑子不好用，就别再想了...
医学上有Q-Tip测试，是用Q-Tip棉棒测膀胱的功能什么的，不知道是不是跟这有关系。
2.paisan 应该是意大利语吧，我查到 费里尼 有部作品《paisan》被译成《老乡》
paisan also paisano: 字源：Spanish，French
1. a countryman. a compatriot.
2.(slang) a friend, a pal.
3.JULIE: And then we've gotta get some sleep.
ROSS: Yeah, it's really 6:00 tomorrow night our time.
CHANDLER: Well, listen, don't tell us what's gonna happen though, 'cause I like to be surprised.
chanler的意思是，你们再这么说下去，下一个就该说到上床了，这个就别说了，我们知道就好。
4.ROSS: Ironically, these are the guys who were picked last in gym.
胖子通常是体育课时被人挑剩下的，没人愿意和胖子搭档，但是在相扑界，却很受欢迎，所以很有讽刺性。
5.MONICA: Phoebes, you know what I'm thinking?
PHOEBE: Oh, ok. How, it's been so long since you've had sex, you're wondering if they've changed it?
they就是泛指人们吧 这么久了,是不是做的方式都变了
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