英語播客 A Cup of English The Magic Chair.

Do you ever have aches and pains? Do your muscles ever get sore? Do you get headaches? My husband used to until a couple of years ago. He would come home from work with tight shoulders, or a headache, or a knot in his back, near his shoulder blades. Tension was the problem, caused by stress from work, and sitting too long in front of the computer. I tried to help by massaging his back, but it wasn't very effective. Then he went to a chiropractor for an adjustment. You know the routine: you lie on a bed and get pulled in different directions until your tight back cracks loudly. It's a scary situation; you really have to trust the chiropractor. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your spine. It is usually very effective and gives relief quickly, but, it didn't do the trick for my husband. So, he tried Yoga. What an excellent choice. It's good for relieving stress, and for the body. I think, if he had done it properly, it could have worked, but it wasn't enough to get rid of his headaches. He really had to find a solution to his problem, because, as you know, headaches can wreck your day; they get in the way of everything. Finally, we went to Seattle to look at some massaging chairs that he had heard about. We spent the whole day trying out different kinds, until he chose one, and we brought it home. It replicates Shiatsu massage, so, when you sit in it and lie back, the rotating, metal balls inside the chair actually push up on specific parts of your back, neck, and legs. For the first few days, I had to put up with his exclamations of relief, "Ooohhh!" and "Aahh!" and "Did you hear my back just crack? This chair is amazing!" I'm glad to say it worked, and has done ever since. It has been a life saver; he is now free of headaches. For him, it has been like magic.

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: to put up with, as you know, to do the trick.

1. When we stayed with my dear, deaf aunt, we had to put up with her dog barking all night.

2. The weather is getting worse, as you know, so we will not take the boat out until it is safe.

3. I fixed the squeaky door; a spot of oil did the trick.