美国字故事.docx
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美国字故事.docx
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美国字故事
美国字的故事
万事O.K.(EVERYTHINGIS"OKAY")
THEword"OKAY"isknownandusedbymillionsofpeopleallovertheworld.Still,languageexpertsdonotagreeonwhereitcamefrom.
SomesayitcamefromtheIndianpeoples.WhenEuropeansfirstcametotheAmericastheyheardhundredsofdifferentIndianlanguages.Manywerewelldeveloped.
Onetribeespeciallyhadawelldevelopedlanguage.ThiswastheChocktawtribe.TheywerefarmersandfishermenwholivedintherichMississippivalleyinwhatisnowthestateofAlabama.Whenproblemsarose,Chocktawleadersdiscussedthemwiththetribalchief.Theysatinacircleandlistenedtothewisdomofthechief.
Heheardthedifferentproposals,oftenraisingandloweringhisheadinagreement,andsaying,"Okeh,"meaning"Itisso."
TheIndianlanguageshavegivenmanywordstoEnglish.TwentyfouroftheAmericanstates,almosthalf-haveIndiannames-Oklahoma,theDakotas,Idaho,Wisconsin,OhioandTennessee,tonameafew.Andthenamesofmanyrivers,streams,mountains,citiesandtownsareIndian.
Nevertheless,therearemanywhodisputetheideathat"okay"camefromtheIndians.SomesaythatPresidentAndrewJacksonfirstusedtheword"okay."OthersclaimthewordwasinventedbyJohnJacobAstor,afurtraderofthelate1700'swhobecameoneoftheworld'srichestmen.Stillotherssayapoorrailroadclerkmadeupthisword.HisnamewasObadiahKellyandheputhisinitials,O.K.,oneachpackage,peoplegavehimtoshipbytrain.
Soitgoes;eachstorysoundsreasonableandofficial.
Butperhapsthemostbelievableexplanationisthattheword"okay"wasinventedbyapoliticalorganizationinthe1800's.
MartinVanBurenwasrunningforPresident.Agroupofpeopleorganizedaclubtosupporthim.Theycalledtheirpoliticalorganizationthe"OkayClub."Theletters"o"and"k"weretakenfromthenameofVanBuren'shometown,theplacewherehewasborn,OldKinderhook,NewYork.
Thereisonethingabout"okay"thattheexpertsdoagreeon:
thatthewordispureAmericanandthatithasspreadtoalmosteverycountryonearth.
Thereissomethingaboutthewordthatappealstopeoplesofeverylanguage.Yet,hereinAmericaitisusedmostlyinspeech,notinseriouswriting.Seriouswriterswouldratheruse"agree,""assent,""approve,""confirm"andsoon.
Inrecenttimes,"okay"hasbeengivenanofficialplaceintheEnglishlanguage.
ButitwillbealongtimebeforeAmericanswillofficiallyaccepttwoexpressionsthatcomefrom"okay."Theseare"oke"and"okeydoke."
注解:
1.expert 专家
2.Indianpeoples 印第安各族
3.Americas 南、北美洲
4.welldeveloped 相当进化的
5.Chocktawtribe 查克多族
6.MississippiValley 密西西比河谷
7.tribalchief 酋长
8.circle 圆圈
9.Itisso. 就是如此。
10.tonameafew 随便提几位
11.dispute 争议,不同意
12.AndrewJackson 杰克逊总统
13.claim 声称
14.furtrader 兽皮买卖商
15.madeup 编造
16.initials 姓名的第一个字母
17.soitgoes 大家这麽说
18.runnigfor 竞选
19.appeal 引起…注意
20.andsoon 等等
美国字的故事
打太极拳(TOPASSTHEBUCK)
ANexpressionusedbyAmericansforabout100yearsis"topassthebuck."Itmeansrefusingtotakeresponsibility,lettingothersdecideandactforyou.
PresidentGeraldForddramatizedthephraseaftertakingRichardNixon'splaceintheWhiteHouse.FordannouncedinaspecialtelevisionbroadcastthathehaddecidedtopardonNixonforanycrimeshemayhavecommittedaspresident.Fordsaidsuchadecisionhadtobemadebyhimalone,thathecouldnotletothersdoitforhim."Thebuckstopshere,"saidFord.
Herememberedanotherpresident-HarryS.Truman,whomadethatexpressionfamousmorethan30yearsago.Trumanhadasignonhisdeskwhichsaid:
"Thebuckstopshere."Themessagewasclear:
IfthepresidentoftheUnitedStatescouldnotactandmakethefinaldecisiononimportantnationalmatters,whoelsecould?
Apresidentwhorefusedtotaketheresponsibilityand"passedthebuck"tosomeoneelsewouldsoonfindhimselfinserioustrouble.
Wheredidtheexpressioncomefrom?
Itseemstohavecomefromthecardgameofpokerwheretheplayers,oneaftertheother,mixandpassoutthecards.ThephraseseemstohavecometolifeinthegamblinghousesoftheWest.There,asilverdollarwasputinfrontofaplayertoshowthathewouldbethenextdealertopassoutthecards.Adollar,silverorpaper,wascalleda"buck."Itstillis.Why,Nobodyseemstoknow.
Forcefulleaders,ofcourse,makedecisions,takerisksandassumeresponsibility.Theriskscanbegreat.Everychoiceattimesmayleadtodisaster.Inamilitaryleaderitmaybedefeatandruin;inbusiness,financialfailure,lossofajob.
Therefore,itiseasiertopasstheresponsibilityandletotherstaketherisks.Nobody,however,likesamanwhopassesthebuck.Heissoonfoundoutandgivenanunpleasantname-"buck-passer."
Nevertheless,buck-passersarefoundamonguseverywhere.Perhaps,themostfamousbuck-passerinhistoryhasbeenthedevil.Thatisthepicturewegetofhimfromtheancientmyths.TheonlytimeheseemstohaveactedforhimselfwaswhenherebelledandtriedtoseizeGod'sthrone.ButGodthrewhimout.Sincethen,hehasspentmostofhisenergyinpassingthebuck,lettingothersdohisworkforhim.
注解:
1.topassthebuck 推诿责任(类似中国俗话「打太极拳」)
2.dramatize 戏剧话的表现出
3.pardon 宽恕、赦免
4.commit 犯(过、错)
5.poker 扑克
6.cometolife 复苏、醒过来
7.gamblinghouse 赌场
8.buck (俗话)美金一元
9.forcefulleader 强有力的领袖
10.disaster 灾祸
11.ruin 毁灭、崩溃
12.buck-passer 推诿责任的人
13.nevertheless 虽然如此
14.myth 神话
15.rebel 反叛
16.throne 宝座
美国字的故事
音乐唱片节目主持人(DISKJOCKEY)
Oldwordsoftentakeonnewmeaningsbecauseofinventionsandtechnology.Andsoitiswith"jockey."Fiftyyearsago,inAmerica,thiswordwasusedasanoun-aprofessionalhorserider,andasaverb,"tojockey,"meaningtoleadandsteerahorseorsomethingelseintoagoodposition.
Inthe1920's,radiobegantoenterAmericanhomes.News,comedy,dramaandotherformsofentertainmentspreadfromcitiestothecountry.Communicationimproved;manynewwordswereaddedtothelanguage.
Then,inthe1940's,televisionappeared.Radiotookabackseat.Mostoftheshows,exceptnews,leftradioandwentontelevision.Butradiostationsstillhadtoentertain.Itwasthenthat"jockey"tookonanewmeaning.
Acrossthecountry,thousandsofradiostationsbegantoplayrecordedsongs.Therecordswerealsoknownas"discs."Menwhoknewmusic,menwhocouldtalkandentertain,gotjobsonthebigcityradiostations.Someofthembecamewellknown.Andthemusictheychosetoplayhadagreatinfluenceonthosewhoboughtrecords.Infact,songwritersandrecordingcompaniessentrecordstothestations,hopingtheentertainerswouldplaythem.
Intime,anamewasinventedfortheseradiomenwhotalkedandplayedmusic.Theywerecalled,"discjockeys,"probablybecausetheyhadaninfluenceinmakingasongpopular.Theyjockeyed(influenced)publictasteinmusic,formanybelievedthatwhateverthediscjockeysplayedwasgood.
Adiscjockey,or"D.J.,"asheisknowntoday,canbeaveryfamouspersoninareaswherehisvoiceisheard.Buthisfamecomesfromhisvoiceandthemusicheplays,nothisface.Andheprobablywouldnotberecognizedifhewalkeddownthestreet...muchtotheregretofalmostevery"D.J."
Becausetheterm,"discjockey,"hasspreadacrossthecountry,itisnotsurprisingthatotherkindsofjockeyshavesprungup.Forexample,apersonwhopilotsanairplaneiscalleda"jetjockey."Anditiscommontodaytohearafarmercalleda"plowjockey"becauseofthewayhepusheshisplowacrosshisfields.
Intheearly1920's,thetermwasevenappliedtothesportofbaseball.Asportswriter,describingtheactionduringagame,wrotethattheplayersonthebenchwereyellingandshoutingattheopposingplayerswhowereonthefield.Thewritercalledthem"benchjockeys,"nodoubtbecausetheyweretryingtoinfluencetheactiononthefield.
Today,inAmerica,"jockey"canbeusedforanypersonwholeadsorguidessomethingorevenhimselfintoabetterpositionorplace,oftenattheexpenseofothers.
Butitisthe"discjockey"withwhomwearemostfamiliar.Heistheonewehearwhenweturntheradioon.Heplaysmusicforus,givesustheweatherreport,tellsusthetimeofday,andingeneralbrightensupourdaywithlittlejokesandoldsayings.AndwewonderwhatAmericanradiowouldbelikewithouthim.
注解:
1.invention 发明
2.technology 科技
3.jockey 骑马师
4.steerahorse 驭马
5.comedy 喜剧
6.entertainment 娱乐
7.countryside 乡下
8.communications 通讯
9.takeabackseat 做到后座(甘居下风)
10.takeon 承接,担任
11.discjockey 音乐唱片节目主持人
12.D.J. discjockey的简称
13.jetjockey 喷射机驾驶员
14.plowjockey 农夫
15.plow 犁田
16.benchjockey 球赛中坐在球员席上呐喊的人
17.attheexpenseof 以…为牺牲
18.brightenup 使活泼;使快活
美国字的故事
傻瓜
SUCKER
Asuckerisonewhoiseasilyfooled,easilytrickedandcheated.Hishistoryisalongonebecausesuckersareasoldasmankind.Thereareseveralideasastohowthewordcameintouse.OnegoesbacktotheearlyEuropeansettlersinAmerica.
Thestoryistoldthattheyfoundinthelakesandriversofthenewlandstrangefish,kindsthattheyhadneverbeforeseen.Onekindwasespeciallystrange-asmallfishthatswamindeepwaterandsuckedupfoodfromtheriverbottom.Itcoulddothisbecauseoftheshapeofitsmouth.Thesettlersbegantocallthisfisha"sucker."Afteratime,theydiscoveredmanyotherkindsoffishthatgotfoodbysuckingitintotheirmouths.They,also,werecalledsuckers.So,suckerswerefoundeverywhere,andeventheworstfishermancouldcatchasuckerofsomekind.Intime,thewordwasusedtodescribeanyeasyvictim.
Another
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