(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
A person's nose is important for breathing and smelling. The nose is also used in many popular expressions.
Some people are able to lead other people by the nose. For example, if a wife leads her husband by the nose, she makes him do whatever she wants him to do.
A visitor look over the sculpture "Vortex Eau De Parfum" by Jim Lampie at the Frieze Art Fair in New York
Some people are said to be hard-nosed. They will not change their opinions or positions on anything. If someone is hard-nosed, chances are he will never pay through the nose, or pay too much money, for an object or service.
It is always helpful when people keep their nose out of other people's business. They do not interfere. The opposite of this is someone who noses around all the time. This kind of person is interested in other people's private matters. He is considered nosey.
Someone who keeps his nose to the grindstone works very hard. This can help a worker keep his nose clean or stay out of trouble.
One unusual expression is that is no skin off my nose. This means that a situation does not affect or concern me. We also say that sometimes a person cuts off his nose to spite his face. That is, he makes a situation worse for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry.
More problems can develop if a person looks down his nose at someone or something. The person acts like something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also turn up his nose at something that he considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He has his nose in the air.
In school, some students thumb their nose at their teacher. They refuse to obey orders or do any work. Maybe these students do not know the correct answers. My mother always told me, if you study hard, the answers should be right under your nose or easily seen.
I think we have explained the nose expressions. What about ears? Well, I hope you are all ears or very interested in hearing more expressions. We might even put a bug in your ear or give you an idea about something. We also advise you to keep your ear to the ground. This means to be interested in what is happening around you and what people are thinking.
If you are a good person, you will lend an ear to your friends. You will listen to them when they have a problem they need to talk about. Our last expression is to play it by ear. This has two meanings. One is to play a song on a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music. Play it by ear also means to decide what to do at the last minute instead of making detailed plans.
This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.
文本来自51voa，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.hard-nosed 美 adj. 顽固的；精明的；讲究实际的；嗅觉不好的 n. 重视实际的人
If nothing else, Doug is a hard-nosed businessman.
别的不说，道格起码是个精明务实的商人。
2.grindstone n. 磨石
He grinds ax on the grindstone.
他在磨石上磨斧。
3.spite n. 不顾；恶意；怨恨 vt. 刁难；使恼怒
Pantelaras was giving his art collection away for nothing, to spite Marie and her husband.
潘特拉拉斯将他的艺术收藏品无偿赠送了，存心惹怒玛丽和她的丈夫。
4.tune n. 曲调；和谐；心情 vt. 调整；使一致；为…调音 vi. [电子][通信] 调谐；协调
She was humming a merry little tune.
她正哼着一曲欢快的小调。
内容解析
1.If someone is hard-nosed, chances are he will never pay through the nose, or pay too much money, for an object or service.
pay through the nose 被勒索；被敲竹杠
You'll have to pay through the nose for those curios.
你买那些古玩得花大钱。
You'll have to pay through the nose to get that.
你将需要付出很大的代价才能得到。
2.One unusual expression is that is no skin off my nose.
no skin off my nose 毫无损失，无所谓
It's no skin off my nose if you won't talk to me.
你不原理我也无妨。
Hey, it's no skin off my nose if you buy this computer!
嘿，你买这台电脑跟我一点关系都没有！
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故。
人的鼻子对呼吸和嗅觉来说很重要，很多表达里都用到鼻子这个词。
有的人能够牵着别人的鼻子走，比如，如果妻子前者丈夫的鼻子走，那么她就能让他干什么他就干什么。
有些人被认为很顽固(hard-nosed)，他们不会改变观点或对任何事情上的立场。如果一个人很顽固，那么他可能永远不会被勒索(pay through the nose)，也就是为某样物品或服务支付过多的钱。
避免管闲事(keep their nose out of)是很有用的，这样的人不会插手管别人的事。与之相反的是有些人喜欢打听别人的事(noses around)，这种人对别人的私事很感兴趣，我们可以说这种人爱管事(nosey)。
keeps his nose to the grindstone是指人埋头苦干，工人这么做就是循规蹈矩(keep his nose clean)，会少了麻烦。
一个不寻常的表达是no skin off my nose，意思是某件事无所谓，与我无关。我们还会说有的人损人不利己(cuts off his nose to spite his face)，这种人很生气，做了些愚蠢的事，结果让自己更难堪。
如果一个人对某人或某事不屑一顾(looks down his nose at)，认为这些人和事不重要或毫无价值，这种人会对他认为不够好的东西不屑一顾(turn up his nose at something)。这种人认为自己比其他人都好，他非常自大(his nose in the air)。
在学校里，有的学生不尊重老师(thumb their nose at their teacher)，他们不听从命令，也不愿意做任何工作。可能这些学生不知道确切的答案。我妈妈经常告诉我，如果你努力学习，那么答案就在你眼皮子底下(under your nose)。
我想我们已经解释了鼻子的短语，那么耳朵呢？我希望你们能洗耳恭听(all ears)，我会讲更多短语的。我们可能还会给你提出一些建议(put a bug in your ear)，还会建议你注意新信息(keep your ear to the ground)，就是说对周围的一切和人们的想法感兴趣。
如果你是个好人，你可能会倾听朋友的话(lend an ear to your friends)，你会在他们需要找人诉说时倾听他们。我们最后一个表达是play it by ear，这个表达有两大意思，一是凭记忆来演奏乐器，二是随机应变，而不是进行详细的计划。
这就是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故，作者吉尔·莫斯，我是费斯·拉皮德斯。
