(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
And now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
Each week, we tell about terms and expressions we use in American English. Sometimes we give you the origin, or starting point. But oftentimes language experts do not know exactly how a word or expression came to be. So, there can be many "origin" stories.
Today we run into just that problem. But it is not about a word or expression, but rather a symbol – Rx.
A symbol is a sign that represents one or more words. The "Rx" sign is formed by placing a line across the right foot of the letter "R." It represents the word "prescription" and has come to mean "take this medicine."
In the States, we often see this sign on drug stores and doctor's offices. It also appears on bottles of pills and other medicines.
But how did Rx come to mean prescription medicine?
One common explanation is that "Rx" has Latin roots. Some word historians suggest that "Rx" gets its meaning from the Latin word "recipere," meaning "to take."
They add that by the late 1500s, the spelling of the word and its meaning had changed. It became "recipe," meaning a "medical prescription." This meaning remained in use until the middle of the 1700s. At that time, people also began to use the word "recipe" in food preparation, as we do today.
Yet, the symbol "Rx" and the meaning "take this medicine" stayed unchanged.
Okay, so that origin story is not so interesting. Instead, let's hear another story that also claims to explain the history of Rx.
Some experts say the sign began 5,000 years ago in Egypt. At that time, people prayed to Horus, the god of the Sun. Legend says that when Horus was a child, Seth, the demon of evil, attacked him.
When Seth put out the eye of the young Horus, the mother of Horus called for help. Thoth, the god of learning and magic, answered her cries. With his wisdom and special powers, Thoth healed the eye of Horus and the child was able to see again.
The ancient Egyptians used a picture of the eye of Horus as a magic sign to protect themselves from disease, suffering and evil.
Long after the collapse of ancient Egypt, doctors and scientists in Europe continued to use the sign. But over the years, it changed from the eye of Horus to the sign for Jupiter, the chief god of the Romans. Jupiter's sign looked much like the printed number "four."
Over time, that sign also changed. It became the easily-recognized letter "R" with a line across its foot. The sign no longer means help for the sick from an ancient god, but rather "medicine to take."
So, that is what the symbol means even though we cannot guarantee how it came to be. To make it up to you, we give you a useful, medicine-related expression.
Now, when a doctor prescribes a patient medicine, it is only for that patient, no one else. Giving someone a taste of their own medicine sounds like the right thing to do. A person is supposed to take the medicine as doctor has prescribed for them.
But that is not what this expression means.
When you give someone a taste of their own medicine, you treat them as they have treated you. And we almost always use this expression when talking about bad treatment.
Let's hear how it can be used.
A: Great party, Chuck!
B: Thanks! Hey, can you keep an eye on things here? I need to go and get Natalie.
A: I thought Michael was giving her a ride.
B: That's what he said. But he hasn't shown up. She's been waiting at her place for an hour.
A: Michael has been doing that a lot lately. He promises to do something and then doesn't follow up. Last week, we were supposed to go to the movies, but he stood me up. And he didn't even call to let me know he couldn't make it.
B: He was a no-show for me just last week too.
A: You know, one day, we should give him a taste of his own medicine. We should agree to do something -- something really important to him -- and then never show up.
B: Having a taste of his medicine might help. But you know we'll never do that.
A: I know. Look, you stay here and take care of the party. I'll go and get Natalie.
B: That would be a big help. Thanks! Be careful on the road.
A: Always. See you in about 30 minutes!
And that's Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. I'm Anna Matteo.
Do you use medicine in a similar expression in your language? Let us know in the Comments Section. Or simply tell us about a time when you had to give someone a taste of their own medicine.
重点解析
1.make it up to 报答(补偿);报答;酬谢
I'll make it up to you, I promise.
我保证，我会补偿你的。
2.keep an eye on 留意;密切注意
Keep an eye on that rascal. Don't let him run away.
看住他，别让这坏家伙跑了！
3.follow up 在……后做（或说）;追查;将……深入下去;对……采取进一步行动
Let me follow up with her.
我来和她跟进这个案子。
4.stand sb up 放鸽子;失约;放某人的鸽子
I hope you may not stand me up.
我想你不会放我的鸽子吧。
参考译文
现在是VOA学英语《词汇掌故》时间。
每周，我们会谈论我们在美式英语里使用到的短语和表达。有时候，我们会给出来源或者起点。但往往语言专家不知道一个单词或者表达的确切形成史。因此，会有很多的“起源”故事。
今天我们就碰到了这个问题。但是它不是关于一个单词或表达，而是一个符号：Rx。
符号是代表一个或者更多单词的一个标志。“Rx”这个标志是通过在字母“R”的右下角放置一条线而形成的。这代表单词“prescription（处方）”，并且也开始表示“服用这个药品”的意思了。
在美国，我们经常在药店和医生办公司看见这个符号。它也出现在要药瓶上和其他药品上。
但是“Rx”是怎么开始表示处方药的意思的呢？
其中一个常见的解释是“Rx”有拉丁语词源。一些文字历史学家表明，“Rx”的含义出自拉丁语单词“recipere”，意思是“接收”。
他们还补充道：到16世纪晚期，单词的拼写和它的含义已经改变了。它变成了“recipe”，意思是“药物处方”。这个含义的用法一直保留下来到了18世纪。那个时候，人们也开始在食品备制阶段用到单词“recipe（食谱）”，这和我们现在的用法一样。
然而，“Rx”符号以及它的含义“服用这个药品”保持不变。
好吧，这个起源故事不是很有趣。相反，让我们听听另一个故事，这个故事也声称可以解释“Rx（处方药）”的历史。
一些专家说这个标志始于5000年前的埃及。那个时候，人们向太阳神荷鲁斯祈祷。传说，当荷鲁斯还是个孩子的时候，他曾被恶魔赛斯袭击过。
当赛斯把小荷鲁斯的眼睛挖出来的时候，他的妈妈呼喊求助。学问和魔法之神托特听见了她的呼喊。他运用自己的智慧和神力，托特治愈了荷鲁斯的眼睛，让他重见光明。
古埃及人用荷鲁斯之眼的图片当作一种魔法符号来保护他们自己免于受到疾病、痛苦和邪恶的伤害。
在古埃及王国土崩瓦解很长一段时间之后，欧洲的医生和科学家继续沿用这个标志。但是多年后，这张图片从荷鲁斯之眼变成了罗马主神朱庇特。朱庇特的标志看起来很像印刷的数字“four（四）”。
随着时间的流逝，这个标志也改变了。它变成了容易识别的字母“R”，在“R”的右下角有划一条线。这个标志不再表示借助古老神灵来帮助病人，而是吃药的意思。
那么，这就是这个标志的含义，但是我们不能确定它的形成史是怎样的。为了补偿你，我们给你提供一个有用的、和医药相关的表达。
当医生给病人开药的时候，那药只是针对那个病人的，不是为其他人开的。给某人一剂他自己的药尝尝（giving someone a taste of their own medicine），这听起来像是做得没错。人们应当吃医生给他们开的药。
但这并不是这个表达的含义。
当你“give someone a taste of their own medicine（以其人之道还治其人之身）”的时候，你像他们对待你一样对待他们。我们几乎总是在谈论糟糕的待遇时使用这个表达。
让我们来听下这个表达是怎么使用的。
A：很棒的派对，查克！
B：谢谢！嘿，你能帮我盯一下这儿吗？我要去接娜塔莉。
A：我以为迈克尔正载着她过来呢。
B：他确实那么说过。但是他还没有出现。娜塔莉已经在她那等了一个小时了。
A：迈克尔最近经常这样。他答应做一件事情，然后就没有然后了。上周，我们本来要去电影院的，但是他放了我鸽子。他甚至没打个电话告诉我他来不了了。
B：他上周也爽我的约了。
A：你知道，有天，我们应该以其人之道还治其人之身。我们应该同意做什么事情，一件对他来说很重要的事情，之后便再也不出现。
B：以其人之道还治其人之身也许管用。但是你知道，我们绝不会做那样的事情的。
A：我知道。听着，你待在这里，照看一下派对。我去接娜塔莎。
B：那真是帮我大忙了。谢谢！路上注意安全。
A：我一直都注意安全的。大约半小时后见！
这就是今天VOA学英语的《词汇掌故》节目。我是安娜·马特奥。
你们语言里用过类似含有“medicine”的表达吗？在评论区告诉我们吧。或者就单纯给我们讲讲当你不得不以其人之道还治其人之身的一次经历吧。
