你还记得小时候玩过的电子游戏吗？那些曾经让我们爱不释手的玩具——掌上游戏机、电子宠物鸡？这些儿时 “必须拥有” 的小玩意儿和电子装置如今又重新流行起来。本集Take Away English讨论是什么驱使我们再度开始迷恋 “Gameboy” 等游戏。
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article
I’m sure we all have childhood memories – what we did at school, the food we ate, the games we played. But perhaps the most vivid recollections are those of the toys we played with. There were many gadgets that may seem unsophisticated now but were the must-have items in the playground back in the day. Now it seems that our passion for nostalgia means some of them are making a comeback.
One of my favourites was the Nintendo Game Boy, which returned to the shops last year, 30 years after it was first released. This handheld console has had some modifications, but still offers a simple gaming experience and a trip down memory lane! If the Game Boy wasn’t from your era, how about the Tamagotchi? This egg-shaped, plastic pet that its owner had to keep ‘alive’ with constant care and attention - was the must-have item not long after its launch in 1996.
These sometimes annoying ‘creatures’ were such a distraction in the classroom, they often got banned from school. But now, childlike adults can relive their wasted youth because Japanese manufacturer Bandai will soon release an all-colour, new-and-improved version of the classic toy. Its maker says it’s evolved from a pet into more of a character, and can inhabit different lands, as well as get married and breed.
So what’s driving this demand for retro goods? Retail Analyst for Mintel, Chana Baram, told the BBC people are searching for comfort in 'the good old days'. Certainly, playing with an old toy brings back memories of our formative years and gives us a feel-good factor, but it’s also something brands and marketing companies want to cash in on.
Retro toys are also something we could cash in on too. In the darkest corners of many attics and spare rooms lie the toys of Christmas past. And those once much-loved and played with presents may now have a value beyond nostalgia. Toyologist Peter Jenkinson told the BBC that any number of "toys that we all played with as kids are now worth more than a few quid". He suggests there’s a real collectors' market for certain old board games, Star Wars characters, Sindy dolls and Lego sets. However, if you own something like this, it may be just too precious to sell, and part with the connection to your childhood.
vocabulary
childhood memories 童年记忆
vivid recollection 生动的回忆，记忆
unsophisticated 不精致的
must-have item 必备物品
back in the day 曾几何时
nostalgia 怀旧
a comeback 再度流行
a trip down memory lane 追忆往昔
relive 重温
classic 经典的
retro 怀旧的
the good old days 美好的过往
formative years 性格形成时期
feel-good factor （使人）感觉良好的因素
cash in 从…中获利
toyologist 玩具专家
part with （不情愿地）舍弃
make sentences
I’ve heard my favourite rock band is *making a comeback, so I’m definitely going to get a ticket to see them perform!
I find cycling hard work now but back in the day I could pedal up all the hills and ride for miles and miles without stopping.
She’s been to one of those retro clothes shop and bought herself a pair of flared jeans（喇叭裤） – very trendy!
The bonus has given us all a feel-good factor - now we have some money to go shopping with.
If I ever win the lottery, I’m going to spend my winnings on a classic sports car from the 1960s.
question
True or false? Selling some of our old toys could make us some money.
answer
True. Toyologist, Peter Jenkinson told the BBC that any number of "toys that we all played with as kids are now worth more than a few quid".
@BBC Learning English
