VOA慢速英语2013--嘿生手

 

 

Hey Greenhorn! 嘿生手

Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.

Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.

Sometimes, the word green means¹ young, fresh and growing.

Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished. For example, a “greenhorn” is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the 15th century, a “greenhorn” was a young cow or ox whose horns² had not yet developed. A century or so later, a “greenhorn” was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the 18th century, a “greenhorn” had the meaning it has today -- a person who is new in a job.

About 100 years ago, “greenhorn” was a popular expression in the American West. Old-timers used it to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities back east. The “greenhorn” lacked the skills he would need to live in the hard, rough³ country.

Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have “a green thumb.” The expression comes from the early 1900s.

A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door “has a green thumb” if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.

“The Green Revolution” is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. “The Green Revolution” was the result of hard work by agricultural⁴ scientists who had “green thumbs.”

Green is also the color used to describe the powerful⁵ emotion, jealousy⁶. The “green-eyed monster” is not a frightening creature from outer space; it is an expression used about 400 years ago by British writer William Shakespeare⁷ in his play “Othello.”

It describes the unpleasant⁸ feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the “green-eyed monster” if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that “green-eyed monster” may affect your friend if you get a pay raise and she does not.

In most places in the world, a “green light” is a signal⁹ to move ahead. A “green light” on a traffic signal means your car can continue on. In everyday speech, a “green light” means “approval to continue with a project.” We want you to know we have “a green light” to continue this series¹⁰ next week.

This VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories was written by Marilyn Christiano. I’m Warren Scheer.

 

1 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

2 horns   

n.角( horn的名词复数 )；号；角质；（蜗牛等的）触角

参考例句：

• The young goat was just beginning to grow horns. 这只小山羊刚开始长角。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The blare of horns could be heard in the distance. 可以听到远处传来的号角声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 rough   

adj.粗糙的；粗略的，大致的；粗野的，粗暴的

参考例句：

• It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
• His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。

4 agricultural   

adj.农业的；农艺的

参考例句：

• He was trained for gardening at the Agricultural College.他在农业大学学园艺。
• France once was an agricultural country.法国曾是个农业国。

5 powerful   

adj.有力的，有权力的，强大的

参考例句：

• The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
• Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音！

6 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

7 Shakespeare   

n.莎士比亚(16世纪英国剧作家、诗人)

参考例句：

• Shakespeare is a giant among writers.莎士比亚是作家中的巨擘.
• He read Shakespeare to help his English.他阅读莎士比亚的作品以提高自己的英语水平。

8 unpleasant   

adj.使人不愉快的，使人厌恶的，煞风景的

参考例句：

• A very unpleasant thing has happened.一件令人很不愉快的事发生了。
• The kind advices are often unpleasant to the ear.好言常常不入耳。

9 signal   

n.信号，暗号

参考例句：

• This is a signal failure.这是明显的失败。
• A train must not pass a signal that is at danger.火车切不可越过危险信号。

10 series   

n.连续；系列

参考例句：

• The students have put forward a series of questions.学生们提出了一系列问题。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。