wives and maps (3) it’s my hormones, darling
Friday, November 30th, 2007DIFFICULTY: A CHALLENGE OF SORTS
intro … Women don’t like to hear it, but it is true. They do have little sense of direction. The fact has now been confirmed by a major study. Even though it has been proven to be true, the fact still touches a nerve with most women, mainly because it’s one of the ways in which men like to demonstrate their superiority.
confirm … potvrdit
major study … zásadní studie
touch a nerve … tnout do živého, štvát
superiority … nad?azenost
annoy … otravovat
head navigator … hlavní navigátor
dignity … d?stojnost
that is, … … teda, … (zde upravuje p?edchozí informaci)
shortcoming … nedostatek, nedokonalost
grapple with … zápasit s, potýkat se s
speak out … odvážn? vyslovit sv?j názor, vyjád?it se
Tom’s wife has always been annoyed by suggestions that maybe it’s time she resigned as the head navigator in a car with five men (the other four being Tom and their four sons). Knowing that certain fights can never be won, only lost with dignity, Tom prefers not to get into an argument with her. That is, until now.
Now that the study on this subject has been published in a leading medical journal, showing that this shortcoming is not exclusively his wife’s but that it’s something that all women have to grapple with, Tom might finally find the courage to speak out.
it’s my hormones, darling
Perhaps hormones also explain why my wife does so many things _____ better than I do. She can keep at least five tasks on the go at _____ - helping a boy with his homework, running the bath, cooking, answering the telephone, writing thank-you letters etc. I can never concentrate on more than one thing at a _____. If the telephone rings for me _____ I am running the bath for the seven-year-old, I will forget all about the bath and let it overflow. From now _____, I may have an excuse: it’s my hormones, darling.
godson … kmot?enec (whatever it is)
keep (things) on the go … udržovat v b?hu/chodu
run the bath … napustit vanu
take on a job … nabrat si práci
My wife remembers important dates, too, which I never _____. She carries in her head the birthdays of _____ least 30 people on her side of the family and mine. Every year I say, about three weeks _____ late: “Oh Lord. I forgot all about my godson’s birthday.” And she will always say: “It’s OK. I sent him a present and a card from you.” The awful truth is that I am not much good, _____, at most of the things men are _____ to be good at, such _____ mending cars, understanding computers and fixing the plumbing.
But never mind. I have four sons, all rapidly approaching the age when they will be able to take _____ the man’s jobs in the family. They can start right now, with the navigating.
