VOA慢速英语2020 用“两个科学术语”检验你的世界

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning¹ English.

这里是美国之音慢速英语《词汇掌故》。 

Today we go back to school.We will talk about two terms from science class.

今天我们把话题拉回学校。我们将讨论科学课上的两个术语。 

Both are tests. But dont worry. You will not be tested at the end of the program.

两个术语都是关于测试的。但是别担心，在节目结束时不会对您进行测试。 

The first term is "litmus test." The second is "acid² test."

第一个术语是“litmus test”（石蕊试验）。第二个是“acid test”（酸性试验）。 

In science, we use both to determine the chemical make-up of something.

在科学上，我们用两者来确定某物的化学成分。 

In conversation, we use them to determine other things.

在交谈中，我们用它们来决定其他事情。 

One identifies where something belongs or whether it is acceptable³.

一个是确定某物属于哪里或者是否可以接受。 

The other determines if something is real or good.

另一个决定某物是真实的还是好的。 

But before we tell you which is which, lets talk about their meanings.

但在我们告诉你哪个是哪个之前，让我们先谈谈它们的意思。 

First, litmus test.

首先是石蕊试验。 

Now, you may remember doing experiments with litmus paper in a high school science class.

现在，你可能还记得在高中科学课上用石蕊试纸做的实验。 

Litmus paper is used to identify whether a solution is an acid or a base.

石蕊试纸用来鉴别溶液是酸还是碱。 

The Merriam-Webster website says scientists have long known⁴ that litmus paper turns red in acidic solutions and blue in alkaline, or base, solutions.

韦氏词典网站称，科学家早就知道石蕊试纸在酸性溶液中会变成红色，在碱性溶液中会变成蓝色。 

In fact, scientists have been performing tests with litmus paper since the 14th century.

事实上，自14世纪以来，科学家就一直在用石蕊试纸进行试验。 

Litmus itself comes from lichen⁵, a small plant that grows on rocks and trees.

石蕊本身来自地衣，一种生长在岩石和树上的小植物。 

Today many English speakers use the term "litmus test" in conversations.

今天，许多说英语的人在对话中使用“litmus test”（石蕊试验）这个术语。 

To them, it means⁶ something you use to judge whether someone or something is acceptable.

对他们来说，它是用来判断某人或某事是否可以接受的东西。 

So, a litmus test is a kind of sign or indicator⁷.

因此，石蕊试验是一种标志或指标。 

It helps you identify in which category⁸ something belongs or in which direction something will go.

它帮助你识别出某物属于哪一类，或某物将朝哪个方向发展。 

It helps you group things together.

它帮助你把事情组合在一起。 

Heres an example.

下面是一个例子。 

A friend of mine has a single litmus test for dating -- her dog.

我的一个朋友对约会只有一种“立见分晓的检验办法”——她的狗。 

Her dog must like the man and he must like the dog.

她的狗必须喜欢那个人，那个人也必须喜欢她的狗。 

After several failed relationships, she found this litmus test to be the one sure indicator of a good fit.

在经历了几段失败的感情后，她发现这种检验方法是一个确定是否适合的指标。 

Our second scientific expression is "acid test."Such a test proves the value, quality, or truth of something.

我们的第二个科学表达是“acid test”（酸性试验）。这样的试验可以证明某物的价值、质量或真实性。

An acid test can take many forms.It can be an important job or a difficult situation.

“Acid test”可以采取多种形式。它可以是一份重要的工作，也可以是一个困难的情况。 

It shows if someone or something is good enough to succeed.

它表明某人或某事是否足够好，可以成功。 

For example, beating the national champions was the acid test for the basketball team.

例如，击败全国冠军是对篮球队的严峻考验。 

It showed the teams players they were better than the champs, even for only one game.

这表明球队的队员们比冠军强，哪怕只有一场比赛。 

An acid test can also find out whether something is as good as people say it is, whether it works⁹, or whether it is true.

“Acid test”还可以发现某件事是否像人们所说的那样好，是否有效，或者是否属实。 

For example, a restaurant may look nice.

例如，一家餐馆可能看起来不错。 

But will people eat the food?Good question! That is the acid test.

但是人们会吃这些食物吗？问得好！这就是一个“acid test”（决定性考验）。 

An acid test also can test the value of something.

“Acid test”也可以测试某物的价值。 

For example, I wanted to take an online writing program, but I wasnt sure if it was the worth the money.

例如，我想参加一个在线写作课程，但我不确定它是否物有所值。 

Then I found out that 80 percent of the people who took the class got a book deal.

然后我发现上过这门课的80%的人都签了出书协议。 

That was enough of an acid test for me!

那对我来说已经是一个“严峻的考验”！ 

The term acid test also comes from an experiment – one involving gold.

“Acid test”这个术语也来自于一个黄金有关的实验。 

Some people say it dates back to the use of nitric acid to determine the gold content of jewelry¹⁰.

有些人说，这可以追溯到使用硝酸来测定珠宝的黄金含量。 

So, those are the two tests – litmus and acid.

这就是两种试验——石蕊试验和酸性试验。 

But dont mix them up. They are different.

但是不要混淆了，它们是不同的。 

A litmus test determines how to categorize something; in other words, where does it fit?

“Litmus test”决定如何对事物进行分类；换句话说，它适合哪里? 

An acid test determines if something is real, valid¹¹, or high quality.

“Acid test”确定某物是真实的、有效的还是高质量的。 

Lets go back to our dog example.When choosing a partner, the womans litmus test is her dog.

让我们回到狗狗的例子。在选择伴侣时，女人的试金石是她的狗。 

That puts the man in one of two groups: the she-will-date-him category or the she-will-not-date-him category.

这就把这个男人分成了两组：“她会和他约会”和“她不会和他约会”。 

But this does not really prove if he is a good choice.

但这并不能真正证明他是一个好的选择。 

So, it is not an acid test.

所以，这不是一个严峻的考验。 

The man never said he would be the perfect partner for her.

这个男人从来没有说过他会是她的完美伴侣。 

So, his validity¹² is not being tested.

因此，他的有效性没有受到检验。 

And he might be a perfectly¹³ good partner for someone else -- someone who doesnt like dogs.

对于不喜欢狗的人来说，他可能是一个完美的伴侣。 

And thats Words and Their Stories.

以上就是本期《词汇掌故》的全部内容。 

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 acid   

n.酸；酸性物质；adj.酸的，酸性的

参考例句：

• Handle with care,or the acid may get out.小心轻放，否则酸会溢出来。
• The acid has been eating away the sides of the container.酸腐蚀着容器的四壁。

3 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

4 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

5 lichen   

n.地衣, 青苔

参考例句：

• The stone stairway was covered with lichen.那石级长满了地衣。
• There is carpet-like lichen all over the moist corner of the wall.潮湿的墙角上布满了地毯般的绿色苔藓。

6 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。

7 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

8 category   

n.种类；类别；范畴

参考例句：

• These questions may be included in the same category.这些问题可以归入一类。
• Class the books in this category.按目录把书分类。

9 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

10 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

11 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

12 validity   

n.有效性，正确性，正当

参考例句：

• I would question the validity of that assumption.我会质疑那个假设的正当性。
• The tests have been shown to be of dubious validity.这些试验的有效性已显得令人怀疑。

13 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。