(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
On this program, we explore common expressions and idioms a little more in depth. Today, we discuss a popular and common food – eggs!
People who like eggs think they are egg-xecllent (excellent)! Egg-traordinary (extraordinary)!! Egg-mazing (amazing)!!!
Okay, that last one didn't really work.
So, let's talk about cooking with eggs.
In the mid-1970s, the U.S. American Egg Board -- a group that represents egg farmers -- wanted to create an advertising campaign that captured the usefulness and versatility of the egg. Its ad campaign, called "The Incredible, Edible Egg," told of all the health benefits and showed all the ways we can use eggs in our meals.
For a party or a snack, in a mousse or in a pack, making omelets for the gang, in a salad or merengue, for a treat right after play, in an elegant soufflé ... the incredible, edible egg.
And it's true. We use eggs in so many different dishes. And they are one of the most common breakfast foods in the United States. We eat them sunny side up, scrambled or poached, fried on a sandwich or cooked with vegetables or cheese in an omelet.
And that brings us to this cooking-related idiom: "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."
We often say this as an answer to several different situations.
Here's one:
Let's say you have an important goal or task. Well, sometimes you must do unpleasant things in order to complete that task or meet that goal. You can say you had to break a few eggs (those are the unpleasant things) to make the omelet (that is the task or goal).
However, we usually use this idiom in the negative form.
A: What are you doing?! This place is a mess! The floor is covered with cardboard and paint! And what is that shiny stuff all over the new rug?!
B: It's glitter! I'm making some props for my next video project. It's going to be amazing!
A: But I can't walk across the floor! I can't even SEE the floor!
B: I know it looks bad. But, you know what they say: You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs!
Ok, here is another situation. Sometimes "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs" means it is impossible to get something important done without creating a problem for someone else. So, the result may be good for you, but not for everyone.
Let's hear it used this way in a dialogue.
A: Our customers are not going to be happy if we move our company to a new city.
B: I've looked at the numbers. And moving is the only way we can grow and expand. Taxes are just too high here.
A: Well, they are still going to be really angry.
B: Look, you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.
Yet another situation involves an element of sacrifice. In order to get something good or useful, you must give up something else.
A: Look, I don't think I can give up sugar for one whole month.
B: Well, that's the only way you are going to lose the weight before your wedding.
A: Isn't there another way??
B: You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.
A: I don't want an omelet. I want a double-chocolate iced coffee with ice cream on top!
Now, let's end the show back on cooking. Making an omelet does require some skill. But boiling an egg does not. You boil some water and put an egg in. That is the recipe. So, if we say that someone can't even boil egg, we mean they cannot cook ... at all!
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.in depth 深入地，全面地
He should be prepared to suffer sacrifices to study his chosen field in depth.
他应该做好牺牲的准备，以深入研究他所选择的领域。
2.be covered with 充满着……
Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust.
所有的东西都覆盖着厚厚的一层灰尘。
3.give up 放弃
She was not going to give up her hard-won freedom so easily.
她不会这么轻易地放弃得来不易的自由。
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参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
本集中，我们将更深入地探讨一些常见的表达和习语。今天，我们将讨论一种很常见的比较受欢迎的食物——鸡蛋！
喜欢吃鸡蛋的人认为他们是“egg-xecllent (excellent)(优秀)! Egg-traordinary (extraordinary)(非常优秀)!! Egg-mazing (amazing)(优秀到爆)!!!”
好吧，最后一个不太好用。
所以，我们来谈谈“烹饪鸡蛋”。
20世纪70年代中期，美国鸡蛋委员会——一个代表蛋农的组织——想要发起一场广告活动，捕捉鸡蛋的用途和多功能性。该公司的广告活动名为“不可思议的可食用鸡蛋”，讲述了鸡蛋对健康的所有好处，并展示了我们在膳食中使用鸡蛋的所有方式。
为一场聚会或一顿快餐，用慕丝或纸盒，为大家做煎蛋卷，用沙拉或默朗格舞，为一场游戏后的款待，用优雅的蛋奶酥…… 不可思议的可食用鸡蛋。
是的。我们在很多不同的菜里都会用到鸡蛋。鸡蛋是美国最常见的早餐食物之一。我们只吃煎了一面的荷包蛋、炒蛋或水煮蛋、三明治上的煎蛋或者和蔬菜、奶酪一起做煎蛋卷。
这让我们想到了一个与烹饪相关的习语：“不打破鸡蛋，煎不出蛋饼。(有失才有得)”
我们经常用这句话来回答不同的情况。
比如：
假设你有一个重要的目标或任务。有时为了完成任务或达到目标，你必须做一些不愉快的事情。那么就可以说不得不打破几个鸡蛋(指不愉快的事情)来做煎蛋卷(指任务或目标)。
不过，我们通常用否定形式来使用这个成语。
你在干什么？！这地方真乱！地板上都是纸板和油漆！新地毯上闪闪发亮的东西是什么！
那是闪光装饰物，我在为我的下一个视频项目做道具，效果会很棒！
但是我没办法在地板上走了！我都看不见地板了！
我知道看起来很糟糕。但是，你知道：有失才有得！
好的，下一个场景。“You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs”有时指在不给别人制造麻烦的情况下完成一件重要的事情是不可能的。所以，这个结果可能对你有好处，但并不是对每个人都有好处。
咱们来听一段对话。
如果我们把公司搬到一个新的城市，我们的客户会不高兴的。
我看过这些数字。搬家是我们发展壮大的唯一途径。这里的税收太高了。
不过，他们还是会很生气。
听着，有失才有得。
还有一种情况涉及到牺牲的因素。为了得到一些好的或有用的东西，你必须放弃一些其他的东西。
听着，我觉得我没法一个月不吃糖。
这是你在婚礼前减肥的唯一方法。
难道没有别的办法吗？？
有失才有得。
我不想要煎蛋卷。我想要一份双层巧克力冰咖啡，上面加冰淇淋！
现在，咱们回到烹饪上来。做煎蛋卷确实需要一些技巧，但煮鸡蛋就不一样了。煮一些水，放一个鸡蛋进去，这就是食谱。所以，如果我们说某人“can't even boil egg”，意思就是他们“一点儿”都不会做饭！
以上就是本期词汇掌故节目的全部内容。
下次见，我是安娜·马特奥。
