June 24, 2016　=========
☆ struggle 葛藤
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Have you ever heard of the saying, “first world problems”? This is what people write on Facebook and other social media when they are complaining about things that they are actually pretty lucky to struggle with. For example, having to wait to buy a coffee at Starbucks – this is a first world problem, and instead of complaining about the long line we should be grateful that we have the chance to buy hot coffee.
There is a newer version of this saying, “first world problems” that is becoming more popular: “The struggle is real.” In this case, there is irony and comedy of dramatizing a non-critical (but undesirable) situation. For example,
A: I had to catch the train to work because my bike tire was flat.
B: That must have been really hard. (ironic tone)
A: Yeah. The struggle is real. (ironic tone as it wasn’t really that hard)
Bye,
Chris