(单词翻译:单击)
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Now, from VOA Learning English, it's time for Words and Their Stories.
If this is your first time with us, this program explores words and expressions commonly used in American English. We take a look at where they come from and how best to use them.
So, as winter officially comes to half the world, today we celebrate an expression that means winter is coming.
When temperatures drop and a cold snap comes, that means one thing: Jack Frost has arrived!
"He's nipping at your nose. You can feel it in your toes! A shiver and a tear, let's you know Jack Frost is here!"
Jack Frost represents the coming of dark, cold days. He is the personification of winter, a human form of winter weather. So, when we say, "Jack Frost is nipping at your nose," we mean that you feel the cold, icy effects of winter on your face.
When a frost or deep freeze comes, you had better bundle up! You should wear enough clothing to stay warm.
Now, Jack Frost does, indeed, bring the cold of winter. But he can also create beauty in nature. Some traditions claim that Jack Frost is responsible for leaving ice and snow on windows, trees, the ground...anywhere it will stick.
While we know frost is a natural event, it is fun to think that an imaginary creature named Jack Frost (or another name in some other cultures) changed the world into a winter wonderland!
That is what poet Hannah Flagg Gould (1789-1865) must have been thinking when she wrote a poem called The Frost.
Here are parts of that poem.
THE FROST looked forth, one still, clear night,
And he said, "Now I shall be out of sight; ...
Then he went to the mountain, and powdered its crest,
He climbed up the trees, and their boughs he dressed
With diamonds and pearls..."
With all of its beauty and extremes, winter is a great subject for songs and poetry. But now, let's listen to how we use these wintry expressions in conversation.
Brrr! It is freezing outside. This cold snap came out of nowhere!
I don't care how cold it is. I'm going on a hot date!
Is that all you're wearing? You need to bundle up or Jack Frost will be nipping at more than your nose!
I'll be fine. I'm wearing my new coat.
That it is NOT a winter coat. I mean, it looks great, but it's much too thin. You will catch a cold. I know. You can wear my new down coat. It keeps you warm up to minus 30 degrees Celsius!
I'm going on a date...not exploring the Arctic Circle! Thanks. But I am not wearing that big, thick black coat. Besides, the taxi will take me from door-to-door.
But what if something goes wrong? What if the car skids on the ice and is involved in an accident? You'll have to walk to the restaurant. You might freeze to death!
No, I won't. I'll just call an Uber to come and get me.
And what if that vehicle runs out of fuel? Then you'll have to walk to get more.
No, the Uber driver will. I'll just call another car.
What if that new Uber driver is a pregnant woman and she goes into labor? You'll have to help. You'll have to wait outside in the cold until help arrives! And the roads are already covered with five centimeters of snow! It could take the ambulance an hour to get to you! If you're wearing that thin coat...you'll catch your death!! The EMTs will find you frozen solid like a block of ice!!
Stop! Stop!! You win! Give me your coat!
Good decision.
Here's my ride ...
Don't forget gloves...a hat...and a scarf! Okay, good bye. Have fun!
And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.
If you would like, please share a similar figure from your culture. Or you can simply practice with some of the language you heard here. You can do that in the Comments Section!
I'm Anna Matteo.
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. And folks dressed up like Eskimos."
重点解析
1.bundle up 穿暖和
We need to bundle up against the cold.
我们必须穿得暖暖的去抵御寒冷。
2.come out of nowhere 突然出现
Unlike other things that kill us, it often seems to come out of nowhere.
跟其他那些杀死我们的东西不一样，癌症仿佛总是从天而降。
3.go into labor 分娩
Your water may or may not break before you go into labor.
在你进入分娩之前羊水可能破也可能不会破。
参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》。
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》。
如果您是第一次收听我们的节目，本节目是一档专门探索美式英语中常用的词汇和表达方式的节目。
我们探查的是这些词汇的来源以及最恰当的用法。
闲话少叙。鉴于全世界有一半的地方都已经正式进入了冬天，今天我们就来讲一个表示冬天来了的说法。
气温下降，寒流袭来，这就意味着：杰克·弗罗斯特来了！
“他在咬你的鼻子。你的脚趾头也能感觉到它的存在！打寒颤，流眼泪，让你知道杰克·弗罗斯特已经到了！”
杰克·弗罗斯特就代表着阴暗、寒冷的日子已经到来。他是冬天的化身，是冬天天气的化身。所以，当我们说，“杰克·弗罗斯特在咬你的鼻子”，就是在说你感觉冬天那种冰冷已经扑面而来了。
霜冻或冰冻来临时，你最好加点衣服！要穿足够多的衣服保暖。
虽然杰克·弗罗斯特确实会带来冬天的寒冷。但他也能为大自然披上美丽的外衣。有习俗认为，把冰雪留在窗户上，树上，地上，留在任何冰雪逗留的地方，都是杰克·弗罗斯特的杰作。
虽然我们知道霜冻是一种自然现象，但说是一个叫杰克·弗罗斯特(在其他文化中可能又是另一个名字)的虚构生物把世界变成了冰雪的仙境还是蛮有意思的一个想法！
想必诗人汉娜·弗拉格·古尔德(1789-1865)在写《弗罗斯特》那首诗的时候也是这么想的吧。
以下便是这首《弗罗斯特》的节选。
弗罗斯特向前望去，一个寂静而晴朗的夜晚，
他说：“现在我应该退下了；……
于是，他去了山间，在山顶上撒粉，
他爬上树，装扮枝丫用钻石和珍珠……”
冬天既美丽又极端，是歌曲和诗歌的绝佳题材。但接下来，我们不妨来听听我们在对话中是如何使用这些冷冰冰的表达的吧。
呜~外面好冷啊。感觉这股寒流噌的一下子就冒出来了！
管它有多冷，反正我要去约个激情四射的会！
你就穿这个吗？你得多穿点儿，不然杰克·弗罗斯特咬的可就不止你的鼻子了！
放心吧。我穿着我的新外套呢。
这也不是冬天的外套啊。好看是好看，但是也太薄了吧。你会冻感冒的。对了，你可以穿我新买的羽绒服。穿了这个，哪怕是零下30℃也冻不着你！
我是去约会...不是去北极圈探险！谢了。但我是不会穿那件又大又厚的黑外套的。而且，出租车会直接把我从楼下送到门口。
但万一出点啥意外呢？万一车子在冰上打滑发生事故了你怎么办？你不就得走着去餐厅。那你可能被冻坏的！
不会不会。我会再叫一辆优步来接我。
如果那辆车也没油了怎么办？那你还得走着去加油。
不。让师傅自己去加。我重新叫一辆。
如果那个司机是一名孕妇，她要分娩了怎么办？你得帮忙吧。你得冒着严寒在外面等着，直到救援到来吧！而且路上已经有五厘米厚的积雪了！救护车可能要花一个小时才能到你那！如果你就穿着那件薄薄的外套...你会得重感冒的！！等急救人员到了，你都已经冻得跟冰块儿一样了！！
停停停！你赢了！把你的外套给我吧！
这才像话嘛。
这是我的车。
别忘了戴手套……帽子……还有围巾！好的，再见。玩得开心!
好的，以上就是本期的《词汇掌故》。
方便的话，您不妨也来给大家分享一个你们文化里的近似人物的故事呀。也可以练习练习今天学到的表达。快来评论区打卡吧！
我是安娜·马泰奥。
“栗子在火上烤着。杰克·弗罗斯特咬着你的鼻子。唱诗班在唱着圣诞颂歌。人们都换上了爱斯基摩人般的装扮。”
