VOA词汇掌故(翻译+字幕+讲解):你有没有偷吻过?
日期:2019-02-14 09:48

(单词翻译:单击)

听力文本

Hello! Welcome to the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories, where every word has a story.

And Happy New Year!

The start of a new year is a time of reflection, or deep thinking. Many people plan for the future and, at the same time, feel nostalgic for the past. In other words, they think about the past in a dreamy way – a little happy and a little sad.

One popular New Year's song is especially nostalgic.

Dan Fogelberg was a popular U.S. singer-songwriter during the 1970s. His song "Same Old Lang Syne" is set around the New Year.

When two former lovers – high school sweethearts, perhaps? – meet in a grocery store, they talk about old times and wonder what might have been.

"Lang syne" means at a distant time in the past.

In the first part of the song, Fogleberg writes, "I stole behind her in the frozen foods, and I touched her on the sleeve."

Met my old lover in the grocery store, The snow was falling, Christmas Eve, I stole behind her in the frozen foods, And I touched her on the sleeve.

Fogelberg did not actually steal anything from the store. Stealing would get him arrested. And that would make the song very different.

No, in this case, "to steal" means to do something secretly. You can steal a glance at your secret love from across a crowded room. If someone steals a kiss from you, they sneak up and surprise you with a kiss. If someone steals your heart, they cause you to fall deeply in love with them. And if two lovers steal away into the night, they escape secretly to be together.

Who knew stealing could be so romantic!

Moving on to the next selection from the song, we find two common expressions.

We took her groceries to the checkout stand The food was totaled up and bagged We stood there lost in our embarrassment As the conversation dragged

Let's talk about "to be lost in embarrassment."

If you lose yourself in something, an event or emotion takes over your mind and body. For example, I love getting lost in a good book. Lovers get lost in each others' eyes. You can also lose yourself in your work and forget to see family and friends.

你有没有偷吻过

Next, what happens when a conversation drags? It does not move smoothly. If two people are embarrassed, their conversation can be slow and awkward. You can also say a book or movie drags if the story lines move too slowly.

Conversations with a former lover can be embarrassing. It can be even more embarrassing if you are still attracted to that person.

Later in the song, Fogelberg writes about his former lover's appearance. He says the "years had been a friend to her, and that her eyes were still as blue."

I said the years had been a friend to her And that her eyes were still as blue But in those eyes I wasn't sure If I saw doubt or gratitude

When you say the years had been a friend to someone, you are saying that they look younger than their age. You can also say that the years have been kind to someone. It is a nice thing to say.

But you can also change this expression around and say the years have not been kind to someone, meaning they look older than they really are.

And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories.

Steal away by yourself to practice these expressions. Perfecting them will ensure your English conversations won't drag. Or perhaps just lose yourself in this song!

I'm Anna Matteo, wishing everyone a happy New Year!

重点解析

1.plan for the future 为将来打算
The politicians only know what they don't want. They have no plan for the future.
政治人物只知道他们不要这个不要那个。但他们对未来没有计划。

2.secret love 秘恋
As the secret love of which no one knows.
就像隐秘的爱情,无人知晓。

3.steal a kiss 偷吻
You have to be bole to steal a kiss.
想要偷吻你就得大胆点。

4.steal one's heart 偷走某人的心
I am a thief, I'm here to steal your heart.
我是小偷,我是来这偷走你的心的。

参考译文

大家好!欢迎收听VOA学英语的《词汇掌故》节目,这是一档关于单词故事的节目。

新年快乐!

新年伊始是反思或者深思的时候。很多人都打算为未来规划,同时也会怀念过往。换句话说,他们以一种梦幻的方式怀念过往:有点开心也有点忧伤。

有首深受欢迎的新年歌曲尤其怀旧。

丹·佛格伯是美国20世纪70年代一名很受欢迎的创作歌手。他的《情景依旧》就是以新年为背景创作的。

曾经的一对情人(或许是高中时代的恋人)在杂货店相遇,谈起过往时光,并幻想可能会发生的一切。

“Lang syne”的意思是很久之前的一段时光。

在这首歌的第一部分,佛格伯写道:“在冷冻食品区我偷偷躲在她的背后,然后碰了下她的衣袖。”

在杂货店里遇见了旧情人,那是下着雪的圣诞节前夕,在冷冻食品区我偷偷躲在她背后,然后碰了一下她的衣袖。

佛格伯其实并没有偷杂货店的东西。盗窃很可能让他被捕。而这也会让这首歌完全不同。

事情不是这样的,这里所说的“to steal”意为秘密做某事。你可以在拥挤的房间偷偷看一眼自己的密恋。“Steal a kiss”意为某人偷偷走近吻了你,让你大惊不已。如果是某人“steal your heart”,意思是他俘获了你的心,让你爱上他。如果说恋人“steal away into the night”,意思是这对恋人悄悄地共度时光。

谁会觉得“偷”还能这么浪漫呢!

再来看下这首歌的下一节选,其中有两个常用表达。

我们把她买的东西一起拿到柜台,结果食品全部被装在一块儿算帐,我们愣在那儿有点尴尬,就这样有一搭没一搭的谈着。

下面我们来谈一下“to be lost in embarrassment”。

如果你lose yourself in something,那就是说某事或者某种情绪占据了你的内心和身体。比如,我可能会沉迷于一本好书。恋人们迷失在对方的眼神中。此外,你还可能会沉迷于自己的工作,而忘了家人和朋友。

谈话拖拖沓沓时会发生什么呢?会进展的很不顺利。如果谈话的两个人非常尴尬,那么其谈话过程就会很慢很尴尬。如果一本书或者电影的故事情节发展缓慢,那么也可以说这本书或者这部电影很拖沓。

与之前的恋人谈话可能会非常尴尬。如果对方仍然吸引你,那么对话就会更加尴尬。

这首歌接下来的部分,描写了之前恋人的模样。他写道:“我说她依旧青春靓丽,迷人的双眼湛蓝如昔”。

我说她依旧青春靓丽,迷人的双眼湛蓝如昔,但我不确定,她的眼底显露出的是怀疑还是感激。

当你说“the years had been a friend to someone”,你表达的是某人看起来比实际年龄年轻。此外还可以用“the years have been kind to someone”表达这个意思。这么说真的很好。

但是还可以换种表达,即“years have not been kind to someone”,意思为某人比实际看起来要老。

接下来就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的尾声了。

拿走这些表达自己去练习吧。孰能生巧,确保自己的英语对话不再那么拖沓。或许你也会迷恋上这首歌的。

我是安娜·马特奥,祝大家新年快乐!

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