(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
Today, we are down on the farm!
Since the 16th century, the word "farm" has meant "land used for agricultural purposes." But a much older meaning is related to economics. The English word farm comes from the Latin word firma, which means an unchanging payment.
Experts say the earliest meaning of "farm" was a yearly payment made on a loan or as a tax. Centuries ago, English farmers did not own their land. They made payments to the owner for the right to grow crops.
Okay, so the word "farm" has roots in economics. Therefore, it's no surprise to hear about someone buying a farm -- a farm. That is very different from someone who has bought the farm. When someone tells you that someone bought the farm, do not offer your congratulations. "Bought the farm" is a light-hearted way to say that a person has died.
Now, "buying the farm" is very different from betting the farm. When you bet the farm, you are willing to risk everything because you are confident in something. Used in conversation, it may sound like this: "Jack was out really late last night. I'm willing to bet the farm that today he will be late for work."
So, you can buy, own or bet a farm. You can also just farm, as in the verb. But today, the verb "farm" has come to mean something more than raising crops. To farm something out means to give work or duties to someone else to finish.
This "farming" action is quite different from planting and raising crops. To do that, farmers plant seeds. You could say that seeds start the growth process. In business, seed money is the financing you need to launch a project or company.
Now, sometimes we call the act of raising crops "sowing crops." To sow means to plant seeds in the ground. The verb "sow" also means to set in motion or to cause something to exist -- especially things such as fear, doubt or suspicion.
We use the word "sow" in two common idioms.
Let's say you have a friend who shows a lack of common sense and does stupid, crazy things. You might defend their behavior by saying: "Oh, he doesn't mean any harm. He's just sowing his wild oats." When someone "sows their wild oats" they act foolishly and make bad decisions when they are young.
Many people learn from their wild mistakes of youth -- some the hard way. They might have to reap what they sow. This expression means that we all must deal with the results of our actions. Young and old alike might one day have to reap what they sow.
However, if your friend continues to act foolishly, you could plant a seed of caution in him. To plant a seed in someone is to influence another person's thinking or behavior. And as we just heard, you can plant a seed of something. Americans often use the expression to plant a seed of doubt.
If that "seed" -- whether of doubt, caution or some other idea -- takes root, it begins to develop into something bigger. If it dies on the vine, it doesn't grow into anything worth keeping -- just something else to clean up.
We can also say that a plant, person or idea has gone to seed. To go to seed is to "worsen in condition because of lack of care." This expression is based on the actual meaning of plants that "go to seed." They stop producing flowers and start producing seeds.
Now, let's hear these common farming expressions used in a casual conversation about work.
Two friends on their way to work stop for coffee and to "talk shop" -- they talk about work.
I want to stop for coffee before heading into work. Do you have time?
Sure. Actually, I want to hear about your new start-up. So, how is your new product launch going?
It's going better now. But I ran into a rough patch a few weeks ago.
What happened?
Well, a man who worked for me was trying to steal my customers. After every meeting with a customer, he would pull them aside and try to plant seeds of doubt about whether my business was the right fit for them.
Wow, that's awful. What did you do?
I fired him.
It's a good thing his attempts to hurt your business didn't take root.
Actually, in the end, it only hurt him. Word got around and now people don't trust him. So, he hasn't been able to find another job. I saw him the other day and he looks awful. He has really gone to seed.
You know what they say: "You reap what you sow." If you do bad things, you will sooner or later have to deal the results.
That is so true. But now, I have another problem -- money. I used up all the seed money I had saved for the project.
I know you pretty well. I'll bet the farm that you will not let your business die on the vine.
No way. I have already found another investor. And I started farming out the art work to some university students. That will save me a lot of money.
Well, it sounds like you're really busy, but happy.
I love my work. You know, I was talking to an old college friend last night. We both sowed our wild oats when we were younger. Now, that we're older and, hopefully, wiser we are perfectly happy spending much of our time on work.
You know, I never did anything too crazy when I was younger. Maybe these restless feelings I have are my wild oats that I didn't sow. Maybe I'll quit my job and travel around Europe for a month!
That sounds fun. But let me plant a seed of caution -- before you quit your job, save up a lot of money and have another job waiting for when you get back.
Well that doesn't sound like a crazy, wild time.
Exactly. You're not in your 20s any more.
Good point. Well, here's our coffee order.
This one's on me. If you're going to be traveling around Europe, you'd better start saving your money now.
Cheers!
Cheers!
And that brings us to the end of Words and Their Stories. Hopefully some of these farm expressions will take root in your everyday English.
I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.be confident in 对······有信心；对······充满信心；信任
Be confident in your facilitation skills when standing up in front of a group.
当你站在人群前时，要对你自己的引导技巧有信心。
2.common sense 常识
I judge it by common sense.
我靠常识判断。
3.reap what they sow 自食其果
If they keep on doing evils, they'll reap what they sow.
如果他们继续作恶，必将自食其果。
4.on one's way to 到······去的途中
Take a deep breath and start on your way to winning your campaign. On one's way to doing sth.
深呼一口气，然后开始步入你赢得这个选举的征程。
参考译文
这里是VOA学英语《词汇掌故》节目。
今天，我们的话题要转到农场（farm）！
自16世纪起，单词“farm”就指代“用于农业用途的土地”。但更早些时候，它的意思和经济相关。“farm”源自拉丁词“firma”，意思是固定款项。
专家说早期“farm”的意思是贷款或者税收的年付款。几世纪以前，英国的农民没有自己的土地。他们支付租金给地主以换取种植庄稼的土地。
那么单词“farm”根源于经济学。因此，听到有人说买“一个农场”（buy a farm）也就不足为怪了。这和某人死了（bought the farm）意思完全不一样。当某人告诉你某人“bought the farm”，你不要奉上你的贺词。“Bought the farm”是一个人死了的委婉说辞。
现在，“buy the farm”和“bet the farm”也意义不同。当你“bet the farm（拿全部家当做赌注）”，你愿意拿一切冒险，因为你多某事很有信心。用在交际里，听起来也许像这样：“杰克昨晚出去太晚回来，我愿意赌上全部家当，他今天上班一定迟到。”
所以，你可以购买，拥有或者拿农场做赌注。你也可以单纯“务农”（farm），把“farm”当动词使。动词“farm”的意思远不止种植庄稼。“farm sth out”意思是分配工作或者职责让其他人去完成。
这种“farm”的行为和种植庄稼大相径庭。为了种植庄稼，农民播种。你可以说种子是一切生长过程的开端。在商业里，“seed money（启动资金）”是你启动一个项目或者公司所筹措的资金。
如今，有时候我们称种庄稼这种行为为“sowing crops”。“sow”意思是播种。动词“sow”也可以表示掀动（set in motion）或者无中生有（cause something to exist）——特别是像害怕，疑惑或者猜疑这些事情。
我们有两个惯用语用到“sow”这个词。
假设里有个朋友，这个朋友缺乏常识，行事蠢笨且疯狂。你可能为他们的行为辩解道：“他没有恶意。他只是在胡闹（sow one's wild oats）。”当某人胡闹，指的是他们年轻的时候做傻事，做荒唐事。
许多人从他们年轻时候犯的错误中吸取教训——有些教训很惨痛。他们可能要自食其果（reap what they sow）。这个惯用语意思是我们都必须处理我们的行为所产生的后果。无论老少，总有一天会自食其果。
然而，如果你的朋友继续干些蠢事，你可以给他提个醒。“plant a seed in sb”指的是影响别人的思想或者行为。正如我们刚听到的，你可以带来某种影响。美国人经常用“plant a seed of doubt（种下怀疑的种子）”这个表达。
如果那颗种子——不论是疑惑，慎重或者其他想法扎根了，它会发展壮大。如果它夭折（die on the vine）了，那就是它没有长成任何值得留下的东西，只是一些需要清理的事物。
我们也可以说一棵植物，一个人或者一个想法衰颓了。“go to seed”是指“由于不上心而导致境况糟糕。”这个表达是基于植物“结籽（go to seed）”的实际意义。它们不再开花，开始结籽。
现在，让我们来听一段包含这些“farm”常用表达的日常工作交流。
两个朋友在上班路上停下，准备喝咖啡。由于“三句不离本行（talk shop）”，他们聊起了工作。
我想喝杯咖啡再去上班。你有空吗？
当然。实际上，我想听听你的新项目。你的新产品发布怎么样啦？
好多啦。但我一周前遇到了一个困难。
发生了什么？
我手下一个男员工打算抢我的客户。每次和客户见完面，他都会把他们拉到一边，试图让客户内心产生我的生意是否适合他们的疑虑。
哇，那很恶心。你怎么做的？
我炒了他。
还好他损害你生意的企图没没逞。
实际上，最后，他伤的只有他自己。消息传开后，现在人们都不相信他了。所以，他到现在还没找到新工作。我前几天看见了他，他看起来挺惨。他真得颓靡了好多。
你知道他们怎么说：“自食其果。”如果你做坏事，你迟早得承担后果。
那是真的。但现在，我还有个问题——资金。我用光了之前为这个项目攒的所有钱。
我很了解你。我敢赌上我的所有，你决定不会让你的生意夭折的。
绝对不会。我已经发现了另一个投资者。我已经把艺术作品分出去给一些大学生了。那会给我省下不少钱。
听起来你真得很忙，但是很开心。
我爱我的工作。我昨晚和我的一个老校友聊天。我们年轻时候都干过些荒唐事。现在，我们老了，但愿，我们能更明智且非常开心地把大部分时间花在工作上。
你知道，我年轻的时候从未做过什么疯狂事。也许这些不安的感觉就是因为我以前没做过荒唐事。也许我该停下我的工作，环游欧洲一个月。
听起来不错。但让我给你提个醒——在你辞掉的工作之前，攒些钱，（找好工作，）这样你回来就会有份工作等着你。
听起来那会是一段狂野自由的时光。
确实是，你不再是20多岁了。
好提议。这是我们的咖啡订单。
这杯咖啡算我的。如果你要旅行欧洲，你最好现在就开始攒钱。
干杯！
干杯！
又到了《词汇掌故》节目尾声啦。希望这些有关“farm”的表达会植根于你的日常英语。
我是安娜·马特奥。
