Where Is the 'Wrong Side of the Tracks'?

Where Is the 'Wrong Side of the Tracks'?

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

On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples and notes on usage². And sometimes we tell you how the expression came into use.

Today we talk about train tracks.

Imagine a town that has a railroad³ and train tracks running through it. Trains may be great to travel on, but crossing their tracks can be dangerous. Bright lights and warning signals at tracks can only do so much. Train tracks often will divide a town in two.

One side is often more desirable⁴ than the other. The houses are usually bigger or newer. Public resources, like schools and parks, are more available or are better operated. There might be better stores, restaurants and fewer crimes reported on the desirable side of town.

The other side of the tracks, and town, might be poorer. The houses are smaller or less modern. It also might be where factories, trash dumps⁵, and other industrial sites are found. Community centers, playgrounds, and similar places may be few and far between. This means there aren't many of these facilities.

That kind of town, separated by a "good" side and a "bad" side, is at the heart of the expression the "wrong side of the tracks."

"Tracks" refers to the railroad tracks. These sometimes were thought of as splitting⁶ a town between the haves and have nots. If I am from the wrong side of the tracks, I am from the poor part of a town.

However, you don't have to live in a town with railroad tracks to use this expression. And many towns with railroad tracks do not divide rich and poor people. If I grew up in an underdeveloped, poor and possibly dangerous environment without railroad tracks, I could still say I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.

We use this expression another way.

Sometimes we don't even know where a person is from. But if they often cause or get into trouble, someone might say they are bad news and are from the wrong side of tracks.

Now, crossing the tracks either for love or to create a richer life, is a popular idea in stories.

Many popular movies are about star-crossed lovers⁷ who are from different sides of the tracks. Their different economic conditions and cultural backgrounds form a barrier. Their families and friends try to keep them apart. But in the end, they overcome these obstacles⁹, fall in love, and live happily ever after. At least in the movies.

Dirty Dancing is one of these popular movies. She is a upper-middle class girl. He is a working-class dance teacher. They meet at a summer camp and their shared joy of dance brings them together. The barriers break down.

Lady And The Tramp¹⁰, Pretty Woman, and Grease¹¹ are other very popular movies centered on this idea.

Now, sometimes the story concerns one character trying to move from the wrong side of the tracks to the right side. We can call this a rags-to-riches story. "Rags" here are old, poor clothing in disrepair. Annie is a rags-to-riches story. She is a poor and parentless girl who gets adopted by a rich man.

Sometimes the story is about two groups of people from either side of the tracks who can't seem to get over their differences and get along.

The film The Outsiders is a good example. The Greasers are from the wrong side of the tracks. The Socials are from the right side of the tracks. In the story, however, both sides get into trouble. The Socials, or Socs, just have more money and better cars.

And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Don't forget to practice using the expression to be from the wrong or right side of the tracks.

Words in This Story

obstacle⁸ – n. something that stands in the way or opposes

class – n. a group sharing the same economic or social status

adopt – v. to take by choice into a relationship especially : to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one's own child

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 usage   

n.惯用法，使用，用法

参考例句：

• I am clear about the usage of this word at last.这个词的用法我算是弄明白了。
• The usage is now firmly established.这种用法现已得到确认。

3 railroad   

n.铁路；vi.由铁路运输

参考例句：

• The railroad connects two cities,namely,New York and Chicago.这条铁路连接两个城市，即纽约与芝加哥。
• My brother is working on the railroad.我兄弟在铁路系统工作。

4 desirable   

adj.值得拥有的；可取的，有利的

参考例句：

• Some reasonable adjustments seem desirable.某些合理的调整似乎是可取的。
• Prolonged negotiation was not desirable.拖长了的谈判并不是大家所想要的。

5 dumps   

n.抑郁v.倾倒( dump的第三人称单数 )；丢下；随便堆放；释放

参考例句：

• They eke out a precarious existence foraging in rubbish dumps. 他们靠在垃圾场捡垃圾维持着朝不保夕的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It's no use letting yourself fall into the dumps. 你听任自己的情绪低沉下去一点用也没有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 splitting   

爆裂式的

参考例句：

• the splitting of the atom 原子的分裂
• We heard an ear-splitting scream from the terrified girl. 我们听见那个受惊的女孩发出一声刺耳的尖叫声。

7 lovers   

爱好者( lover的名词复数 )； 情人； 情夫； 情侣

参考例句：

• They were off-screen lovers. 他们是真实生活中的情侣。
• Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧和朱丽叶这一对莎士比亚笔下命运多舛的恋人

8 obstacle   

n.障碍，障碍物，妨害

参考例句：

• She felt that her family was an obstacle to her work.她感到她的家庭妨碍她的工作。
• He is in the full flush of success;nothing was an obstacle.他的成就如日中天，锐不可当。

9 obstacles   

n. 干扰；障碍

参考例句：

• I think most of these obstacles can be surmounted. 我认为这些障碍大多数都是可以克服的。
• There's no formidable obstacles in the world. 世上没有无法逾越的障碍。

10 tramp   

n.流浪者，步行，跋涉；v.步行，跋涉

参考例句：

• She wants to go for a tramp in the country.她想去乡间远足。
• A tramp came to the door and asked for food.一个流浪汉来到门前讨饭吃。

11 grease   

n.动物脂，油脂，润滑脂；v.抹油，润滑

参考例句：

• He puts grease on his hair to make It'shiny.他往头发上擦油，使之发亮。
• You have a grease spot on your shirt.你的衬衣上有块油斑。