(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目 。
On this program we explore words and expressions in the English language.
在本期节目中,我们来探索一下英语词汇和短语 。
We give examples, notes on usage, and sometimes we even use them in a short story.
我们会举例说明用法,有时甚至会在短篇小说中使用它们 。
For this week, we talk about something that we all use—a bed!
本周,我们谈论的是我们都用到的东西——床!
Everyone likes different sleep conditions.
每个人都喜欢不同的睡眠环境 。
Some like it dark and quiet. Others like to listen to sounds of nature as they fall asleep.
有些人喜欢黑暗和安静 。另一些人喜欢在入睡时听大自然的声音 。
Some like soft beds, and some like hard beds.
有些人喜欢软床,有些人喜欢硬床 。
So, today, we talk about beds.
所以,今天,我们来谈谈床 。
We have several expressions that use this word.
我们有几个短语用到了这个词 。
The first one we will talk about involves a flower—the rose.
首先我们要讨论的是一种花——玫瑰 。
Imagine sleeping on a bed of roses.
想象一下睡在铺满玫瑰的床上的情景 。
Roses smell nice. So, that could be very pleasant, indeed.
玫瑰花闻起来很香 。所以,那样确实是非常令人心旷神怡的 。
Well, as long as the roses do not have thorns. Ouch!
嗯,只要玫瑰没有刺就行了 。哎呦!
Well, if a bed of roses is nice, then "no bed of roses" is not.
嗯,如果说铺满玫瑰的床很好,那么“没有玫瑰的床”就不好了 。
If something is "no bed of roses," it is difficult or really unpleasant.
如果某件事是“no bed of roses”,意思是它是困难的或者是真的令人不快的 。
And we have all had those experiences. I know I have.
我们都有过这样的经历 。我知道我有 。
Once, I was asked to sing and play the ukulele for a special event.
有一次,我被邀请为一个特别的活动演唱和演奏尤克里里 。
The event was to raise money for a homeless shelter.
这次活动的目的是为一个无家可归者收容所募款 。
So, I was happy to volunteer.
所以,我很乐意做志愿者 。
I did not know the organizer well, but what could go wrong?
我不太了解组织者,但会出什么问题呢?
The ukulele is such a happy instrument.
尤克里里是一种声音悦耳的乐器 。
Well, as it turned out, a LOT could go wrong.
嗯,事实证明,很多事情都可能会出错 。
The organizer was actually kind of mean and bossy.
组织者实际上有点刻薄专横 。
First, she picked all the songs, and they were not that great.
首先,她选了所有的歌,但都不是很好 。
So, when we suggested other songs, she would yell.
所以,当我们推荐其他歌曲时,她会大喊大叫 。
She also would yell at us if we played poorly.
如果我们表演得不好,她也会冲我们大喊大叫 。
And this happened often because many of us were just beginners.
因为我们中的许多人都只是初学者,所以这种情况经常发生 。
Then on the night of our performance, it rained and was very cold.
而且在我们演出的那天晚上,天下起了雨,非常冷 。
So, only a few people came to hear us play.
所以只有几个人来听我们演奏 。
This put her in a very bad mood.
这让她心情很不好 。
But then something happy happened.
但后来发生了一件开心的事 。
Someone in the crowd joined in by playing the flute.
人群中有人吹着笛子加入了 。
But then she yelled at them too!
但接着她也冲他们大喊大叫!
In the end, I got sick and lost my voice for about a month.
最后,我生病了,嗓子哑了大约一个月 。
So, let me tell you, the whole experience was no bed of roses!
所以,让我告诉你,整个经历并不愉快!
Now, if this woman had been unkind just once, I could say that maybe she "got up on the wrong side of the bed."
如果这个女人只有一次不友善的话,我可以说,她可能“got up on the wrong side of the bed” 。
This means you are in a bad mood.
意思是你心情不好 。
You feel irritable. But it's not your usual way of feeling.
你感到烦躁 。但这不是你平常的感觉 。
Perhaps you just didn't get enough sleep.
也许你只是睡眠不足 。
However, this woman was unpleasant at every practice.
然而,这个女人在每一次练习中都是不友好的 。
So, it was more than just waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
所以,这不仅仅是起床时心情不好 。
She was just no fun.
而是她一点也不有趣 。
Well, months later she needed ukulele players to help in another performance.
几个月后,她需要尤克里里演奏者在另一场演出中帮忙 。
But none of us joined.
但我们都没加入 。
Playing the uke, as it is sometimes called, is something we do for fun.
弹尤克里里(有时被叫做“uke”)是我们为了好玩而做的事情 。
And we did not want to get yelled at again.
我们不想再被骂了 。
So, this woman played alone and continues to play alone.
所以,这个女人是一个人弹的,也还在继续一个人弹 。
You could say, "she made her bed, now she must lie in it."
你可以说,“she made her bed, now she must lie in it” 。
This means that a person has made a difficult situation and then must deal with the results, or consequences.
意思是一个人制造了困境,就必须得自己承担后果 。
Usually we say this to someone who has put themselves in the difficulty and then complains about it.
通常我们会对那些让自己陷入困境然后抱怨的人说这句话 。
When you use this expression, you can also use the word "sleep."
当你使用这个表达时,你也可以用“sleep”这个词 。
"She made her bed, now she must sleep in it."
“她自作自受 。”
And you do not have to say the whole thing.
而且你也不必把这句话都说出来 。
Simply saying, "You made your bed ..." is quite enough.
简单地说“You made your bed ...”就足够了 。
Finally, bed is where we end up after finishing a long day.
最后,床是我们结束漫长一天的地方 。
So, it is not surprising that we also have a "bed" expression for finishing a project or task.
所以,我们在完成一个项目或任务时也有一个含有“bed”的表达也就不足为奇了 。
When you "put something to bed" you finish it.
当你“put something to bed”时,意思是你完成了某件事 。
In fact, we are done with this Words and Their Stories.
事实上,我们已经完成了本期词汇掌故节目 。
So, it's time to put this episode to bed ... until next time.
所以,是时候结束这一期了......下次见 。
I'm Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·马特奥 。
重点解析
1.fall asleep 入睡
When she finally fell asleep, she began to dream.
她终于睡着了,并开始做梦 。
2.no bed of roses 令人不快的
Their life together has exactly been no bed of roses.
他们在一起的生活并不十分幸福 。
3.go wrong 犯错误;出现问题;出毛病
The relationship started to go wrong when they moved abroad.
移居国外后,他们的关系开始出现问题了 。
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