VOA慢速英语--'Rocking the Boat' Upsets Everything

 

Now, the VOA Learning¹ English program Words and Their Stories.

On this show we explore common expressions in American English.

Today we take our show on the water on a boat – or at least a make-believe one!

You have probably seen a boat before. Watching one move through the water can be really fun. On the water, boats move with a grace² similar to that of a plane in the air.

If you are lucky, you may have even sailed in a boat. That experience -- to feel the wind and water droplets³ hitting your face, to be out in the open air -- is so much better than simply watching it from a distance.

However, not everyone enjoys being in a boat. In fact, many people get sick from the rocking motion⁴ of a boat.

When boats are on calm water, the water moves it back and forth⁵, back and forth, back and forth. This can cause many people to get seasick⁶.

And that brings us to today's expression: rock the boat. This means to cause problems for other members of a group. When you rock the boat, you do or say something that causes change.

Now, we usually “rock the boat” in a negative way. Used this way, it means to cause trouble usually by changing something.

But you can also rock the boat in a positive way. Here’s how. Another meaning of “rock the boat” is to question the status quo, or the usual way of doing things. So, if a situation is no longer healthy or good – then making changes is a good thing!

For example, one job of the media is to sometimes rock the government’s boat. You know, shake things up a little.

The expression "rock the boat" has been used since the early 1900s. And it should come as no surprise that it comes from boating.

Imagine that you and a friend are at sea in a small boat. Suddenly you get up and start moving your weight from side to side. Naturally, the boat starts rocking .

Your rocking of the boat does not just affect you. It also affects your friend. She starts to feel seasick. But you don’t seem to care. You just keep on rocking the boat. And you rock it so hard, that it overturns⁷. You and your friend end up in the water.

So, you were both fine in the boat before you started rocking it. Now with both of you in the water, the situation is worse.

It is worth noting that another expression means about the same thing and has a similar history: to make waves. The rocking of a boat is caused by waves in the water.

In life when you make waves, you change the usual way of doing things. Again, this can be good or bad.

So, that is where these expressions come from. Now, let’s hear how to use them.

Two co-workers, Marissa and Thomas, are heading into a meeting at the chocolate company.

A: That’s a big binder⁸. What’s in it?

B: This binder has all my suggestions.

A: Suggestions … on what?

B: Suggestions on how to improve our overall⁹ chocolate products, customer service, production, delivery¹⁰ systems ... all without increasing our costs!

A: Wow! Those are a lot of suggestions. You know, now may not be the best time. The economy is tanking. And everyone here is really happy.

B: What are you saying?

A: Well, maybe now is not a good time to rock the boat. Things aren’t great. But they are pretty good.

B: That’s what I mean. Why be okay when you can be great? Now is a perfect time to rock the boat! Let’s challenge the status quo!

A: Look, Thomas. You’ve only been here a week. Why don’t you observe and learn a little more before you make waves?

B: You know, that’s good idea. I can always present my suggestions next week.

A: (sighs) Yes, I’m sure you will.

And that is all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.

Until next time …I'm Anna Matteo!

Words in This Story

grace – n. a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff¹¹ or awkward¹²

motion – n. an act or process of moving

seasick – n. feeling sick because of the movement of a boat or ship that you are traveling on

negative – adj. harmful or bad : not wanted

positive – adj. good or useful

status quo – n. the existing state of affairs

customer – n. someone who buys goods or services from a business

delivery – n. the act of taking something to a person or place

to tank – v. to suffer rapid decline¹³, failure, or collapse¹⁴

challenge – n. a difficult task or problem : something that is hard to do

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 grace   

n.优雅，雅致，魅力，恩惠，慈悲

参考例句：

• She is a beautiful girl with the grace and poise.她是一位仪态优雅的佳丽。
• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。

3 droplets   

n.小滴( droplet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Droplets of sweat were welling up on his forehead. 他额头上冒出了滴滴汗珠。 来自辞典例句
• In constrast, exhaled smoke contains relatively large water droplets and appears white. 相反，从人嘴里呼出的烟则包含相当大的水滴，所以呈白色。 来自辞典例句

4 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 seasick   

adj.晕船的

参考例句：

• When I get seasick,I throw up my food.我一晕船就呕吐。
• He got seasick during the voyage.在航行中他晕船。

7 overturns   

（使）翻倒( overturn的第三人称单数 )； 使垮台，推翻； 撤销（判决等）

参考例句：

• It overturns economic policies. 它无视经济政策。
• It overturns child-raising theory. 它推翻了儿童抚养理论。

8 binder   

n.包扎物，包扎工具；[法]临时契约；粘合剂；装订工

参考例句：

• The cloth flower snaps on with a special binder.这布花是用一种特殊的粘合剂固定住的。
• Purified water was used as liquid binder.纯净水作为液体粘合剂。

9 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？

10 delivery   

n.交付；投递；分娩；解救者；演讲的风格

参考例句：

• The strike caused a great delay in the delivery of the mail.这次罢工严重地延误了邮件的投递。
• He was employed at the local grocery store as a delivery boy.他受雇于当地杂货店当送货员。

11 stiff   

adj.严厉的，激烈的，硬的，僵直的，不灵活的

参考例句：

• There is a sheet of stiff cardboard in the drawer.在那个抽屉里有块硬纸板。
• You have to push on the handle to turn it,becanse it's very stiff.手柄很不灵活，你必须用力推才能转动它。

12 awkward   

adj.笨拙的，尴尬的，使用不便的，难处理的

参考例句：

• John is so shy and awkward that everyone notices him.约翰如此害羞狼狈，以至于大家都注意到了他。
• I was the only man among the guests and felt rather awkward.作为客人中的唯一男性，我有些窘迫。

13 decline   

n.衰微，跌落，下降；vt.使降低，婉谢；vi.下降，衰落，偏斜

参考例句：

• I must decline to show favour to any of the candidates.我必须拒绝偏袒任何一位候选人。
• The birthrate is on the decline.出生率在下降。

14 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。