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Online Shopping Moral Dilemma. Business / Technology / Law

Beginners:

on the frontline – na czele/ na pierwszej linii

Many corporate workers believe that the employees on the frontline work hardest – Wielu pracowników dużych firm uważa, że osoby zatrudnione na pierwszej linii mają najcięższą pracę.

Intermediate:

double in size – podwoić wielkość/ ilość

The volume of Internet sales is likely to double in size in the years to come – Wartość/ wielkość sprzedaży internetowej prawdopodobnie podwoi się w najbliższych latach.

Advanced:

fiercely competitive market – ostro konkurencyjny rynek

Any company which enters the world of IT needs to confront the fiercely competitive market – Każda firma, która wchodzi w świat IT musi zmierzyć się z niezwykle konkurencyjnym rynkiem.

Text:

  • unleash – uwolnić / wypuścić
  • on the frontline – na pierwszej linii
  • double in … – tutaj jako czasownik podwoić, np. wielkość / ilość / wartość
  • fiercely competitive market – ostro konkurencyjny rynek

The rise of internet shopping has unleashed a flood of reports of low pay and bad working conditions for those on the frontline of this consumer revolution: delivery workers. With the world’s four biggest online markets – the UK, the US, China and Germany – projected to double in size  in three years to come, the delivery industry has become a fiercely competitive market.

  • pathetic pay rates – żałosne stawki płacy
  • charge for – obciążać za … / w związku z …
  • quest for – wyścig po …
  • concerned – zmartwiony / zaniepokojony
  • compose criteria – tworzyć / projektować kryteria

From fast-food couriers protesting pathetic pay rates  to delivery workers  charged for being sick, workers’ rights are seemingly often ignored in the quest for  faster, cheaper customer service. Many consumers become concerned how their  own shopping habits might affect the working conditions of delivery workers. Businesses  who use delivery services compose their own criteria for the choice which company to employ.

  • 0:26′ take advantage of … – wykorzystywać …
  • 0:27′  trusting – ufny / łatwowierny
  • 1:15′ offer a further discount – oferować kolejny rabat
  • 1:34′ fall for … – wpaść / dać się nabrać
  • 2:01′ receipt – paragon

Watch HERE a nice presentation on safe online shopping

Moduł językowy zainspirowany artykułem  ‘Online Shoping and the Plight of Delivery Workers’, opublikowanym na theguardian.com 

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How Vegan Trends Transform Traditional Brands. Business/ Medicine

  • it turns out to be very profitable – okazuje się to być bardzo dochodowe
  • aforementioned- wcześniej wspomniani/ wymienieni

Meat companies and bakeries  introducing vegan sausages, vegan beer, vegan furniture and Marten’s vegan boots… And it turns out to be very profitable for all the aforementioned.

  • leap-leapt-leapt – skoczyć/ zwiększyć się (często stosowane w kontekstach przenośnych)
  • keep up with demand – nadążyć/ sprostać / zaspokoić popyt
  • shares doubled in value – udziały podwoiły swoją wartość
  • distribute dividend – wypłacić dywidendę
  • look into … – przyglądać się/ analizować

What is certain is that it was good for Greggs: its profits leapt more than 50%, to £40.6m, in the first six months of the year. Queues were forming at Greggs and it was hard to keep up with demand for the  snack. It helped to  transform the 80-year-old Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based brand into a 21st-century trendy brand. Its shares have doubled in value over the past year. The vegan sausage roll is now one of Greggs’ five bestsellers, but sales of all of its ranges have increased to the point that  35-million-pound dividend was distributed among  shareholders in July. The company is looking into vegan versions of its other bestsellers.

One way of looking at this is that veganism is great for business. Another is that vegan sausage rolls are a great marketing tool for pork sausage rolls.

  • a lot of that is down to … – wiele wynika z …
  • jackfruit – owoc chlebowca 😉
  • prominently displayed – wyraźnie przedstawiany/ przedstawiany na pierwszym planie

In May, the “fast-casual” chain Leon reported that its sales for 2018 were up 24.5% to £95m. A lot of that is down to offerings such as jack wings, in which jackfruit replaces fried chicken, and the beetroot-based love burger. In January , 46% of Leon’s sales were vegetarian, while 34% were vegan. The Love burger is the chain’s third-most popular item, prominently displayed on menus and posters.

  • phenomenon – zjawisko
  • stroll in and out of fashion – stawać się modnym i wychodzić z mody
  • eco-conscious – eko świadomi
  • core mission – podstawowa misja
  • empower – wzmacniać/ umożliwiać/ podkreślać
  • rebellious- zbuntowany/ buntowniczy
  • self-expression – wyrażanie siebie

The phenomenon is not confined to food. Dr Martens boots have strolled in and out of fashion many times in the past few decades, but the brand has become a real hit hit with eco-conscious teenagers. The fact that you can buy vegan  boots made from polyurethane plastic is in line with  company’s core mission: “empowering rebellious self-expression”.

  • account for 30% of sales- stanowić 30% sprzedaży

In some supermarkets in selected  locations, vegan products account for 30% of sales even though only 1% od British are really vegan…

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The Future of Construction. Business / Technology

Beginners:

  • shape the sector – kształtować branżę

The most innovative companies shape the construction sector – Najbardziej innowacyjne firmy kształtują branżę budownictwa.

Intermediate:

  • pose challenge – stanowić/ być wyzwaniem

The expectations of the clients pose challenges for the developing companies -Oczekiwania klinetów stanowią wyzwania stawiane deweloperom.

Advanced:

  • sustainability – ekologiczność
  • affordability – dostępność cenowa

Sustainable and affordable construction process poses challenge to developers – Ekologiczne i przystępne cenowo budowanie stanowi wyzwanie dla deweloperów.

Full text:

  • interrelated – powiązane ze sobą 

The Future of construction according to partners who  pioneer the industry and  shape the sector.  In 2016, Forum’s members and industry’s representatives named challenges and opportunities by working in six interrelated  eco-systems:

  1. Project implementation – realizacja projektu 
  2. Lifecycle performance – jakośc pracy w cyklu życiowym
  3. Sustainability – ekologia/ ekologiczność
  4. Affordability – przystępność cenowa
  5. Disaster endurance – odporność na katastrofy
  6. Flexibility/liveability/Wellbeing – elastyczność/ przyjazny charakter dla użytkowników/ komfort- zdrowie.

Watch HERE the Clip on What Future Construction Might Be

Moduł językowy opracowany na podstawie deklaracji World Economic Forum, dostępnej na weforum.org

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The New Openings for the Travellers 2023. Business / Technology

Beginners:

  • kick off – rozpocząć/ uruchomić

Quantas will kick off the first direct connection between Australia and Europe in 2018 – Quantas uruchomi pierwsze bezpośrednie połączenie między Australią, a Europą w 2018 roku.

Intermediate:

  • devoted to … – oddane/ poświęcone …

The new exhibition in Dublin will be devoted to life and works of James Joyce – Nowa wystawa w Dublinie będzie poświęcona życiu i pracy Jamesa Joyce’a.

Advanced:

  • rejuvenated and pristine- odnowiona i pełna życia

The rejuvenated and pristine parks of Paris will attract even more tourists to the city of dreams – Odnowione i pełne życia parki Paryża przyciągną nawet więcej turystów do miasta marzeń.

Full text:

There will be many new opportunities for the travelers worldwide in 2023, many grand openings. Here are selected some of them:

Japan will continue to present the ancient art of ninja with a lot of activities kicking off   in 2018. Visitors can choose from two specialised ninja tours with stays in famous sites such as the province of Iga, the location of two major sacred grounds for the discipline and some of its most famous schools.

  • indigenous – pierwotne
  • rejuvenated and pristine – odnowione i tętniące życiem/ naturalne

In the Bahamas the travellers will  be able to explore the Ocean Cay Marine Reserve’s sandy beaches and calm lagoons, or relax at tiki bars and dedicated family areas. Tourists aren’t the only ones to benefit: the reserve is being designed to promote the growth of coral and marine life, and more than 80 indigenous (pierwotne)  plants will be grown on the rejuvenated and pristine island.

  • showcase – przedstawiać/ być gospodarzem

Paris’ historic art scene will get a breath of fresh air when l’Atelier des Lumières opens to the public. Devoted to art experiences, each year the Atelier will showcase a major exhibition offering a digital perspective on one of art’s biggest names, allowing you to step inside the world’s most famous artworks.

Adventurers can now take a close look at  the world’s most famous shipwreck, the Titanic,  on an unforgettable eight-day expedition from Newfoundland. This subterranean odyssey is one of the rarest travel experiences in the world and places are limited.

  • hop aboard – wskoczyć na pokład
  • expanded – rozbudowane

From January 2018 there’ll be a whole new way to discover one of the most untouched regions in the world: Argentina’s state-owned airline LADE will begin the first ever regular commercial flights to the frozen continent, Antarctica.  Visitors can hop aboard weekly flights from Ushuaia in Argentina to  Marambio Base, taking just 90 minutes. The base is principally used for science and research, but will be developed and expanded to include accommodation for tourists along with improvements geared towards commercial flights.

The first direct flight linking Australia to Europe. The new Qantas flight will link Perth to London in 17 hours, making it one of the longest passenger flights in the world. The airline is aiming to make the flight as comfortable as possible for its economy passengers, including using the Dreamliner 787 for the route, an aircraft designed to decrease turbulence and improve air quality. It’s also a great opportunity for Europeans to explore Australia’s most remote city.

Watch the film!

Źródło: ‘ The Best New Openings for the Travellers’. lonelyplanet.com

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How a Celebrity Star Goes Bankrupt. Business / Law

Beginners:

  • debt – dług

Boris Becker was not able to pay back his debt– Boris Becker nie był w stance spłacić swojego długu.

Intermediate:

  • liabilities- zobowiązania finansowe

He went bankrupt because he didn’t pay his liabilities on time – Zbankrutował, ponieważ nie spłacał o czasie swoich zobowiązań.

Advanced:

forseeable future- dająca się przewidzieć przyszłość

  • Boris Becker is unlikely to recover from his financial problems in the foreseeable future – Mało prawdopodobne aby Boris Becker wyszedł z problemów finansowych w dającej sie przewidzieć przyszłości.

Full text:

  •  substantial outstanding debt – znaczący/ wysoki niespłacony dług
  • the lack of evidence – brak dowodów
  • pay back his liabilities – spłacić zobowiązania finansowe
  • in the foreseeable future- dająca się przewidzieć przyszłość 

Boris Becker, one of the greatest stars of tennis ever (three-time winner of Wimbledon) has been declared bankrupt over the substantial outstanding debt. Despite the statement made by the former tennis star’s advocates, the judge concluded that there was the lack of evidence  that Becker would be able to pay back his liabilities  in the foreseeable future. Becker hoped that he would be able to repay the debt after selling his property in Majorca on which he hopes to make 6 million pounds but the judge refused to wait.

But Becker is not the only one;)

 

 

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FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. Business / Medicine

Beginners:

  • fear of … – strach przed …

Fear of technology is more popular among older people – Strach przed/ Obawy dotyczące technologii są bardziej popularne wśród starszych osób.

Intermediate:

  • negative impact on … – negatywny wpływ na …

Staying online all the time has negative impact on our professional and family life – Nieustanne pozostawanie online ma negatywny wpływ na nasze życie zawodowe oraz prywatne.

Advanced:

  • desire to stay up to date with … – pragnienie bycia na bieżąco z …

The desire to stay up to date with the latest development of events pushes people to stay online 24/7- Pragnienie bycia na bieżąco z rozwojem wydarzeń sprawia, że ludzie nieustannie pozostają online.

Full text:

  • the fear of missing out – lęk przed pominięciem wiadomości)
  • desire to stay up to date – pragnienie bycia na bieżąco z …
  • stare at …  – wpatrywać się w  …
  • commute – dojeżdżać do pracy
  •  browse the internet – przeglądać strony internetowe

FOMO- the fear of missing out gets a lot of attention from the doctors, psychologists and business people. The syndromme is often identified as the desire to stay up to date with the stream of information and it regards both private and professional lives. The business people staring at   their smartphones when they commute , the students scrolling up and down their Facebook walls during the breaks, middle-aged couples browsing the internet  in bed in the evening not to miss any item which might be interesting to them…. and not reading/watching anything to the end just because something new appears or might appear.

  • dangerous to … – niebezpieczny dla …
  • transform knowledge – przetwarzać wiedzę
  • unlimited access to … – nieograniczony dostęp do …
  • quotations at the Stock Exchange – notowania giełdowe
  • update – aktualizacja
  • negative impact on … – negatywny wpływ na …
  • family bonds – więzi rodzinne

The psychologists warn that some of these behaviors may be dangerous to  our mental system: the growing percentage of people use their smartphones while having sex! The human mind is programmed TO KNOW and then TRANSFORM knowledge. That is why Internet opened such a dangerous channel- the never-ending stream of unlimited access to information. Missing information on the latest quotations at the Stock Exchange  or ‘friend’s’ latest update  on Facebook develops the sense of guilt and missing something important, it has negative impact on our real friendships and family bonds.

  • constantly observed – nieustannie obserwowani
  • in turn – z kolei
  • compulsive – nałogowy

In the growing number of extreme cases people create the image of themselves on the social media which doesn’t reflect their real personalities and then they lose control on who they really are, which version of them is the real one. They believe they are constantly observed , just the way they observe others. That, in turn, leads to impulsive behavior: doing things just to show them on Facebook or Instagram rather than for the real experience. The consequence:  impulsive or even compulsive buying, traveling, social life, etc.

  • 0:29′ credit sb. for sth. – przypisywać coś komuś, np. uznać kogoś za autora
  • 0:46′ enter the market – wejść na rynek
  • 0:47′ launch the product – wprowadzić produkt

Watch HERE the film on FOMO

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Sardinia: Paradise on Earth. Business

Beginners:

  • coastline- linia brzegowa/ plaże

Italy offers one of the longest coastlines in Europe – Włochy oferują jedno z najdłuższych wybrzeży w Europie.

Intermediate:

  • budget flights- tanie loty

The accessibility of budget flights made traveling significantly easier – Dostępność tanich lotów sprawiła, że podróżowanie stało się znacząco prostsze.

Advanced:

  • concessioned- koncesjonowane/ tutaj: płatne

There are many beaches in Italy which are concessioned and thus inaccessible to those who cannot afford them- We Włoszech jest mnóstwo plaż, które są płatne i w związku z tym, niedpstępne dla tych, których na nie nie stać.

Full text:

  • peninsula – półwysep
  • shack – chatka, tutaj: beach bar;)

Sardinia: lists of the island’s best beaches run into the hundreds, and there is much more unnamed white, silver or golden sand around its 1,000km-plus of coastline, peninsulas and islands. Some popular beaches are concessionised. There are wild beaches for those prepared to bring their own supplies, but most have a shack selling drinks, ice-creams and snacks.

  • undeniably – niezaprzeczalnie
  • spread – rozprzestrzeniać
  • dune – wydma
  • surprisingly low prices – zaskakująco niskie ceny
  • budget flights – tanie loty
  • ancient – starożytne / stare

And if you think Sardinia is expensive, think again. Its image is shaped by the Costa Smeralda, an undeniably beautiful area in the north-east around the town of Porto Cervo, developed by the Aga Khan in the 1960s. Its yachting, golfing, millionaire-style development has spread as far as Palau in the north and south towards Olbia. But elsewhere, from the Catalan-flavoured north-west to the south’s white dunes, from the rocky east to west, Sardinia’s coast offers space, surprisingly low prices (though accommodation costs jump in August) and a friendly welcome . Add budget flights to Alghero, Cagliari and Olbia, ancient villages and all the pizza  and great-value wine you’d expect.

WATCH HERE the great film about Sardinia for a week

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Is the Golden Age of Travel Gone..? Business / Aviation / Medicine

  • scale down – zmniejszać / ograniczać
  • go to the wall – być “pod ścianą”
  • bankruptcies – bankructwa

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, we have seen big carriers scale down and a few smaller ones go to the wall. Bankruptcies and the end of service on some routes are sure to follow.

WYMOWA:

  • early stage of reinstating passenger air service – wstępny etap uruchamiania lotów pasażerskich
  • lockdown – zamknięcie / zakaz wyjścia
  • quarantine – kwarantanna
  • operating restrictions – ograniczenie działalności
  • disruptions – zakłócenia / zaburzenia
  • agility – zwinność / umiejętność / talent
  • perilous – w niebezpieczeństwie/ zagrożony
  • recovery – powrót / wyzdrowienie / wychodzenie z recesji

In some regions of the world, carriers are in the early stages of reinstating passenger air service. Clearly, they are seeking  way through various versions of financial chaos in an uncertain world of partial lockdowns, quarantines, operating restrictions and possible further disruptions. Survival looks to be a matter of cash, agility and luck

But while the immediate future is perilous, the events of the coming months or even couple of years say little about whatrecovery will eventually look like. For the airline industry as a whole, consider three key points.

One is the price of oil.

  • for the foreseeable future – w dającej się przewidzieć przyszłości
  • key suppliers – najważniejsi dostawcy
  • low demand for … – niski popyt na …
  • faltering demand – wahające się/ niestabilne zapotrzebowanie / popyt

Always an obsession with airline bosses, fuel will be cheap for the foreseeable future. The oil industry is characterized by geopolitics between key suppliers Saudi Arabia and Russia. Unfortunately, recession means low demand for goods, services like air travel, and commodities such as oil. Whatever the producers choose to do, fuel will be cheap even as demand falters.

Second is safety when travelling – and here, the signs are not good.

  • development of a coronavirus vaccine – opracowanie szczepionki na koronawirus
  • remedy – lek
  • decade – dziesięciolecie / dekada
  • regardless of … – niezależnie od …
  • take measures to protect – podejmować działania aby chronić

Don’t hold out hope for fast  development of a coronavirus vaccine; talk of having such a remedy within a year to 18 months is coming from politicians and business people – not from scientists, whose experience points to decades. Regardless of the measures taken to protect people in airports and on board, the Covid-19 experience is going to leave many people afraid  of travelling, except when they need to.

  • risk aversion – niechęć do podejmowania ryzyka
  • they will be reluctant to expect – będą niechętni oczekiwaniu / wymaganiu
  • cautious – ostrożny

Risk aversion will be especially notable in business travel; companies will be reluctant to expect employee travel. Experience suggests that another pandemic will hit sooner rather than later, and remind everybody to be cautious.

Third, pure economics

  • reluctance to travel for non-essential purposes – niechęć do podróżowania w celach, które nie są niezbędne/konieczne
  • debt fueled spending – wydawanie środków finansowanych zadłużeniem
  • widespread unemployment – powszechne bezrobocie
  • job insecurity – niepewność zatrudnienia

It will reinforce reluctance to travel for non-essential purposes. The coming recession is already blowing away all  nice-but-not-necessary debt-fuelled spending. Before the pandemic struck, consumer and corporate debt was already at alarming  level. Now, widespread unemployment and job insecurity will only establish an instinct to save rather than spend.

  • 0:46′ ban on … – zakaz …
  • 2:48′ thin margin – niska marża
  • 3:03′ incite to buy – skłonić do zakupu
  • 3:46′ lay off – zwolnić z pracy
  • 4:04′ incur costs – ponosić koszty
  • 5:08 it will take an awful lot of time – to będzie trwało bardzo długo

OBEJRZYJ TUTAJ: ciekawy wywiad na temat przyszłości lotnictwa

Moduł językowy przygotowany na podstawie artykułu ‘Has a Golden Age of Travel Passed’, opublikowanego na flightglobal.com

 

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High Tech Jobs’n’Manufacturing. Business / Technology

Beginners:
  • highly specialised- wysoko wyspecjalizowany
Highly specialised workers get higher salaries.
Intermediate:

  • significant value- znacząca wartość

The manufacturing of high technology products has significant value for the development of economy.

Advanced:

  • overshadow- przyćmić/ zostawić w tyle

The progress of innovative technologies overshadowed the role of traditional manufacturing.

Full text:

  • repetitive  – powtarzalne
  • advanced manufacturing – produkcja zaawansowana technologicznie
  • industry – tutaj: branża
  • significant value – znacząca wartość
  • … makes $180,000 worth of goods every year – wytwarza produkty o wartości 180 000 dolarów rocznie

As some types of manufacturing disappear in America—manual jobs that can be performed in  places like Mexico where there are lower wages, and repetitive  ones that can be automated—other types are growing. Advanced manufacturing, which is highly specialized is expanding. The U.S. economy will need to fill 3.5 million  skilled manufacturing jobs over the next decade, the White House says. This is an industry that employs skilled and educated workers such as engineers and scientists. It’s also an industry that adds significant value to the economy. Manufacturing continues to rise in the U.S., and the average factory worker makes $180,000 worth of goods every year, more than three times what he produced in 1978.

  • bad / low paying jobs – nisko płatne stanowiska

Michael Hicks, an economics professor at Ball State University who has studied manufacturing in Indiana:

“The mantra that we’ve lost good-paying jobs to China is exactly wrong. We’ve lost the bad-paying jobs to China and gained good-paying jobs.”

  • overshadow – przyćmić
  • overall manufacturing employment – ogólne zatrudnienie w przemyśle
  • lower – skill jobs – stanowiska wymagające niskich kwalifikacji
  • graduate degree – wyższe wykształcenie / dyplom studiów wyższych

Of course, the U.S. has lost 5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000. The scale of those losses has overshadowed areas of growth—but there has been growth. For example, the number of workers employed manufacturing medical equipment and supplies has grown eight percent over the last two decades  even as overall manufacturing employment has fallen 28 percent over that same time period. Manufacturing job losses have been concentrated in lower-pay, lower-skill jobs.  Since 2000, jobs in manufacturing for people with graduate degrees  have grown  by 32 percent.

  • from overseas – z zagranicy
  • efficient – wydajny/ inefficient – niewydajny
  • make up – tutaj: stanowić / wynosić
  • gross domestic product – produkt krajowy brutto (GDP)
  • … are in demand  – … są pożądane/ … jest na nie popyt

That’s because in the last decade, as manufacturing companies faced intense competition from overseas, they invested in equipment and technology that made their plants more efficient  and specialized, Hicks said. That meant that thousands of jobs were automated, but also that new jobs were created for people who worked with machines in the manufacturing process. Manufacturing still makes up about 12.5 of America’s gross domestic product , the same as it did in 1960. People who can work in modern manufacturing—those with computer skills and advanced degrees—are in demand. The average manufacturing worker now makes $26 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Obejrzyj krótki film na temat kluczowych umiejętności zawodowych w przyszłości

  • 0:45′ amazing ability – zadziwiająca umiejętność
  • 1:00′ adaptability – umiejętność przystosowania się/ flexibility – elastyczność
  • 1: 05′ for life – na całe życie
  • 1:19′ out of date – przestarzałe/ nieaktualne
  • 1:29′  data litteracy 0 umiejętność czytania/ przetwarzanie danych
  • 2:07′ tech saviness – znajomość / biegłość w nowoczesnej technologii

Moduł językowy przygotowany na podstawie artykułu: America is still Making Things, opublikowanego na theatlantic.com

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Midlife Crisis… How to Deal with … Business/ Medicine

They say there are numerous methods to deal with it. Let’s take a look at some 🙂

Method 1: ignore!

  • go through ups and downs – przechodzić lepsze i gorsze chwile
  • make excuses – usprawiedliwiać
  • balanced life – zrównoważone życie
  • anxious – zestresowany/ zaniepokojony

Every relationship goes through ups and downs, but you were so busy with day-to-day life and made so many excuses for your partner’s behaviour that you didn’t notice the bad days  were stretching into months and maybe even years.One of central mantras for helping people lead a balanced life is: what is this feeling trying to tell me? If you keep feeling anxious, there might be a good reason.

Method 2: become a critical parent;)

  • respond – odpowiedzieć
  • go through a tough patch – przechodzić ciężki okres

We have three parts to our personality: parent, adult and child. We need them all. Child is the source of our intuition, creativity and play. We sometimes need to parent our partner and look after him or her when ill or going through a tough patch. The problem when we repeatedly parent is that our partner will repeatedly respond like a child. Parent is divided into two parts: care and critical.

Method 3: involve children

  • aware of … – świadomy
  • offer support – zapewnić wsparcie
  • take sides – opowiadać się po jednej ze stron
  • concern – zmartwienie/ troska
  • reassure – upewnić/ zapewnić/ wzmacniać
  • draw conclusions – wyciągać wnioski

Your children will be aware of your behavior: they will ask questions and may offer support. Unfortunately, they are likely to take sides. Even if your children are now grown up, if you properly explain everything, you will fall into the “too much information” trap, which is not fair. So thank your children for their concern, and reassure them that you are dealing with the situation. Never criticise your partner to your children; keep the information you share with them to theminimum (your children can draw their own conclusions).

Method 4: understand

  • resolve the underlying problems – rozwiązywać rzeczywiste problemy
  • bruising rows – raniące awantury

Everybody has to journey through the middle passage to become a full adult. When your partner is critical, it is natural to defend yourself, get upset or fight back. These reactions do nothing to resolve the underlying problems and can lead to a cycle of bruising rows. There is one simple thing you can do: take a deep breath, remain calm and listen with a curious mind.

  • keep the show on the road – nie poddawać się/ tutaj: kontynuować związek
  • for the sake of the children – dla dobra dzieci
  • widen the gap – zwiększać dystans/ niezrozumienie
  • legitimacy – uzasadnienie
  • exaggerate – przesadzać/ wyolbrzymiać.

When you’ve been dealing with a depressed or angry partner, it is easy to see yourself as a hero, keeping the show on the road for the sake of the children. This can widen the gap between the two of you. If you can accept that even your partner’s wildest claims have some legitimacy, even  greatly exaggerated, you will have made a huge step forward. When you accept the bits that do seem reasonable, your partner will stop being defensive and the two of you can find different ways of communicating.

TUTAJ obejrzycie świetny film na temat męskiego kryzysu wieku średniego 😉

Moduł językowy opracowany na podstawie artykułu: ‘Help! My Partner is Having a Midlife Crisis’, opublikowanego na theguardian.com

/Autor