Janet

Janet felt as if she was under surveillance all the time. It was a real ordeal. After she was taken hostage in the old tenement house by a lunatic last year, she started having these flashbacks and was unable to face them. They even started a series of involuntary tics such as quick blinking or tapping her fingers. She couldn’t appreciate the comfort of her own house anymore. It was supposed to be a blissful place where she wanted to regain her inner peace and high self-esteem but it turned out that it is just a place where her mental health was slowly deteriorating.
Next weekend she was invited to her nephew’s circumcision and she was racking her brains how to avoid this event. Fortunately not everything changed. She was as brainy as ever and her attention span was even longer than before. She excelled at multi-tasking, probably because she wanted to be constantly busy to stop flashbacks from coming back.
“I can’t live like this any longer. It will drive me nuts and I will end up in a mental institution. I need to go to the doctor and have my brain checked. Maybe they will check pathways in my hemispheres and find some disorder which causes my anxieties” – she thought.
She stood up and made a phone call.
Vocabulary:
surveillance – the process of carefully watching a person or a place (pl inwigilacja, nadzór; de die Überwachung; die Beobachtung)
ordeal – an extremely unpleasant experience (pl męka, gehenna; de die Tortur, die Qual)
hostage – a person who is a prisoner of someone who threatens to kill them if they do not get what they want (pl zakładnik; de die Geisel)
tenement house – a large building in the city, containing several flats (pl kamienica; de das Miethaus)
lunatic – a psychopath, a crazy person, a person who is mentally ill (pl obłąkaniec, wariat; de Verrückter; Geisteskranker)
flashback – a very clear memory of something unpleasant or painful that happened in the past (pl wspomnienie; de der Flashback, das Wiedererleben)
involuntary – happening or done without being intended, something you cannot control (pl mimowolny; de unfreiwillig)
blink – to close your eyes for a very short time and quickly open them again (pl mrugać; de blinzeln)
tap – to make a soft knocking sound (pl stukać; de klopfen)
blissful – giving you great pleasure (pl błogi, rozkoszny; de glückselig)
regain – to get something again (pl odzyskać; de zurückerhalten)
self-esteem – the feeling that you are as important as other people and that you deserve to be treated well (pl poczucie własnej wartości; de das Selbstwertgefühl)
deteriorate – to become worse (pl pogarszać się; de verschlechtern)
circumcision – a religious ceremony or medial operation in which the skin at the end of a boy’s or a man’s penis is removed (pl obrzezanie; de die Beschneidung)
rack your brains – to try very hard to remember something or solve a problem (pl łamać sobie głowę; de sich (dat) den Kopf zerbrechen)
brainy – intelligent, smart (pl bystry; de gescheit)
attention span – the length of time that you can pay attention to one thing without being bored or thinking about something else (pl długość koncentracji uwagi; de die Aufmerksamkeitsspanne)
end up – to find yourself in an unexpected situation or place (pl skończyć np gdzieś; de enden, landen)
hemisphere – one half of the brain, one half of an object shaped like a ball (pl półkula; de die Gehirnhälfte, die Hemisphäre, die Halbkugel)
disorder – an illness or medical condition (pl choroba, zaburzenie; de die Störung)
anxiety – a worried feeling, fear (pl niepokój, lęk; de die Angst)

Mark’s life

 

 

Mark had a great life. He was pampered by his parents during his formative years and even now they still wait on him hand and foot. He has been mollycoddled his whole life. No wonder that now, when he’s turning 30, she still doesn’t stand on his own two feet. His parents hover over him and try to insulate him from all the worldly troubles.

And Mark doesn’t even want to move away from his parents. He has lost his aspirations and never reached maturity. His behaviour is juvenile, his hormones rage inside him as if he were still a teenager. However, his self-image didn’t suffer. He’s more self-confident than ever. He sometimes comes to parties with his mother and he doesn’t think it’s a social death, whereas others do.

Yes, Mark is definitely not an adult, he just wings it. One time, after the party, he got drunk and sat behind the wheel. He was caught by the police and he had to pay for his bad judgement.

Vocabulary:

pamper – to treat sb very well, to give sb a lot of attention and care (pl rozpieszczać; de jdn verwöhnen

formative years – period of time when someone develops their character and beliefs (pl lata kształtowania osobowości; de Entwicklungsjahre)

wait on sb hand and foot – to do everything for another person (pl nadskakiwać komuś, de jdn von vorne bis hinten bedienen)

mollycoddle – to overprotect or do too much for someone (pl rozpieszczać; de jdn verzärteln)

stand on your own two feet – be independent; look after yourself (pl być niezależnym; de auf eigenen Füßen stehen)

hover over sb – to stay close to someone or something, waiting, ready to advise or interfere (pl czuwać nad kimś; de jdm nicht von der Seite weichen)

insulate sb from sth – to protect someone or something against the effect of someone or something (pl chronić przed, izolować przed; vor etwas schützen)

rage – to move with great violence (pl szaleć; de wüten)

self-image – the conception or mental image one has of oneself (pl obraz samego siebie; de das Selbstbild)

social death – embarrassing situation (pl wykluczenie z życia społecznego; de die peinliche Lage)

wing it – to improvise, to do sth without preparation (pl improwizować, udawać; de improvisieren)

behind the wheel – driving a vehicle (pl za kółkiem; de hinterm Lenkrad)

bad judgement – bad decision (pl zła ocena sytuacji, zła decyzja; de schlechtes Urteil; schlechte Entscheidung)

 

 

Recurring dreams

James has three recurring dreams. In the first dream he enrolls in a language school. He has great results and he is a teacher’s pet. Some students don’t like him and call him a brown noser. James is very accurate and does his best when learning a language but he can’t decide if he is a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner and he has problems retaining new words.

In his next dream, James is talking to a woman who runs a company which is hot on the heels of his company and which he sued in reality for stealing confidential information. The problem is that his interlocutor has mesmerizing eyes and he can’t take his eyes off of them.

Finally in his third recurring dream James suffers from sleep deprivation. He tries really hard to turn in but whenever he gets his head down something disturbs him and he is again wide awake. Even during the day he can’t take a nap or have forty winks so throughout the whole day he has to run on empty and is totally lethargic. He is grumpy, tetchy and has mood swings exactly like the ones his wife had when she was pregnant. Every time when he finally manages to doze off, his alarm clock goes off.

Vocabulary:

recurring dream – a dream which is experienced repeatedly over a long period (powracający sen)

enroll in – to register, to sign up (zapisać się)

teacher’s pet – the teacher’s favorite student (pupilek nauczyciela)

brown noser – ass kisser (lizus)

retain – to keep in mind, remember (zachowywać w pamięci)

hot on the heels – following closely (deptać po piętach)

sue – to institute legal proceedings (pozywać)

confidential – secret (poufny)

interlocutor – someone who takes part in a conversation (rozmówca)

mesmerizing – very attractive, hypnotising (niesamowity, hipnotyzujący)

sleep deprivation – the state of not getting enough sleep (niedobór snu)

get one’s head down – to sleep for a short while (położyć się spać)

forty winks – a short sleep during the day (drzemka)

tetchy – easily irritated or annoyed (drażliwy)

be running on empty – to continue to work and be active when you have no energy left (jechać na rezerwie)

mood swings – an extreme or rapid change of mood (wahania nastrojów)

doze off – fall asleep (przysnąć)

go off – to make a noise (zacząć dzwonić)

On sale

John heard about a new mode of shopping called showrooming. It consists in going to the brick-and-mortar shop, seeing and testing the product before going home and purchasing it online.

 

John was about to go to one of the high street shops to try this method out when he noticed his acquaintance, Bart. Bart had been handicapped for 5 years then and he had been home-bound since.

 

“Hi mate! How are you? Listen. They’ve slashed prices in this shop nearby and you can buy a lot of cool stuff for a knock-down price. It’s a real bargain! Also, they are launching new loyalty programs and have a lot of additional incentives, such as coupons or vouchers” he said excitedly.

 

Once hearing it, John got excited and decided to purchase as much as possible. He entered the shop, saw a few products and checked the reviews online. He didn’t even need to ask the vendor for help. The shop was so amazing, one might even say it was mesmerising, that John got carried away. He bought everything in multi-packs, in wholesale quantities and effortlessly put it in his trolley.

 

Unfortunately after returning home, he decided to check his account balance. He had bought everything on plastic and it turned out that all his shopping broke the bank and that he would have problems getting by for the next several months.

 

Vocabulary:

 

mode – a way or method of doing something (sposób, tryb)

consist in – to involve, to be based on sth (polegać na)

brick-and-mortar shop – based in buildings rather than relying on online sales over the Internet (sklep fizyczny, który ma tradycyjną siedzibę)

handicapped – physically disabled (niepełnosprawny)

home-bound –restricted or confined to home (uwiązany w domu)

slash prices – to reduce prices drastically (ciąć ceny)

knock-down price – an extremely cheap price (bardzo niska cena)

bargain – a price that is lower than usual (okazja)

launch – to introduce to the public or to a market (wypuszczać, wprowadzać np. nowy produkt)

incentives – things that make people want to do something, because they know they will get a benefit (bodziec, zachęta)

voucher – a ticket or card serving as a substitute for cash (bon, talon)

vendor – a person who sells something (sprzedawca)

wholesale – n. the sale of goods in large quantities; adj. relating to, or engaged in such business (sprzedaż hurtowa, hurtowy)

on plastic – on a credit card (na kartę kredytową)

break the bank – cost too much (kosztować dużo pieniędzy)

get by – to survive (dawać sobie radę, radzić sobie finansowo)

 

Steve

Steve was a normal guy, he didn’t stand out from the crowd. He had his own company, which catered for business customers. Unfortunately, similar companies started springing up so he came up with an idea that the his company should undergo some changes. Without any delay, he completely changed his attitude. He became ruthless and started keeping in with important people. He was convinced that was doing the right thing.

His wife, however, was reluctant to this idea. She became wary of his business partners. She gathered from the people from the city that they were dangerous. She anticipated the worst but Steve, in pursuit of spectacular success, didn’t see her doubts. He clung on to his initial ideas.

Unfortunately, after three months, it turned out that his wife was right. Instead of expanding his company and celebrating its achievements, Steve went to prison, because his business partners turned out to be mafia members.

Vocabulary:

stand out from – to be distinctive (wyróżniać się)

cater for – to provide people with everything they want or need (zaopatrywać)

spring up – come into existence (pojawiać się jak grzyby po deszczu)

come up with an idea – produce something, have an idea (wpaść na pomysł)

undergo – to experience (przechodzić)

delay – time during which some action is awaited (opóźnienie)

attitude – the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it (nastawienie, postawa)

ruthless – having no compassion or pity (bezwzględny)

keep in with – to maintain good relations with (trzymać się z)

reluctant – unwilling, uneager (niechętny)

wary – on guard, watchful (przezorny, ostrożny, czujny)

gather from – to learn something from somebody (dowiedzieć się od)

anticipate – to feel or realize beforehand, to foresee (oczekiwać, przewidywać)

in pursuit of – chasing after something (w pogoni za)

cling on to – to hold tight, stick to (kurczowo się trzymać)

expand – to increase the size, volume, quantity, or scope of (rozwijać, poszerzać)

achievement – something that has been accomplished, esp by hard work, ability, or heroism (osiągnięcie)

A damsel in distress

Jane decided to stay at home that night. She turned on the TV. Politicians were wittering on about unimportant things and bickering all the time. When one person started talking about something, the other one had to butt in.
“They’re adults and they’re behaving like babies in a sandbox. It’s so exasperating” – she thought and when she was about to hit the roof she turned off the TV.
Then, it was time for her to repair the sink, but she felt out of her depth so she decided to call her tight-fisted friend and ask for his expertise.
“Hi! Will you help the damsel in distress?” she asked when he picked up the phone.
When he came to her, he gazed at the sink. She prepared for him an indulgent meal and when he finished he stood up and waited for some accolade.
“Wow, good job. Please accept this meal as a token of my gratitude” Jane said. “How is your family?” she asked.
“It’s OK. Well, my son has settled down. He found a good wife and managed to release a CD, which had always been his dream, but my daughter has tuberculosis and her health is declining but she doesn’t grumble”.
“I’m so sorry” she said. “Thanks for confiding in me. I really appreciate it.”
After he left she decided to watch a program about inhabitants of different islands and the pestilences they suffer from. She fell asleep in the armchair in front of the TV.

Vocabulary:

damsel in distress – a woman in trouble (dama w opałach)

witter on – to chatter or babble pointlessly (ględzić, nudzić)

bicker – to argue over petty matters (sprzeczać się)

butt in – to interfere or meddle in other people’s affairs (wtrącać się, wcinać się do rozmowy)

sandbox – a low box filled with sand for children to play in (piaskownica)

exasperating – extremely annoying (irytujący, drażniący)

hit the roof – get very angry (wpaść w szał)

feel out of one’s depth – to not have the knowledge, experience, or skills to deal with a particular subject or situation (gubić się w sytuacji)

tight-fisted – very stingy with money, mean (skąpy)

expertise – expert advice or opinion, special skill, knowledge (wiedza specjalistyczna)

gaze at – to look steadily, intently, and with fixed attention (przypatrywać się)

indulgent – overgenerous, given to excess in consumption of especially food or drink (pobłażliwy, folgujący)

accolade – a special acknowledgment, an award, a praise (wyrazy uznania)

token – sign, an expression of something (znak, symbol)

gratitude – thankfulness (wdzięczność)

settle down – to begin living a stable and orderly life (ustatkować się)

release – to issue for performance, sale, publication, or distribution (wydać)

tuberculosis (Abbr. TB) – an infectious disease that may affect almost any tissue of the body, esp. the lungs (gruźlica)

grumble – to complain (gderać, narzekać)

confide in sb – to tell (something) in confidence (zwierzyć się komuś)

inhabitant – a permanent resident (mieszkaniec)

pestilence –  a usually fatal epidemic disease (zaraza, epidemia)

Annoying habits

I hope you’ll enjoy this story 🙂

Claire looked at her fingernails. She was biting them again. She really should kick this habit. Then, she looked at her colleague sitting beside her and slurping coffee. She knew that whenever he was alone, he picked his nose. She even suspected that he was taking designer drugs but then again, maybe she was getting carried away with her imagination. “Oh man! I can’t stand his B.O. It’s driving me nuts!” she thought “And I will have to deal with him throughout the whole day”. He really got under her skin. “No! You have to concentrate! You shouldn’t neglect your work” she thought. “Without fail, the office is first and foremost the place to work”.

She tried to be calm and not to pay attention to him, even when he poked her, tickled her and patted her shoulder or when he grabbed her bag to see what was inside and thought it was hilarious. All she could see were the germs traveling from his hands to her bag. ”I hope I won’t get any skin inflammation. Why don’t I know anybody who I could air my grievances to? I hate my mom and there is nobody considerate here at work…” she thought, “I always thought that one of the best things about having a job is camaraderie but not in my case, I guess.”

Finally, when the workday was over, she left the office irked and resentful by her colleague’s icky behavior and went to the park. She sat on the bench and started munching chips which she had bought in the morning on her way to work. “Is my whole life going to look like that?” she thought sadly and started to plan her next day.

Difficult words:

kick the habit – stop engaging in a habitual practice (zerwać z nałogiem)

designer drug – a synthetic analogue of a legally restricted or prohibited drug (dopalacz)

get carried away with – lose self-control (dać się ponieść)

B.O. – body odor (naturalny, zazwyczaj nieprzyjemny, zapach ciała)

neglect – not pay proper attention to (zaniedbywać)

first and foremost – most importantly; more than anything else (przede wszystkim)

poke – jab or prod (someone or something) with one’s finger or a sharp object (szturchać)

tickle – lightly touch (a person or a part of the body) in a way that causes mild discomfort or itching and often laughter (łaskotać)

germs – microorganisms, especially ones which cause disease (zarazki)

air one’s grievances to – to complain; to make a public complaint (żalić się komuś)

camaraderie – a spirit of familiarity and trust existing between friends (koleżeństwo)

icky – repulsive or distasteful (wstrętny)

resentful – having or showing a feeling of anger or displeasure about someone or something unfair (urażony)

irked – annoyed (zirytowany)

munch – to chew or eat (food) audibly or with pleasure (przeżuwać, pałaszować)