(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
On this program we discuss the meaning and usage of common expressions in American English.
The world can be a cold, cold place.
Sometimes the environment is figuratively cold, meaning not cold in temperature but rather cold in feeling. People can be mean. Work can be thankless. Living conditions can be hard.
And sometimes the world is literally cold.
Temperatures drop. Snow falls from the clouds and sticks to the ground. Ice covers sidewalks and roads. Bitterly cold wind stings your face.
Whether your world feels literally or figuratively cold, our program today will give you the language to find comfort and warmth!
First, let's talk about our first protection against the cold -- clothing.
When the weather is cold, it is important to wear the right clothing. Warm clothes -- a good coat, hat, scarf, and gloves -- can make all the difference. In fact, I've read that Swedish people have this expression: "There is no bad weather only bad clothing."
So, when it's cold outside, you need to bundle up! This phrasal verb means to dress warmly. Being underdressed in cold weather can be unpleasant or even dangerous.
Parents often tell children to bundle up as advice. "Make sure to bundle up! It's really cold today." Babies bundled up in soft blankets are warm, protected and very cute!
After a day out in the cold world, it feels good to come home and change out of your day clothes. Putting on something comfortable, like pajamas, can warm both the body and soul.
When we use "comfortable" to describe things like clothing or furniture, we sometimes shorten it to just comfy. For example, "This sweater is so comfy!" or "Your couch is very comfy."
Now, a simple pleasure on a cold, winter day is to sit close to a warm fire. If you are lucky enough to be sitting by a fire, wearing comfy clothes, and drinking a cup of hot chocolate, you could say comfy-cozy, toasty-roasty. This sounds like part of a children's song, but it is just a way of saying you are warm and comfortable.
If you're really lucky, you have someone to cozy up with. To cozy up to someone means to get physically close to them. Another word for this is to snuggle. After a bad day, it can be warm and comforting to cozy up with a husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, or even your loyal dog or cat.
But this expression has another meaning.
To cozy up to someone can mean to start a friendship with someone or simply be nice to them in an attempt to get something. In order to get something you want, you are nice and extra friendly.
Let's hear it used in this example.
A: Matthew has been so nice to me recently. It's strange. I didn't think he liked me.
B: He heard that you will be deciding who goes overseas to work on that big project. So, he's cozying up to you.
A: Oh. That explains the box of chocolates he gave me!
So, people can cozy up to others to try to get something they want but so can industries. You may hear "cozy up" when talking about the attempt to influence government officials. For example, to get favorable laws passed, lobbyists may cozy up to lawmakers.
Another way we say this is to get cozy (with someone.) You might hear it used this way. "I see you've been getting cozy with the coach lately. Worried about your position on the team, are you?"
Now, even though big business and lawmakers often cozy up with each other, we would not describe either of them as warm-and-fuzzy. (Sometimes this word combination is hyphenated. Sometimes it is not.)
Something that feels really good after escaping the cold is something warm-and-fuzzy. Fuzzy describes something very soft to the touch – like a puppy or a kitten.
So, warm-and-fuzzy clothing can comfort you after dealing with literal cold. But something warm-and-fuzzy can also protect you against figurative cold. For example, a movie can be warm-and-fuzzy. This means it makes you feel good when you watch it.
However, we also use this expression to describe someone or something that is really cold or unfeeling. As we said earlier, lobbyists and lawmakers usually aren't warm-and-fuzzy.
Let's hear how it is used in another example:
A: "Your roommate sure isn't the warm and fuzzy type, is she?"
B: "No, she's not. Last week when I had a cold, she told me not to sneeze so loudly."
A: "Now, that's cold."
After a bad day -- either a cold or hot one -- many of us just want to get home and escape.
My perfect way to escape would be change into my comfy-cozy pajamas, sink into my comfy couch and curl up in front of a fire to watch a warm-and-fuzzy movie.
"To curl up" means to make your body into the shape of a ball to keep warm, as a kitten would. Is there anything cuter than a fuzzy, baby animal curling up by its mother? I don't think so.
To escape a cold world, you may want to curl up with a cup of hot tea and our next Words and Their Stories.
I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.change out of 更换
You need to change out of those wet things.
你应该把那些湿衣服换掉
。2.curl up 蜷缩;(叶子、纸等)卷边
You can curl up in an armchair, or in bed, with a good book.
你可以蜷曲在一张有扶手的椅子里或床上看一本好书
。3.cozy up to 拉拢;奉承;巴结
One way to cozy up to the leader of the free world is to give him and his wife opulent gifts.
自由世界的领袖搞好关系的方式之一是给他和他妻子多多送礼
。参考译文
这里是VOA学英语《词汇掌故》节目
。在节目中,我们探讨美式英语常用表达的含义与用法
。世界可能会变得极其寒冷
。有时候,环境的冷是比喻性的,这意味着不是温度上的冷,而是情感上的冷
。人们可能会不友善,工作上可能吃力不讨好,生活状态可能很艰辛 。有时候,世界又是字面意义上的严寒
。温度下降
。雪花从云端飘落下来,粘黏到地面上 。冰雪覆盖了人行道和道路 。凛冽的寒风刺痛着你的脸 。不论你的世界是字面意义上还是比喻意义上的寒冷,我们今天的节目都会教给你传达舒适与温暖的语言
。首先,让我们来谈谈抵御严寒的第一道保护——衣服(clothing)
。天气寒冷的时候,重要的是穿上合适的衣服
。保暖的衣服——好的大衣、帽子、围巾、手套,这些能让一切大不相同 。实际上,我读到过瑞士人有一个表达:“没有坏天气,只有不合适的衣服 。”所以,当外面冷的时候,你需要把自己包裹起来(bundle up)!这个短语意思是穿得暖暖的
。寒冷天气下穿着单薄不但让人感觉不舒服,甚至是危险的 。父母亲经常建议孩子穿厚实
。“一定要穿厚点!今天特别冷 。”婴儿们包裹在柔软的厚毯子里,暖暖得被呵护着,特别可爱!外出一天之后,回到家脱掉外出服会感觉特别舒服
。穿上舒服点的衣服,如睡衣(pajamas),暖流便散溢全身并涌上心头 。当我们用“comfortable(舒适的)”来形容如衣服或是家具之类的事物,有时候我们就将其简称之为“comfy”
。例如,“这件毛衣穿上好舒服!”或者“你的沙发真舒服 。”冬日冷天里的简单快乐就是坐在温暖的炉火旁
。如果你有幸能坐在炉火旁、穿着舒服的衣服、喝着一杯热巧克力,你就可以说“comfy-cozy, toasty-roasty” 。这句话听起来像是儿歌的内容,但它只是“很暖和、舒适”的一种说法 。如果你能有一个人依靠,那就真是太幸运啦
。“to cozy up to someone”意思是身体上挨得特别近 。用另一个词表达这个意思就是“snuggle(依偎)” 。糟糕的一天结束之后,依偎着老公或妻子,或是男友或女友,哪怕是你的忠犬或是爱猫,都会感觉很温暖、很舒服 。但是这个表达还有另一个含义
。“cozy up to sb(讨好/巴结)”意思是和某人成为朋友或是单纯对别人很友善以期得到什么
。为了得到你想要的东西,你对人很亲切而且格外友好 。让我们来听个这个表达用法的范例
。A:马修最近对我特别好
。好奇怪,我之前不觉得他喜欢我 。B:他听说了你将决定去国外着手那个大项目的人选
。所以,他是在巴结你 。A:噢
。那他给我一盒巧克力就说得通了!因此,人们能讨好其他人以获得某物,那么在行业中,这也同样适用
。你也许在试图影响政府官员的对话中听过“cozy up(巴结)” 。例如,为了通过有利的法律,说客们可能会去讨好立法者 。另一个同样意思的表达是“get cozy (with someone)”
。你也许听过它的这种用法 。“我看你近期一直讨好教练 。你担心你在队里的位置,是吗?”现今,尽管大企业和立法议员们之间往往互相奉承,我们也不会形容他们之中任何一方亲切友好(warm-and-fuzzy,有时这个词是有连字符组合的,有时候没有)
。逃离了寒冷之后让人感觉特别美好的东西就是所谓的“warm-and-fuzzy”
。“fuzzy”形容某物摸起来非常柔软-如小狗或者小猫 。那么,在你应付完字面意义上的寒冷之后,一件柔软的衣物会让人感觉很舒服
。但是“warm-and-fuzzy”的东西也能帮你抵御喻义上的寒冷 。例如,一部电影可以是温馨的 。这意味着你看完这部电影感觉很好 。但我们也用这个表达形容某人真得很冷漠无情或者某物很冰冷、很机械
。如我们之前所说,说客和立法议员往往不是热情友好的 。让我们在另一个例子中听下这个表达的用法:
A:“你的室友应该不是热情友好型的吧,对吗?”
B:“是的,她不是
。上周我感冒了,她告诉我不要那么大声打喷嚏 。”A:“那挺冷漠的
。”悲催的一天结束之后,不论是冷冷的一天还是高温的一天,我们许多人只想回到家,逃离糟糕的一切
。我逃离的最佳方式是换上我舒服的睡衣,躺在我舒服的沙发上,蜷缩在我的火炉旁看一场温馨的电影
。“curl up(蜷缩)”意思是把你的身体缩成一团以保持温暖,像小猫那样
。还有比一只蜷缩在妈妈身边的毛茸茸的小动物更可爱的事物吗?我觉得没有比那更可爱的了 。为了逃离寒冷的世界,你也许想蜷缩起来,喝着一杯热茶,听着我们下期的《词汇掌故》
。我是安娜·马特奥
。