(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, it's time for Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
Spring is in the air! Well, at least, in half of the world. The amount of daylight in the northern half is increasing, day by day. And air temperatures are slowly rising.
Spring is a season for growth and rebirth. Many insects, plants and even some animals are coming out of a deep, deep sleep. Bees and birds are especially active.
All around life is buzzing.
And for many people, spring is a time for love. All this talk of love and rebirth might get some people thinking about sex. And children, who seem to overhear everything interesting, might start asking questions. A few of these questions adults sometimes have trouble answering, such as "Where do babies come from?"
It is important for parents to talk with their children about sex. But such discussions can be uncomfortable and even embarrassing. To make this subject easier to talk about, adults sometimes explain sex and sexual reproduction by telling the child how animals reproduce.
Years ago, parents and even schoolteachers would call the subject of human sexuality and reproduction "the birds and the bees." This gave them a way to avoid saying the word "sex."
Several language websites give the English writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge credit for this expression. Let's listen to a reading from his poem "Work Without Hope."
All nature seems at work... The bees are stirring--birds are on the wing... and I the while, the sole unbusy thing, not honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.
Literary experts say that when Coleridge writes of bees "stirring" and birds "on the wing," he means they are having sex. And he is suggesting that he is not.
The expression "the birds and the bees" is unclear. It can lead to more questions and misunderstanding in a child. More often than not, it does lead to a lot of embarrassment.
This is an old expression and it may sound dated. But Americans still use it, usually in a humorous way.
Let's hear how a teenager might use the term.
"Last night, my mother took me to my favorite restaurant. I thought it was to celebrate my good grades. But as it turns out, she said that just wanted ‘to talk about the birds and the bees.' She actually said, ‘the birds and the bees!' And the waiter heard! I've never been so embarrassed in my whole life!!"
Now we have another expression that is a little more serious. And you can also use when you still want to avoid the actual words "sex education." You can simply call those details the facts of life.
You take the good, You take the bad
You take them both and there you have
The facts of life, The facts of life
There's a time you got to go and show
You're growin' now you know about
The facts of life, the facts of life.
When the world...
That song opened the 1980s television show "The Facts of Life." Set at a private girl's school, the coming-of-age show was funny. But it also dealt with teenage girls and the issues they face, such as sex and relationships.
So, "the birds and the bees," and "facts of life" are both expressions that let you avoid saying the word "sex."
We have another evasive expression involving the word "bird." But this one lets you avoid telling from where you heard something.
Let's say you overheard something you were not supposed to hear or you learned some news but don't want to say who told you. You could say "a little bird told me."
But be warned. This expression may be a bit too sweet for some people.
Now let's hear how to use these expressions.
A: Hey, I heard that you're going on a trip for a few days.
B: Yes, I'm visiting my sister out in California. But how did you know? I've only told one or two people here at work.
A: Oh, a little bird told me. Anyway, don't worry. I won't say a thing. How long will you be gone?
B: A week! I love spending time with my sister and her children. Those kids are so intelligent.
A: Children these days seem so much more like adults than we were at that age. For example, they really know their way around computers and technology.
A: Don't get me started about the birds and the bees! I think my 12-year-old niece knows more about human reproduction than I did in my 20s!
B: And I suspect she doesn't call it "the birds and the bees," does she?
A: No, she does not. In fact, when we talked about the facts of life, she uses all the scientific terms. Very specific language. It was a little uncomfortable.
B: For who? You or her.
A: Me, naturally.
And that's Words and Their Stories. Join us again next week when we explore the meaning of other expressions in American English.
I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.more often than not 通常；多半
No matter, because everything is cooked through and more often than not, delicious.
不要紧，因为每样东西都是煮熟的，并且通常比生的好吃的多。
2.give credit for 因……而获得信任；把...归功于；给予肯定
Be supportive, give credit for good cooperative work and knowledge shared, and always celebrate team achievements.
对良好的合作、分享知识的例子要给予支持、信任，并表彰他们的成绩。
3.the birds and the bees 初步的性教育；基本的性知识；关于两性关系的基本常识
I stood, dumbfounded, wondering if I should be the one to answer this child's first question about the birds and the bees.
我目瞪口呆地站在原地，寻思着该不该回答这个小孩所提出的第一个关于性知识的问题。
参考译文
现在是VOA学英语《词汇掌故》节目时间。
空气中弥漫着春天的气息！好吧，至少一半的世界是这样的。北半球白天的时间正一天天增加。气温也在慢慢回升。
春天是生长和新生的季节。许多昆虫、植物还有动物也正从冬眠中苏醒过来。蜜蜂和鸟儿们尤其活跃。
到处都洋溢着生命的喜悦。
对于很多人来说，春天是恋爱的季节。所有关于爱情和新生的话题也许会让人想到性（sex）。而偶然间听到感兴趣的事情的孩子，也许要开始问问题了。其中一些问题大人回答起来有时有点难度，例如“孩子是怎么来的？”
对于家长来说，和孩子谈性方面的话题是很重要的。但是这样的探讨会不自在甚至有点难为情。为了让这个话题聊起来轻松些，大人们有时候通过告诉孩子动物如何繁殖来解释性和两性生殖（sexual reproduction）。
许多年前，家长，甚至学校的老师都会将人类的性与生殖的话题称为“the birds and the bees（基本的性知识）”。这给他们提供了一种能避免说出单词“sex（性）”的方法。
几大语言网站认为这个表达归功于英国作家塞缪尔·泰勒·柯尔律治。让我们来听听他的诗歌《无望的劳作（Work Without Hope）》中的其中一段。
大自然中的一切似乎都在工作……蜜蜂在空中飞舞——鸟儿也双双对对展开了翅膀……此时此刻，只有我，是唯一不忙之物，没有采蜜，没有成双，没有筑屋，也没有歌唱。
文学专家说柯尔律治写的蜜蜂在“飞舞”以及鸟儿“展开了翅膀”，他意思是它们都在交配，暗示自己没有可以结合的对象。
这个表达“the birds and the bees”意思不明晰。它可能会给孩子带来更多的疑问和误解。通常（More often than not），这确实会很难堪。
这是个古老的表达，也许听上去有点落伍了。但美国人仍然在使用这个表达，通常以一种幽默的方式表达。
让我们来听听一个青少年可能是怎样使用这个短语的吧。
“昨晚，我妈妈带我去了我最喜欢的餐馆。我以为是为了庆祝我取得的好成绩。但事实证明，她说她只是想谈论下基本的性知识（the birds and the bees）。”她确实是说的‘the birds and the bees’服务员听见了！我人生中还从来没有那么尴尬过！！”
但我们还有一个更加严肃点的表达。你仍然可以用这个表达来避免实际的“性教育（sex education）”这个词。你可以简单地把这些细节称为“the facts of life（性知识）”。
有好生活，有坏生活
你要是能接受两者，就能感受到生活的真谛
生命的事实，生活的事实
总有你出彩的时候
如今你长大了，你知道
活着就是事实，活着就是事实。
当世界……
这首歌是20世纪80年代的电视剧《活着就是事实》的片头曲。故事背景是一所私立女子学校，这部成人剧很搞笑。但剧情也涉及到未成年少女以及她们所面临的问题，比如性和感情。
那么，“the birds and the bees（基础性知识）”以及“facts of life（性知识）”这两个表达都能让你免于说出单词“sex（性）”。
我们还有一个和“bird（鸟儿）”相关的委婉表达。但是这个表达可以让你避免说出你从哪听说的事情。
假设你听到了你不该听到的某事或者你了解到了一些消息，但是不愿说是谁告诉你的。你可以说“有人告诉我（a little bird told me）”。
但提醒一句：这个表达对于有些人可能有点太“暖心”了。
现在让我们来听听这些表达的使用方法。
A：嘿，我听说你要出去旅行几天。
B：是的，我要去拜访我远在加州的姐姐。但是你怎么知道的？我只告诉了我一两个同事。
A：哦，有人告诉我的。不管怎样，不用担心。我什么也不会说出去的。你要走多长时间？
B：一周！我喜欢和我姐姐还有她的孩子们待在一起。那些孩子很聪明。
A：现在的孩子似乎比我们那个时候更像大人了。比如说，他们真得对电脑和科技了如指掌。
A：不要和我谈性知识！我想我12岁大的外甥女比20多岁时的我懂得更多人类生殖的知识。
B：我怀疑她不称呼那为“the birds and the bees”，对吗？
A：对，她不那样称呼。实际上，当我们谈论性知识的时候，她用的额全是科学术语。非常专业的语言。有点尴尬。
B：谁觉得尴尬？你还是她。
A：自然是我。
这就是本期的《词汇掌故》。下周再和我们一起探讨美式英语里的其他表达的含义吧。
我是安娜·马特奥。
