(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
There are thousands of different kinds of birds. They come in all sizes and colors. And they each make their own sound.
That was a robin singing.
Here is a nightingale.
And this is the song of a canary.
Canaries are active, cheerful birds. And they are known for their ability to sing. Some animal experts say they are among the best singing birds. You can even train a young canary to sing. And they can sing for hours!
So, if someone says that you sing like a canary, you would think that they mean you sing cheerfully all day long!
But that is not what singing like a canary means. Not even a little.
In English, if you sing like a canary, you are reporting on someone to high-level officials, like the police.
Let's say police officers question someone suspected of a crime. The officers offer the woman a deal -- a lighter prison sentence in exchange for her cooperation. Wanting to avoid jail time, she sings like a canary and provides details about the people who helped her carry out the crime.
In fact, even after the police have enough evidence, she keeps on talking, telling them about other crimes. She is like a canary that cannot stop singing!
In this case, you could also say that she snitched or ratted on her criminal friends. If I snitch or rat on someone, I can also simply say that I have told on them. To tell on a person is to tell someone else a bad thing they have done.
So, for example, if I tell on you, I share something bad you have done with someone else. Although, to tell on someone sounds a little childish. Brothers and sisters often tell on each other to their parents. Classmates can tell on each other to their teachers.
Now, at this point, you might say, "Anna, wait a minute. Why does English use canaries in this expression? People love canaries and keep them as pets. They are happy, harmless little birds."
Well, yes, they are. But that is not the point.
To say someone "sang like a canary" simply states what the bird does naturally and often. It sings! The expression does not mean that the birds are bad. Also it does not liken them to criminals.
So, if someone sings like a canary and rats on their friends, we would never call them a "canary." But, we could call them a rat. Canaries, it seems, are easier to love than rats.
There is an important thing to note when using these expressions.
When we use "sing like a canary," most often the person doing the singing is also guilty themselves. However, if you snitch or rat on someone, you do not necessarily have to be involved in whatever it is you are snitching or ratting about.
But when you use sing like a canary, you usually have had a hand in the trouble.
Unlike the cheerful canary. It just wants to sing.
And that's Words and Their Stories! I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.come in all 有各种……
Fonts come in all shapes and sizes and colours.
字体形状千差万别，大小、颜色各异。
2.rat on 告发
They were accused of encouraging children to rat on their parents.
他们被指控怂恿孩子们告发他们的父母。
3.tell on 告发
He'll surely tell on you to the teacher.
他肯定会向老师告你的状的。
参考译文
欢迎大家收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
鸟有成千上万个不同的种类。体型和颜色也是多种多样。发出的声音也各不相同。
这是一只知更鸟。
这是一只夜莺。
这是一只金丝雀在唱歌。
金丝雀是一种很活跃、欢快的鸟。他们以歌喉动听著称。一些动物专家表示，它们是最会唱歌的鸟类之一。你甚至可以教一只幼小的金丝雀唱歌。而且他们可以一连唱上几个小时！
所以，如果有人说你“像金丝雀在唱歌一样”(singlikeacanary)的时候，你可能会以为他们的意思是你整天都在欢快地唱歌！
然而，这并不是这个表达真正的意思。甚至丝毫都不沾边。
在英语里，如果说你“像金丝雀唱歌一样”，意思是你在向长官，比如警察，汇报某个人的情况。
比方说，警察审问一个涉嫌犯罪的人。他们给这名女子开出了一个条件——缩短她的服刑时间，以换取她的合作。为了避免坐牢，她开始“像金丝雀唱歌一样”，提供了很多有关帮她作案的人的细节。
而且，就算警方已经掌握了足够的证据，她还在继续说，跟他们坦白其他的罪行。就像一只无法停止歌唱的金丝雀一样！
这时，我们也可以说，她告发(snitch)或举报(raton)了她的犯罪同伙。如果要表达我告发或举报了某人，我们也可以简单地说我toldon他们。告发一个人就是把他们做过的坏事讲给别人听。
打个比方，如果我告发你，就等于我把你做过的坏事分享给了别人听。不过，“告发某人”这个短语有点儿幼稚的味道。比如，兄弟姐妹经常给他们的父母打小报告啊。同学给老师打小报告啊什么的。
这个时候，你可能会说，“安娜，等一下。为什么英语里的这个表达要用到金丝雀这个词呢？大家明明很喜欢金丝雀，还把它们当宠物养啊。明明它们是快乐、无害的小鸟啊。”
嗯，你说的没错，它们确实是这样。但这不是重点。
说某人“像金丝雀唱歌一样”只是陈述了这种鸟自然而然且经常做的一件事。那就是唱歌！这个表达并不是说这种鸟就很坏。也没有要将它们与罪犯相提并论。
所以说，如果说有人像金丝雀唱歌一样，告发（raton）了他们的朋友，我们是绝对不会说他们是“金丝雀”的。但是，我们可以说他们是小人（rat)。金丝雀似乎比老鼠更讨人喜欢一些。
另外，在使用这些表达的时候，有一个问题是大家需要注意的。
用“像金丝雀唱歌一样”这个表达的时候，大多数情况下，“唱歌”的那个人自己也是有罪的。但用“snitch”或“raton”的时候，告发的人是不一定就参与了被TA告发的那件事情的。
但当我们用“像金丝雀唱歌一样”这个短语的时候，做这件事的人其实是有掺一脚的。
这点跟快乐的金丝雀是不一样的。因为金丝雀它就只想唱歌。
以上就是本期的《词汇掌故》！安娜·马泰奥为您播报。
