(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now, time for Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
William Shakespeare is probably the most famous English-language writer ever.
Historians think Shakespeare was born on April 23 in 1564.
They believe he died exactly 52 years later, on the same day!
But historians and the rest of us actually know very little about the personal life of Shakespeare. Some researchers even suggest that he did not write all the plays that are credited to him.
But, let us put all the mystery aside.
What we do know is this: the language of Shakespeare is alive and well in modern, everyday English.
Even if an English-speaker knows nothing about Shakespeare, they will surely know some of his expressions. And I am not talking about sayings like "to be or not to be" or "wherefore art thou Romeo." Most people know those lines come from Shakespeare.
The playwright invented many more words and expressions that we continue to use every day.
Perhaps this is best explained as a theatrical production.
As Shakespeare wrote, "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players."
Let's pretend two friends are in a crowded theater. They are waiting for a performance of Shakespeare to begin. One is a Shakespeare buff who knows a lot about the playwright. The other person thinks he knows very little about Shakespeare. But he may know more than he thinks.
Before the curtain rises, let's listen to their conversation.
A: What took you so long? The play is starting soon.
B: I wanted to buy something to eat, but that turned out to be a wild-goose chase. This theater does not have any food!
A: I thought you went home.
B: Why would I leave?
A: Because you do not like Shakespeare.
B: It's not that I don't like Shakespeare. I just don't know Shakespeare.
A: I suspect you know more than you think.
B: What do you mean?
A: Well, the term "wild goose chase" comes from Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet." Years ago, it meant a kind of horse race. But now, it means a hopeless search for something you cannot find.
B: Well, I wish you would have told me that this theater doesn't serve food before my wild-goose chase. I'm so hungry! A friend has been staying with me for the past month and he's eating me out of house and home! There's nothing left in my house to eat.
A: That is another expression from Shakespeare! It comes from the play "Henry IV."
B: What expression, "I'm hungry!"?
A: No! To eat someone out of house and home. It means that someone eats all the food in your house, like you're friend. In Shakespeare's play, Mistress Quickly says to the king, "He hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his ... !"
B: That is exactly what is happening ... just like in Henry IV!
A: So, why has your friend been staying with you for so long?
B: He says he got into a little trouble with the law and needs to lie low for a while.
A: Staying out of sight until trouble passes is great advice! In fact, Shakespeare wrote that advice for Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing. The exact words were, "If he could right himself with quarreling, some of us would lie low."
B: When you start talking Shakespeare I really get lost. It's all Greek to me. I just cannot understand any of it.
A: Well, you must understand a little because you use his expressions all the time. "It's Greek to me" is from the play Julius Caesar! And it's a one way to tell someone you don't have a clue what's going on.
B: I have to say I am a little jealous that you know so much about Shakespeare. And I'm not one to fall victim to the green-eyed monster.
A: Guess what?
B: Don't tell me? That expression is also from Shakespeare? I thought it came from the fact that feeling bitter kind of makes you feel sick. And sick people often look green.
A: You are right. Before Shakespeare's time, the color green was most commonly linked with bad health. In his play Othello, Shakespeare turned the idea of being sick with a disease into a condition -- being sick with jealousy.
B: You know there are many other playwrights out there. Shakespeare is not the be-all and end-all of English writers.
A: No one ever said he was the most important person in the English-speaking world. But now that you said it -- be-all and end-all is my favorite Shakespeare expression. And it comes from my favorite play, "Macbeth." As Macbeth is preparing to kill the King, he says, "That but this blow / Might be the be-all and the end-all."
B: I really didn't know that Shakespeare was such an influence on the way we speak today. I just thought he was for old college professors and people who do nothing but go to the theater.
A: Hey!
B: Seriously, it is fun to find out that so many of his words and expressions are still used today.
A: Did you know, he even invented the knock-knock joke.
B: Really?!
A: Knock, knock!
B: Who's there?
A: Orange.
B: Orange who?
A: Orange (Aren't) you glad I didn't quote Shakespeare again?
B: Yes. Yes, I am. Now be quiet. The play is about to start and I don't want to miss a word.
We hope you enjoyed this special Words and Their Stories celebrating the writer William Shakespeare. Have fun using the Shakespearean expressions that you heard today.
I'm Anna Matteo.
Do have a favorite Shakespeare play? Have you ever heard of these Shakespearean expressions? Let us know in the Comments Section!
重点解析
1.be credited to 相信；把…归功于
Many inventions and discoveries are credited to the wrong people.
许多发明或发现青睐犯错之人。
2.get lost 迷路；走开，滚开
You might get lost if you wander by yourself in the woods.
你如果独自在森林里闲逛就很有可能会迷路。
3.put aside 撇开；把······放在一边，暂不考虑；储存······备用
I have to put aside my emotions, and look at it from his standpoint.
我得把我的感情放在一边，从他的角度去看这件事。
4.out of sight 看不见；在视野之外；在视线之外
She stood there until his car was out of sight.
她一直站在那里，直到他的车开远看不见了。
参考译文
又到了VOA学英语《词汇掌故》的节目时间。
威廉·莎士比亚可能是有史以来最著名的英语作家。
历史学家认为莎士比亚出生于1564年的4月23日，
他们认为莎士比亚52岁时也是在同一天去世的！
历史学家和我们实际上对于莎士比亚的个人生活知之甚少。一些研究人员甚至说那些归功于他名下的戏剧作品并不全是他写的。
让我们把这些谜团暂且搁置一边。
但这个我们是知道的：莎士比亚的语言生动，并且在现代日常英语中也很实用。
即使一个说英语的人对莎士比亚一无所知，他们也会知道莎士比亚的一些表达。我不是要谈论像“生存或是死亡”或者“为何你偏偏是罗密欧”之类的谚语，大多数人都知道这些台词出自莎士比亚。
这位剧作家发明了很多今天我们依然在用的的单词和表达。
这也许解释为“戏剧作品”最合适不过了。
正如莎士比亚写的：“全世界是个舞台, 男男女女只是演员而已。”
让我们假设两个朋友在一个拥挤的剧院里。他们正在等待莎士比亚的演出开始。其中一个是莎士比亚迷，对莎士比亚了解很多。另一个对莎士比亚了解甚微，但他可能知道的比他想得多。
在剧幕拉起之前，让我们来听听他们的谈话。
A：你去这么久干什么了？戏剧马上就要开始了。
B：我想买点吃的，结果证明白费力气，这个剧场就没有吃的！
A：我以为你回家了。
B：我为什么要回家？
A：因为你不喜欢莎士比亚啊。
B：不是我不喜欢莎士比亚，我只是不知道莎士比亚。
A：我怀疑你知道的比你想得多。
B：你什么意思？
A："wild goose chase"这个短语出自莎士比亚的戏剧《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。以前，它指一种赛马。但现在，它意思是绝望地寻找你找不到的事物。
B：好吧，我希望你在我出去白找之前就告诉我这个商场不提供食物。我好饿！我有个朋友，和我住一起待了几个月，他把我家吃空了，我家里什么吃的也没有。
A：那又是一个来自莎士比亚的表达！它出自戏剧《亨利四世》。
B：什么表达，“I'm hungry?!”
A: 不，是“To eat someone out of house and home”，它意思是某人把你家里的所有食物都吃光了，像你朋友一样。在莎士比亚的戏剧中，奎克莉夫人对国王说：“他把我家吃空了；他把我所有能吃的全都填进他的肚子里······”
B：这真是和《亨利四世》里发生的一模一样！
A: 所以，你朋友为什么在你那待了这么久？
B：他说他遇到了点法律方面的麻烦，需要躲一阵子。
A: 消失不见直到麻烦过去是个好办法！实际上，莎士比亚是为《无事生非》里的安东尼奥写的这个建议。准确的句子是这样：“如果他能用争吵来摆正自己，我们中的一些人就会闭嘴了。”
B：当你说莎士比亚的时候，我真得一头雾水。我完全不懂，我一点都不明白。
A: 你必须了解一点，因为你总在用他的表达。"It's Greek to me"出自戏剧《裘力斯·凯撒》，这是你告诉别人你完全没明白的一种方式。
B：我不得不说，我有点嫉妒你了，你知道这么多关于莎士比亚的知识。我不是那只绿眼怪兽的受害者（善妒之人）。
A: 你猜怎么着？
B：不要告诉我那个表达也出自莎士比亚？我以为来源于事实，感觉痛苦会让你觉得你生病了，生病的人经常看起来很苍白。
A：你说得对。在莎士比亚那个时代之前，绿色最常与身体状况不佳相关。在他的戏剧《奥赛罗》中，莎士比亚将因为疾病生病的想法换了种境况--因为嫉妒生病。
B：你知道有许多其他的剧作家。莎士比亚不是英语作家中最重要的。
A：没有人说莎士比亚是英语世界中最重要的人。但是既然你说了“be-all and end-all”，这是我最喜欢的莎士比亚表达。它出自我最喜欢的戏剧《麦克白》，当麦克白准备杀国王的时候，他说：“是这一刀砍下去，就可以完成一切、终结一切、解决一切······”
B：我真得不知道莎士比亚对我们今天的语言表达有这么大的影响。我以为莎士比亚只适合古老大学里的教授和那些除了去剧院就没事干的人。
A：喂！
B：不过说真的，知道有那么多现在用的单词和表达出自莎士比亚还是挺有趣的。
A：你知道吗？他还发明了敲门笑话。
B：真的吗？！
A：咚咚咚！
B：谁在敲门？
A：橘子。
B：哪个橘子？
A：难道你是因为我没有再引用莎士比亚而不开心吗？（Orange you和Aren't you因为读音相似双关）
B：是的，是的，是我。现在保持安静。戏剧马上就要开始了，我不想错过任何一句话。
我们希望大家能喜欢本期纪念莎士比亚的特别节目。尽情享受莎士比亚的表达带来的乐趣吧！
我是安娜·马特奥。
你有喜欢的莎士比亚戏剧吗？你曾经听过这些出自莎士比亚的表达吗？在评论区留言给我们吧！
