393. Trash and Recycling

📝 Translation

• Original Rajid: What are you doing? Nicole: I’m putting my garbage into the garbage can. Why? Rajid: Don’t you recycle? You’re supposed to separate out your recyclables and put them in a separate bin. Nicole: I know, I know, but who has the time? I don’t have that much trash anyway. Rajid: Oh, yeah? The dump is full of food containers that aren’t biodegradable from people who didn’t have the time. Nicole: Come on. Don’t blow things out of proportion. It’s not like I’m going to save the environment all by myself. Rajid: No, you’re not, but if everybody thinks the same way you do, we’re going to use up all of our natural resources. Nicole: When did you turn into an ecologist? I don’t see you conserving energy. You have your lights on all night. I can see them through your window. Rajid: I use energy-efficient bulbs. Besides, I take my recyclables to the recycling center, I have energy-efficient appliances, and I turn down my thermostat. Nicole: I’m just saying that you’re not doing everything you can to save the environment. Okay, okay. Put your money where your mouth is and help me separate out my recyclables. Rajid: Me? You want me to help you sort through your garbage? Nicole: Since you’re the expert, I need you to show me how.

• Chinese Rajid：你在干什么？ Nicole：我正把垃圾倒进垃圾桶里。怎么了？ Rajid：你不回收利用吗？你应该把可回收物品分开，放在专门的回收箱里。 Nicole：我知道，我知道，但谁有那个时间呢？反正我也没有多少垃圾。 Rajid：噢，是吗？垃圾场里塞满了那些没时间的人扔掉的、不可降解的食品容器。 Nicole：行了。别把事情说得太夸张（小题大做）。又不是靠我一个人就能拯救环境。 Rajid：虽然不能，但如果每个人都像你这么想，我们迟早会耗尽所有的自然资源。 Nicole：你什么时候变成生态学家了？我可没看到你在节约能源。你整晚都开着灯。我从窗户都能看到。 Rajid：我用的是节能灯泡。此外，我会把可回收物品送到回收中心，家里用的是节能家电，还会把恒温器调低。 Nicole：我只是说你并没有尽全力去保护环境。好吧，好吧。既然你说得头头是道，那就拿出实际行动来，帮我把可回收物品分分类吧。 Rajid：我？你想让我帮你翻你的垃圾？ Nicole：既然你是专家，我需要你教教我怎么弄。

• First 2026-03-19 12:34 R: What are you doing? N: I’m putting down the my trash to into the trash bin. What Why? R: You didn’t don't recycle? You should split separate out the recyclable items and put them to in a special recycle separate bin. N: I know, I know, but who has that the time? And I don’t have to a lot of that much trash. R: Oh, really? The dump is full of undisposed food containers that those aren't biodegradable from people who doesn’t didn't have time to * ~~ . N: Well Come on. Don’t blow it things out of proportion. It’s not only me can like I'm going to save the enviroment environment all by myself. R: Even you couldn’t No, you're not, but if everyone like you thinking thinks the same way you do, we’ll use up all of the natural resource resources. N: When do did you become a an ecologist? I didn’t don't see you saving conserving energy. You light have your lights on all night. I can see it them through the your window. R: I used lamp use energy-efficient bulbs. Besides, I will put~~ take the recyclable items to the recycle recycling center, I use * electricity at my home have energy-efficient appliances, and I will turn down the thormostats thermostat. N: I just said I'm just saying you didn’t protect enviroment in full straight aren't doing everything you can to save the environment. Okay, okay. Since you said so nice, put your money in where your mouth is, and help me sort the recyclable items out my recyclables. R: Me? You want me to help you sort through your trash? N: Since you’re a specialist the expert, I need you to show me how to do it.

  Full review: 393. Trash and Recycling - Review Key Takeaways:

  • Use put ... into ... for movement into a container, and answer with Why? when you want the reason.
  • Use it's not like + clause to reject an unrealistic expectation naturally.
  • Use present forms for current habits and criticism: Don't you recycle? / I don't see you ...
  • Memorize chunks like separate out, blow things out of proportion, and put your money where your mouth is.

• Second 2026-03-19 21:25 R: What are you doing? N: I’m putting the my garbage into the garbage bin can. Why? R: You don’t recycle them? You should are supposed to separate out the your recycle items recyclables and put them into in the a recycling separate bin. N: I know, I know, but who has the time? I don’t that much garbage trash anymore anyway. R: Oh, yeah? The dump is full of unbiodisposible food containers that are biodegradable from those people who don’t didn't have time to do. N: Well Come on, don’t blew it things out of proportion. It’s not just me can like I'm going to save the environment all by myself. R: Yeah No, you're not, but if everyone thinks just like you the same way you do, we will are going to use up all of our natural resource one day. N: When did you turn to into an ecologist? I didn’t don't see you save conserving energe energy. You have your lights on all night. I can see them through the your window. R: I use energe-saving energy-efficient plum bulbs. Besides, I take the my recycling things recyclables to the recycling center, and I use have energe-saving energy-efficient appliances at home, and I turn down my thermostats. N: I was am just saying that you are not do doing everything you can to save the environment. Okay, okay. Since you said * , put your money to where your mounth is, and help me to separate through out the recycle items recyclables. R: Me? You want me to help you separate sort through your garbage? N: Since you’re the expert and I need you to show me how to do it.

    > Full review: [[393. Trash and Recycling - Review]]
    > **Key Takeaways:**
    > - Use `be supposed to + verb` for rules or expected behavior.
    > - `recyclables` is the natural noun here, and `separate bin` is the natural collocation.
    > - Learn `turn into`, `sort through`, and `use up` as fixed chunks.
    > - `I'm just saying that ...` is a natural way to soften criticism while you clarify your point.
    > - `garbage` and `trash` can both work, but `garbage can` is the more natural American phrase.
  

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