(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
Each week, we take a close look at words and expressions commonly used in American English.
But, let's be honest. Language is not fair. Some words are just more beautiful than others.
Take the word "moist," for example.
"Moist" was recently named one of the ugliest words in the English language. The word sounds dirty, and its meaning is not all that great. So, you could say it loses on both counts.
Some words sound beautiful but have ugly meanings.
Take, for example, the word "malevolent." It may sound pleasant to the ear. But it means "having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person."
On the other hand, there are words such as "serendipity."
Serendipity sounds beautiful and is fun to say. The adjective form of the word is even more fun to say -- "serendipitous"!
Three words with similar meanings to "serendipity" are fate, chance and fortuitous. But none of those are as beautiful as serendipity.
The meaning is beautiful, too.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary website defines "serendipity" as "luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for." So serendipity is a happy accident. It comes from being in the right place at the right time.
For example, let's say you have a single friend who is perfectly happy living the life of a bachelor. He does not want to be in a relationship. One day on his way to work, he jumps onto the wrong train. There he meets the perfect woman for him and they marry a short time later. It was pure serendipity! Not only was he not looking for a relationship when he found one, he also wasn't supposed to be on that train.
The history of the word "serendipity" is also interesting.
The Encyclopedia Britannica website explains that Serendip is an ancient name for Sri Lanka, the island nation once called Ceylon. Word historians believe that Serendip comes from Arabic. They say the word was first used in the Arabic language more than 1,500 years ago. Some experts believe that Arab traders began using it after coming in contact with people from South Asia.
The first recorded use of the English word "serendipity" can be found in the letters of an 18th century English writer named Horace Walpole. Merriam-Webster's online dictionary says that in the 1700s, Walpole used the word in a letter to his friend also named Horace -- Horace Mann.
In the mid-1700s, while researching a coat of arms, Walpole discovered something interesting but unrelated to his search. In a letter to his friend Mann, he wrote: "This discovery indeed is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word ..."
He goes on to write that explaining the origin of "serendipity" would be easier than defining it. Walpole says he made the word after reading a Persian story called "The Three Princes of Serendip." The heroes in this story, he writes, "were always making discoveries, by accidents" of things they were not looking for.
The website adds that Walpole's memory of the story may not have been correct. But that memory did give serendipity the meaning that we know today.
Now let's hear two friends use the word serendipity.
Geoff! Long time no see!
Hi Josephine! What a coincidence! I was just talking about you last night. How are you?
I'm doing great! How about you? Still working in the finance world?
No. I left my job in finance.
Really?! What made you decide to do that?
Actually, it's a funny story. Last year, my friend invited me to a party in his neighborhood. I wasn't going to go. But at the last minute, I said, ‘Why not!' So, I went and the party was ... okay. But there were lots of kids. At one point, the younger kids started acting up. So, to settle them down, I sang some songs. Well, one parent really liked them.
What does this have to do with your finance job?
I'm getting to that. As it turns out, that parent produces children's music! She invited me to her recording studio and the next day I signed a three-year contract!
What an amazing story of serendipity!
That is the best way to describe it – serendipitous! I didn't plan on quitting my banking job. But fate had other plans for me.
And that's Words and Their Stories.
Do you have a story of serendipity to share with us? You can do so do in the Comments Section.
I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.at the last minute 在紧要关头
Barron invited her to the races and she agreed, but she caught flu and had to cry off at the last minute.
她接受了巴伦一起去看比赛的邀请，但她感冒了，最后不得不取消约定。
2.act up 调皮；行动起来；行动倔强
She is to be back in one miute, but I never act up in the car, you should try.
她立马就回来了。但是那以后我再也没有在车里调皮了，你应该试一下。
3.as it turns out 结果；结果是；正如结果所展示的那样
As it turns out, my mom was right about a lot of things, and this was one of them.
结果，有许多事情都被母亲说中了，这是其中一件。
参考译文
现在是VOA学英语《词汇掌故》节目时间。
每周我们都会仔细地观察美式英语里的常见单词和表达。但是，老实说。语言是不公平的。一些单词就是比其他的要好看些。以单词“moist（潮湿的）”举例来说说。
“moist”最近被人们称为英语中最丑的单词之一。这个单词听起来令人反感，它的意思也总是不够好。因此，你可以说这个单词在这两项重要的方面都比较失败。
一些单词听起来美妙但是词义不好。
以单词“malevolent（坏心肠的）”为例。它听起来悦耳。但它的意思是“具有或表现出对他人造成伤害的欲望”。
不过，还有单词如“serendipity（机缘凑巧）”。
“serendipity”听着好听且发音很有趣。这个单词的形容词形式甚至发音更有趣：“serendipitous（偶然发现的）”。
和“serendipity”意思相近的三个单词是“fate（命运）”、“chance（机会）”以及“fortuitous（偶然的）”。
但是它们没有一个和“serendipity”一样动听。
它的意思也很美。
线上版韦氏词典将“serendipity”定义为：“运气是以发现没有去寻找的有价值的或愉快的事物的形式来实现的。”因此“serendipity”是一种令人开心的意外。它出现在合适的地方、合适的时间。
例如，假如你有一个完全过着快乐单身生活的单身朋友。他不想谈恋爱。一天在去工作途中，他上错了列车。在那趟列车上，他遇见了对于他来说完美的女人，他们不久就结婚了。这纯粹是机缘巧合！不仅他在找到恋人前没有在寻找开始一段感情，而且他也本不该在那趟列车上。
单词“serendipity”的历史也很有趣。
大英百科全书网站解释道：“Serendip”是斯里兰卡的古名，这座岛国曾被称为“Ceylon”。文字史学家认为“Serendip”出自阿拉伯语。
他们说这个单词最开始在阿拉伯语里使用是在1500多年前。一些专家认为阿拉伯商人在与南亚人接触后开始使用这个单词的。
英语单词“serendipity”的第一次有记录的使用是被发现于一个18世纪的英国作家霍勒斯·沃波尔的书信里的。
韦氏在线词典显示，在18世纪，沃波尔在写给一个也叫作霍勒斯的朋友霍瑞思·曼的一封书信中用到了这个单词。
在18世纪中期，在研究盾徽时，沃波尔发现了和他的研究无关的趣事。他在给他的朋友曼的信中写道：“这个发现实际上就是我所谓的‘Serendipity（机缘巧合）’，这是一个非常富有表现力的词……”
他继续写下去，解释“serendipity”的由来会比给它下定义要轻松。沃波尔说他是在读了一个叫做《The Three Princes of Serendip（斯里兰卡的三个王子）》的波斯故事之后造了这个词。他写道，故事里的英雄“总是偶然发现”不是他们正在寻找的东西。
网站补充道：沃波尔对于那个故事的记忆可能不对。但这个记忆确实给出了我们今天知道的“serendipity”的含义。
现在让我们来听听两个朋友使用单词“serendipity”的例子。
杰夫！好久不见！
嗨，约瑟芬！真是巧啊！我昨晚还谈起你。你怎么样？
我很好！你怎么样？还在金融界工作吗？
没有。我辞去了金融业的工作。
真的吗？！是什么让你决定辞职的？
实际上，这故事很有趣。去年，我的朋友邀请我去他们社区参加一个派对。我没打算去。但在最后一刻，我对我自己说：“为什么不去！”所以我去了并且这个派对……还不错。但是有很多孩子。中间孩子们一度开始调皮捣蛋。因此，为了让他们平静下来，我唱了一些歌曲。嗯，有个家长真得很喜欢我唱的歌。
这和你辞去金融的工作有什么关系？
我正要说到这个呢。结果，那位家长就是制作儿童音乐的！她邀请我去了她的录音棚，第二天，我签了份合约期三年的合同。
真是个机缘巧合的好故事！
这是形容这个故事的最好方式：意外收获（serendipitous）！我没计划辞掉我的银行工作。但是命运对我另有安排。
这就是本周的《词汇掌故》。
你有机缘巧合的故事分享给我们吗？你也可以在评论区告诉我们。
我是安娜·马特奥。
