viernes, 26 de agosto de 2022

Meghan Markle Talks to Serena Williams about Ambition

Meghan Markle has recently launched Archetypes, an original podcast on Spotify.  In the first episode, the Duchess of Sussex has a casual chat to her friend and tennis champion Serena Williams about ambition in women.

The conversation, in very natural American English, is quite long (57:28), so it is recommended for C1 students and above. There seems to be no operating link to the script on the web page, so, you can use this list of interesting and salient words as a listening guide: a commercial, greasy, pots and pans, to belong in the kitchen, to reach out to, triumph, to have a ripple effect, an awakening, to box women, to make a difference, diva, the "b" word, slut, harsh, abrasive, to suck around, bitch, mortified, dumb, dragon-lady, household names, to bear the brunt of [something], label, to open up, competitive, an order [of nuns], the sisters, to renounce [their] vows, to behold to a system, to be raised [Catholic], to trickle down, limitless, to date [my now husband], to embody [the spirit of ambition], a trend-setter, a trail-blazer, to focus on [other passions], to pop in, a great vibe, super loyal, to show up, [the pain] I am going through, to check yourself, bossy, to fade, to be fearless, to be blanking, to be afraid of heights, a wound, a godly fear, unhealthy fear, to jump in [there], to call [the ball] out, [to have] a meltdown, a double standard, a stand-point, [pressure] to mount, [these] fellows, that was nuts, to be at fault, [to use] a curse word, to step away [from tennis], deleting, to dig [deeper on an idea], scenarios, [is] power hungry, a role model, it boils down to [antipathy], to come with a backlash, a climber,  a ripple effect, to be nurturing, a boost [in pay], careerwise, the mother-work balance, [I'm always] devil's advocate, breastfeeding, infamous [cat suit], that outfit, [she fell from] a high chair, [I felt so] guilty, a cast, to rock [her to sleep], [I'm] hard on myself, so emotionally drained, I took a lot on, to show up, an official engagement, a township, a nursery, to give [each other] a break, to swim in the shallow end, to betray that trust, a monumental decision, baseball cap, on vacation, to struggle with it, for one purpose, I can't wait [to wake up one day], it's new territory, to toil over [a decision], it takes [counselling, support], [the last] hurrah, the locker room, sad tears, to evolve [into something else], [some sort of] involvement, pregnancy, to wobble around, [I'm] fortunate enough, your calling, choosing a path, it takes [a lot of] courage, that's insane, classy girl, to tear up, this newness, it doesn't get better than that, to be messing around, stunning, it's the sweetest thing, a two-bedroom home, the most amazing ride, I'm getting emotional, to close things out, to hold a space, a perfectionist, thoughtful, compassionate, genuinely funny, a fully-fledged [human being], [I] have a voice, super-understanding, a mom, a marker of drive, a commitment to achievement, nuances, to have an agenda, whatever gets thrown at you, my little mermaid, to shut the door on her ambition, see you guys!