(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Making Things 'from Scratch'
And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
Some people get great joy and satisfaction from doing things by themselves. That is why DIY, or do-it-yourself, projects are so popular.
Such projects became even more popular during the coronavirus health crisis. Another activity became popular -- baking.
I am not talking about opening a box of cake mix, stirring in some water and baking it in the oven. I'm sure that it would still taste good. But it would not be completely homemade. You used a cake mix you bought at the store. In other words, you did not make the cake "from scratch."
That is the expression we are going to talk about today – from scratch!
Let's continue with another baking example. I love to make bread from scratch. I measure out the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. I add some water and then knead the mixture into dough, which is the word for uncooked bread. It is so much fun. And, in my opinion, making it from scratch creates the tastiest bread.
To create something from scratch is to make it without any ready-made ingredients or materials.
Let's say you want to build a greenhouse for your plants. You could buy one. But it might cost a lot of money. So, you decide to build it from scratch. You build it from the ground up with the most basic materials.
Starting from scratch can also mean starting something over from the beginning. For example, a group of people want to start a reading program for children. But after hours and hours of planning, they have not decided anything. They thought of many good ideas, but those ideas do not seem to work well together. And the heart of the project has been lost. So, someone suggests, "Hey, why don't we start from scratch and simplify our ideas."
Starting from scratch is often the only way to more forward once a project gets really complex.
You can start many things from scratch – from a reading program to your career. If you start your career from scratch, you start over and do something new. After many years of being a lawyer, my friend started her career over from scratch and became a video game developer.
Or you could continue the same career but in a new way or in a new place.
Here's another example. A friend of mine wanted to re-start his singing career. He was living in Chicago but did not find success there. So, he moved to Pittsburgh and started his singing career over from scratch. It seems to have worked because he is doing really well in that city.
Some word experts say the expression "from scratch" comes from foot races.
The "scratch" used to mean the line scratched in the ground as the starting line for the race. All the runners would begin with their toes on the scratched line.
The term also is used in cricket and boxing. In fact, it may have been used in those sports first.
Experts often do not agree on word origins. But don't let that stop you from using "from scratch." Use the expression the next time you talk about doing something yourself or starting something from the beginning.
And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
Until next time --
I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.health crisis 健康危机
That combination is missing in many nations where iodine deficiency remains a health crisis.
许多国家正是缺乏这样的组合，所以缺碘仍是一个健康危机。
2.foot races 竞走
They emphasized horse RACES, chariot RACES, boxing, wrestling, throwing the discus, throwing the javelin, long jump, and foot RACES.
他们强调赛马、战车比赛、拳击、摔跤、铁饼、标枪、跳远和竞走。
3.In fact 事实上；实际上
His departure, in fact, went almost unremarked.
事实上，他的离去几乎没被注意到。
参考译文
如何地道地表达“从头开始”？
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》。
有些人会从自己动手做的事情中得获得极大的快乐和满足。这就是自己动手做（DIY）项目如此受欢迎的原因。
在新冠病毒健康危机期间，这类项目愈加受追捧。另一项活动——烘焙变得流行起来。
我说的可不是打开一盒蛋糕粉，加些水搅拌，然后放烤箱里烤。我敢肯定这种蛋糕味道挺不错的。但它不完全是自制的。你用的是在店里购买的蛋糕粉。换句话说，你不是“从零开始”做蛋糕的。
这就是我们今天要讨论的短语——从头开始（from scratch）!
我们再次以烘焙举例。我喜欢从头开始做面包。我准备好了面粉、盐、糖和酵母的用量。然后加一些水，然后把这些面粉揉成面团，也就是生面团。这个过程很有趣。在我看来，从零开始制作出来才是最美味的面包。
所谓的“从零开始”是指不使用任何现成的材料。
假设你想为植物建打造一间温室。当然你可以直接下单购买。但这可能要花费一大笔钱。所以，你决定从头开始构建。使用最基础的材料从头开始建造。
“从头开始”也可以指“从头再来”。例如，一群人想为孩子们启动一个阅读项目。但是经过数小时的计划，他们还没有做出任何决定。他们想出了许多好主意，但这些主意似乎不太协调。项目的核心已经变味了。所以，有人建议，“嘿，为什么不从头开始，简化一下我们的想法。”
当一个项目变得非常复杂时，从头开始通常是唯一的解决办法。
我们可以从零开始做很多事情——小到阅读计划，大到职业生涯。如果说从头开始职业生涯，那么就意味着要尝试全新的事情。在做了多年律师后，我的朋友从零开始，成为了一名电子游戏开发者。
或者你可以继续同样的事业，但以一种全新的方式或在一个全新的领域。
再举个例子。我的一个朋友想要重拾他的歌唱事业。他住在芝加哥，但他在那里没有取得成功。于是，他搬到了匹兹堡，从零开始了他的歌唱事业。这似乎奏效了，因为他在那个城市很受欢迎。
一些词汇专家表示，“from scratch”(从头开始)这个短语源自长跑。
词汇“scratch”过去是指在地面上划出的起跑线。所有的赛跑者都要从起跑线开始。
这个术语也常见于板球和拳击赛中。事实上，这个词可能最先应用于这些运动项目中。
专家们对单词出处往往意见不一。但不要因此而放弃使用“from scratch”。下次当谈论自己做某事或从头开始做某事时，请使用这个短语。
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。
下期节目见。
安娜·马特奥为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
