(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories.
Has there ever been one issue that has caused trouble between you and another person? You know, a troublesome issue in your relationship, one that does not seem to go away?
If so, you and the other person have a bone of contention.
A bone of contention is the cause of a long-standing argument.
The website Dictionary.com says this expression was first used in the early 1700s. This expression comes from the fact that two dogs would often fight over a bone, with neither animal wanting to give in to the other.
Today, anything can become a bone of contention between two or more people. A legal document such as a father's will could be a bone of contention between members of his family. Political or religious differences, past mistakes or misunderstandings all make for great bones of contention.
Now, another expression related to bone of contention that also uses the word "bone," is to have a bone to pick.
Let's say you have a problem with someone and you want to resolve it. You could say to them, "Look, I have a bone to pick with you."
This expression refers to a dog chewing endlessly on a bone. It picks it clean. So, a "bone to pick" is a subject or issue that may take much discussion to resolve.
"Bone to pick" is very common and informal. "Bone of contention" is also common but can sound a little formal. A more informal way to say "bone of contention" is sticking point. This is a problem or issue that you can't move beyond. It stops all progress. You're stuck.
A sticking point is similar to holding a grudge.
When you hold a grudge you keep bad feeling toward someone who has done something bad to you in the past. Two people can also hold a grudge against each other. You might also hear that someone bears a grudge. But holding one is much more common.
This is a little different from having a bone of contention. With holding a grudge, we mean a person is holding on to something from the past and it is causing trouble. With a bone of contention, it is the issue that is causing the problem.
Now, a more expressive, yet less common, phrase is apple of discord. An apple of discord is an object or issue that can cause anger, arguments and even rivalry between people.
This expression comes from Greek mythology. The ancient myth goes something like this:
Once there was a great ceremony to celebrate the marriage of Peleus and Thetis. All the important gods and mortals were invited. However, Eris, the goddess of discord and unrest, was not. She really shouldn't have been surprised. I mean, really. Who would want to invite the goddess of discord to their wedding?
Well, to cause trouble, Eris threw a golden apple into the crowd. Written into the apple were the words "the fairest," "or most attractive" or something like that. Now, who wouldn't want to catch that?
Well, it turns out that three other Greek goddesses wanted that golden apple. Aphrodite, Athena and Hera all claimed it should be for them. Zeus, the King of the gods, stepped in to resolve the disagreement. He ruled that Paris, a Trojan prince, would act as judge.
The three goddesses all tried to influence Paris, which led to a series of terrible events. Very simply stated, the apple caused so many arguments that it eventually led to the Trojan War.
Speaking of weddings, here in the United States, there is a tradition at some. Immediately after the ceremony, the unmarried women gather closely in a group. The just-married bride then turns her back to the them and throws her bouquet of flowers up into the air.
It is not a competition for the fairest or most beautiful woman to catch. But tradition says that whoever catches the flowers will be the next one to marry. So, it can sometimes lead to a big fight for the bouquet.
And that's Word and Their Stories. I'm Anna Matteo.
Do you have any phrases in your language that mean "bone of contention"? Let us know in the Comments Section!
重点解析
1.give in to 屈服于，向……让步
If we give in to the blackmailer, he will return to squeeze out another hundred later.
如果我们向敲诈者让步，他会再来敲诈一百元。
2.step in 干预，插手（棘手问题）
The government may step in to settle the disagreement between the union and the employers.
政府可能会出面干预解决工会和雇主之间的纠纷。
3.apple of discord 争端，祸根（据希腊神话三女神因争金苹果而导致特洛伊战争）
This problem seems to be an apple of discord between the Soviet union and the USA.
这个问题是由前苏联和美国之间的争端导致的。
参考译文
现在是VOA学英语《词汇掌故》时间。
你之前有没有因为一个争论的焦点而和另外一个人之间产生矛盾呢？你知道，人际关系里很容易出现麻烦事儿、那种挥之不去的麻烦事儿？
如果是的话，那你和另一个人就有了一个争论的焦点（a bone of contention）。
“a bone of contention”是引发长期争论的一个原因。
辞典网站显示这个表达初次被使用是在18世纪早期。这个表达源于这样的事实：两只狗经常会为一根骨头打架，因为它们俩谁都不肯屈服于对方。
今天，任何事物都有可能成为俩人或者更多人之间的一个争论的焦点。一份法律文件，如一份父亲的遗嘱类的法律文件可能会成为其家庭成员间争论的焦点。政治或者宗教的不同，曾经的错误或者误解，所有这些都是争论的焦点。
另一个和“bone of contention”相关的表达也使用了单词“bone”，这个表达是“have a bone to pick（挑毛病）”。
假设你和别人间有问题，你想解决这个问题。你可以对那个人说，“听着，我得跟你理论一番。”
这个表达指的是狗没完没了地啃骨头。啃得干干净净。因此，“bone to pick”指的是一个解决起来需要讨论很多的一个话题或者问题。
“bone to pick”是一个很常见且非常口语化的表达。“bone of contention”也很常见，但是听起来正式点。“bone of contention”更口语话的一种说法是“sticking point（症结）”。“症结”是一个远非你所能解决的问题。它使所有进程停滞。你被难住了。
“a sticking point（症结）”类似于“hold a grudge（耿耿于怀）”。
当你怀恨在心的时候，你对曾经对你做过坏事的人一直心怀芥蒂。两个人之间也可以对彼此怀恨在心。你也许也听过“bear a grudge（怀恨在心）”。但是“hold a grudge”更常见。
这个表达和“have a bone of contention（争论的焦点）”有一点不同。“hold a grudge”，我们意思是一个人抓住过去的事情不放，这种行为引起了麻烦。而“a bone of contention”是争论的这个问题引起的麻烦。
现在，“apple of discord”是一个更富于表现力却没那么常见的短语。“apple of discord（祸根）”是一个能引发愤怒，争论，甚至人们之间竞争的物品或者问题。
这个表达出自希腊神话。这个古老的神话大概是这样：
珀琉斯和忒提丝曾经有一场盛大的婚礼仪式。他们邀请了所有重要的神仙和凡人。但是却没有邀请不和女神厄里斯。她真得不应该感到意外。我真心这么觉得。谁会想邀请不和之神去他们的婚宴呢？
嗯，为了引起纠纷，厄里斯朝人群扔了个金苹果。苹果上刻有单词“（献给）最美丽的人”或是“（献给）最性感的人”或者类似这样的字眼。现在，谁不想抢到这个苹果呢？
嗯，事实证明三位其他的希腊女神想要得到这个金苹果。阿佛罗狄忒，雅典娜和赫拉都声称这个苹果应该是献给他们自己的。宇宙之神宙斯出面解决这个纷争。他裁定，特洛伊王子帕里斯将担任裁判员。
这三位女神都想影响帕里斯的裁定，这引发了一系列可怕的事件。最简单地说就是，这个苹果引起了如此多的争论，最后导致了特洛伊战争。
说到婚宴，在美国，有一些传统。婚宴结束后，未婚的女人们立即聚成一团。刚结婚的新娘然后背对着她们，把她的捧花扔向空中。
这不是一个抢到的人就是最美丽或者最漂亮的人的竞赛，而是一个传统，寓意是抢到花的人将是下一个会结婚的人。所以，这有时候会导致一场抢花大战。
这就是今天的《词汇掌故》。我是安娜·马特奥。
你的语言里有意思是“争论的焦点”的短语吗？在评论区告诉我们吧！
