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Ted:: Hi, Nobuaki! It's good to see you again.

Nobuaki: yes, it's been a while. Hey, you've gotten bigger since the last time I've seen you.

Ted: Yeah, ever since I got married I've been putting on weight. My wife's a good cook.

Nobuaki: I know a lot of people who let themselves go after they get married. But don't blame your wife's good cooking. You need to start exercising again.

Ted: I know I should. But after I come home from work I'm too tired to exercise. And I don't have any place to work out (體育鍛煉)any way.

Nobuaki: have you thought about joining a health club?

Ted: I have . But they are expensive. Also, I have friends who go and seems like all they ever do is work out. I just don't have the time.

Nobuaki: I'm a member at Spa Fitness and you'd be surprised at how inexpensive a year membership is. True, there are a few body-building fanatics (健美狂)down there, but most of the members are "normal" people who work out for about an hour just three times a week.

Ted: Sounds reasonable. I mean, you look skinny (瘦)enough.

Nobuaki: Well, to tell the truth, I haven't always been this lean. After I turned 30, I started putting on the pounds. I couldn't fit into my favorite jeans anymore. I was feeling fat and pudgy(肥胖). I didn't have any energy.

Ted: That's how I feel. I mean, exercise sounds like something that is going to make me feel more tired.

Nobuaki: That's the misconception that most people have with exercise. The funny thing is, once you start on a regular exercise program, you start feeling better immediately.

Ted: Is that right? I read that Americans are getting fatter. In fact, the average American teen is 10-20 pounds heavier today than in 1980. I'm amazed at how many fat teenage girls I see.

Nobuaki: That's because of lifestyle changes. Since the 1980s, more people are becoming couch potatoes. watching too much TV and eating too much junk food and fast food..

Ted: Isn't that the truth. My kids must watch at least 2 hours of TV every night. Speaking of TV, my favorite show is on tonight.

Nobuaki: What is it?

Ted: It's a cop show(警匪劇).

Nobuaki: Sounds like a "cop-out"(遁詞，--雙關語). Just kidding. Hey, I'm just heading to my spa right now, why don't you join me?

Ted: I'm so fat, that I'd feel self-conscious around all those beautiful people.

Nobuaki: Health clubs aren't just for beautiful people. Actually the majority of the members are trying to lose weight like yourself. It's really motivating to work out with people who have the same goals as you do. So will you join me for a workout? I can get you in free tonight with a guest pass(我可以帶你持賓客入場券免費進去).

Ted Why not? I've got nothing to lose.

Nobuaki: Nothing but a few pounds.

Generation X-ers X 新生代

Yoko:: So what year were you born?

Jim: 1971. yes, I'm part of the Generation X.

Yoko: Generation X? I think I've heard of it, but I don't know what it means.

Jim: It's basically a trendy classification(時興的分類) for the generation born in the United States after 1965. It was coined (造出新詞)in 1991 by author Douglas Coupland, who wrote a book by that title.

Yoko: So what is the distinction of the Generation X? What characterizes them?

Jim: Well, they are usually college educated and dissatisfied with their careers.

Yoko: So, they are basically overeducated and underemployed?

Jim: Right. And they're also have a pessimistic attitude about society. They don't see life getting any better. They're disillusioned (不抱幻想)with corporate America(美國大家庭). They don't even like the label "Generation X. "

Yoko: I can see why. Nobody likes to be stereotyped.

Jim: There are actually two different stereotypes associated with the Generation X-ers. One is the slacker(懶惰散漫的人) image in which the individual has no motivation and is a whiner(愛發牢騷的人). One the other extreme is the highly educated computer hacker (愛玩電腦的人)who has his own business.

Yoko: So tell me some more Generation X lingo(特有的詞匯，隱語)?.

Jim: Sure. There's another term called "McJob(低薪職業)." It was also coined by Coupland and refers to low-paying jobs with no prestige and no future.

Yoko: Like working at McDonalds? Is that where they got the "Mc"?

Jim: Exactly. And to a large extent it's true. You just can't depend on a company for lifetime employment anymore.

Yoko: Lifetime employment is even beginning to change in Japan.

Jim: That's true. The wave of the future (未來的浪潮)is really working on your own.

Yoko: By the way, what do you do for a living, Jim?

Jim: Oh, I'm a free-lance writer. I work at home.

Yoko: I should have guessed.