(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
When you learn a foreign language, it can be very difficult to know the best word to use in a situation. This show can help you learn how and when to use American expressions.
Today, we will explore a seemingly simple word: book.
Everyone knows what a book is. We read books to get information. We read books for stories. A book can be like a time machine that takes a reader on a trip into the past or future.
People who love to read and love books are called bookworms. Like the actual insects that feed on the pages and paste of books, bookworms eat up every word on the printed page. Even with the invention of electronic books, or e-books, book lovers are still called bookworms.
Besides pages and paste, a book is made up of several parts.
Let's begin with what we usually see first – the cover. In American English we like to say do not judge a book by its cover. This means you should not judge something or someone simply by how it looks on the outside. The cover of a book may look appealing. But that does not mean the inside is well written. This expression is usually used with people.
Another part of a book is the page. If we say a book is a real page-turner it means it is very well written and very suspenseful. You cannot wait to turn the page to find out what happens next!
However, to turn the page means something different. This means to stop thinking or dealing with something unpleasant. A chapter is also part of a book. It can also mean a part of history or a person's life.
Sometimes these two are used together as in this example, "It is time to turn the page on that dark chapter in history." This can also be used in a personal example, "She needed to turn the page on the sad chapter in her life."
Instead of turning the page or starting a new chapter, you can be on the same page with someone. To be on the same page means you agree about something. It is as if the two of you are reading from the same book and have stopped at the same place.
When you do stop reading in a book, especially a borrowed book, you may want to think twice before dog-earring the page to mark your spot. To dog ear the page of book means to bend the top corner slightly like a dog's ear. And this upsets many book lovers.
So, do not dog ear someone else's book and definitely do not tear a page out it ... except if you are using the idiom. Taking a page out of someone's book means to do something they would do. This can be used for people and for organizations. For example, some people feel the government should take a page out of the private sector's book and operate more efficiently.
Besides reading books, did you know you can also read people?
To read someone like a book means you are able to understand someone very clearly. It is easy to read someone like a book when they are an open book. A person who is an open book shares their thoughts and shows their feelings very easily.
A closed book is the opposite. It describes something that is difficult to understand or a person who does not share personal details. This expression can also mean something that has completely ended. For example, if you have a friend who went through a difficult divorce you could say her marriage is a closed book. And one she does not want to read again.
All this opening and closing of book, makes me think of studying. Students facing a tough exam must hit the books. This sounds violent. But, it simply means to study long and hard. No one has to physically attack the books, although after hours and hours of studying, a student may want to.
Now, let's listen to some of these expressions in a conversation.
What are you doing this weekend?
Richard and I are hitting the books. We need to study for the big exam.
Richard, the new student? He's always so cheery. He must have a really easy life.
You should not judge a book by its cover. I've known Richard a long time. And, actually, he has had a really rough year.
Really? I'm surprised to hear that. He is always smiling and is so pleasant with everyone.
He has always been a bit of a closed book. He never talks about his personal life, especially the bad times.
I should take a page out of Richard's book and be happy even when times are tough.
We're on the same page there. I'm trying to keep a good attitude too. But he said that he's finally turned the page on a difficult chapter in his life.
Glad to hear it. He seems like a really nice guy.
And now it's time for us to turn the page and end this chapter of Words and Their Stories. But join us again next time as we talk about more words and expressions in American English.
I'm Anna Matteo.
Let us know if you have similar expressions using "book" in your language in the Comments Section.
重点解析
1.eat up 吃光；耗尽；击垮
Eat up your vegetables.
把你的青菜吃光。
2.instead of 代替；而不是······
He attends that meeting instead of me.
他代替我出席了那次会议。
3.as if 犹如，好似
As if it never happened.
如果它从来没有发生过。
4.think twice 再三考虑；重新考虑
I must think twice before I can promise.
在我答应之前，我必须重新考虑一下。
参考译文
现在是VOA学英语《词汇掌故》节目时间啦！
当你学习一门外语时，往往在特定语境里你很难知道哪个词最恰当。这期节目将带你学习使用美语表达的方法和时机。
今天，我们来探索一个看似简单的单词：书。
大家都知道书是什么。我们从书里获取信息。我们从书中了解故事。书就像一个时间机器，能将读者带上去往过去或者未来的旅程。
热爱读书并且喜欢书的人被称为“书虫”。就像真实的书虫一样，以书页和书的浆糊为食，书虫会吃光每一张印刷纸上的每个单词。即使伴随着电子书的发明，热爱书籍的人仍然被称作“书虫”。
除了书页和粘书的浆糊，一本书是由几部分组成的。
让我们从书的第一眼看见的部分说起——封面。在美语里，我们喜欢说“不要依封面去评判一本书”，那意思是你不应该单凭外貌去评判某物或者某人。书的封面看起来可能很吸引人，但那并不意味着你们的内容写得好。这个表达通常用在人身上。
书的另一部分就是书页了。如果我们说一本书真是引人入胜，它的意思是这本书写得很好并且充满悬念。你迫不及待地翻页好看看接下来发生了什么。
然而，“翻页”意思就不同了。它的意思是不再去想或者处理那些不愉快的事情。“章节”也是书的一部分，它也能指历史或者人生的一部分。
有时候“翻页”和“章节”可以一起用，像这个例子：“是时候忘记那段黑暗的历史了。”这个也能用在个人的例子中，“她需要忘记那段悲伤的日子。”
与其忘记或者开启新的篇章，你可以与某人达成共识。“To be on the same page”意思是你同意某事，这就像你俩读同一本书并在同一个地方停下了。
当你不读书的时候，尤其是借来的书，你也许在给书折角做读书标记的时候会三思一下。“To dog ear the page of book”意思是稍微地折弯书的上角就像狗的耳朵那样。这种折角行为常常让爱书的人很苦恼。
所以，不要给别人的书折角，绝对不能撕掉一页······除非你正在用这个习语，“从某人书中撕掉一页”意思是去做他们将会做的事情。这个表达能用于自然人和组织。举个例子，一些人认为政府应该借鉴私营部门的做法，让政府办事变得更加高效。
除了读书，你知道你也能读人吗？
“像读书一样去读一个人”的意思是你能够很懂一个人。当一个人很率直的时候，你能很容易弄懂他/她。率直的人很容易分享他们的想法，表达他们的感情。
“一本合着的书”刚好相反，它形容很难弄明白一件事或者很难弄懂一个不分享个人细节的人。这个表达也能指某事彻底结束。例如，如果你的朋友经历了一场很艰难的离婚，你可以说，她的婚姻彻底结束了，而且是一段她不愿回首的婚姻。
这些关于书的开开合合，让我想到了学习。面对一场很难的考试，学生们必须用功学习。这也许听起来有点残暴，但它仅仅是表达“很长时间地学习和努力学习”的意思。没有人必须用身体撞击书本，尽管在持续学习了一个又一个小时之后，可能有学生会有这样的想法。
现在，让我们来听一段包含了这些表达中的部分表达的对话吧。
你这个周末打算做什么？
理查德和我打算用功学习。我们需要为一场大考看书学习。
理查德，那个新生？他总是很开心，他的生活一定特别安逸。
你不应该以貌取人的。我认识理查德很久了。实际上，他度过了非常艰难的一年。
真得吗？真得挺惊讶的。他总是一直笑容满面，而且和每个人都很愉快。
他一直有点封闭。他从来不谈个人生活，特别是那些糟糕的日子。
我应该做点事情，让理查德即使在日子不好过的时候也能开心。
我们想法一致。我正尝试努力保持一个好态度，但他说他终于从艰难的日子里熬过来了。
听你这么说我很高兴。他似乎真是一个很好的家伙。
现在让我们翻篇结束这期的《词汇掌故》吧。但请继续参与我们下期节目哦，因为我们会讨论更多美语里的单词和表达。
安娜·马特奥。
如果你知道你的语言里有类似的表达，在评论区留言给我们吧！
