VOA慢速英语2012--Words and Their Stories: Heart to Heart

Words and Their Stories: Heart to Heart

词汇典故：坦诚交流

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故节目。

Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word – heart.

每周我们都会在这个节目里介绍一些英语词汇的多重含义。今天要介绍的词汇中包含了一个非常重要的单词--heart。

We will try to get to the heart of the matter to better understand the most important things about words and their stories. So take heart. Have no fear about learning¹ new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a heavy heart. Such feelings of sadness would only break my heart, or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.

我们将触及本质来更好地理解词汇典故中这个最重要的部分。因此请拿出勇气来，不要害怕学习新词汇。此外这些常用英语词汇会很有趣，没必要心情沉重。那种诅丧的心情只会让我伤心。

Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely² about something private. We would be having a heart to heart discussion³. I might speak from the bottom of my heart, or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even open up my heart to you and tell a secret. I would speak with all my heart, or with great feeling.

现在让我们假设你我在自由交谈一些私事。我们将进行一次坦诚交流。我可能会说出心底的话，甚至会敞开心扉说出一个秘密。我会全身心地与你交流。

When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she wears her heart on her sleeve⁴, or on her clothing. Her emotions are not protected.

当一个人如此直率、公开地和你分享她的感受，你可以说她非常坦率，她的情感毫不设防。

If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person’s heart is in the right place. For example, I would know that you are a kind-hearted⁵ and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have a heart of gold. However, you might have a change of heart based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.

如果我们坦诚交流，我们就会知道对方心地不坏。例如我就会知道你是个心善、好心的人。如果你是一个非常好的人，我甚至会说，你有一颗金子般的心。然而，你可能会因为听了我的话而改变心意。我们的谈话可能会改变你对某些事物的看法。

But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy⁶ or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a heart of stone. And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my heart might stand still or skip a beat.

但是，让我们假设，你对我所说的非常生气，或者更糟，你根本不同情或不了解我的处境。如果这样，我会认为你铁石心肠。如果你说了一些让我害怕或担心的事，我的心跳可能会停止，或心跳加速。

Yet, even though you may be angry, I would know that at heart, you are a kind person. In reality, you do care. And any argument between us would not cause me to lose heart or feel a sense of loss⁷.

然而，即便你可能会生气，我也知道在内心里，你是一个好人。事实上，你会在乎。我们之间的任何争论都不会让我失落。

My heart goes out to anyone who loses a friend over an argument. It really is a sad situation, and I feel sympathy for the people involved.

我同情因为一次争论失去朋友的任何人。那的确是一种糟糕的情况。我对所有当事人表示同情。

I promise that what I have told you today is true – cross my heart.

我保证我今天对你所说的都是事实，我发誓。

I really wanted to play some music at the end of this feature. In fact, I had my heart set on it. So here it is, “Don’t Go Breaking my Heart” by Elton John.

在节目最后，我很想放点音乐。实际上，我已有所决定。下面就是，埃尔顿·约翰演唱的“Don't Go Breaking my Heart”。

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss⁸. I’m Faith Lapidus.

get to the heart of the matter ：触及问题关键，抓住问题的核心。

take heart：鼓起勇气,  鼓足信心,  振作起来。

a heavy heart： 沉重的心情。

break my heart： 使我心碎。

a heart to heart discussion： 心与心的交流，坦诚交流。

the bottom of my heart：心底，内心深处。

open up my heart ：打开心扉。

with all my heart： 真心实意，全心全意。

wears her heart on her sleeve： 坦率，情绪挂在脸上。

heart is in the right place： 心地善良，心肠好。

kind-hearted ：厚道的，仁慈的，富于同情心的。

a heart of gold ：一颗金子般的心，心地善良。

a change of heart ：改变心意，改变看法。

a heart of stone ：铁石心肠。

stand still ：静止。

skip a beat ：心跳加快。

at heart ：在感情深处，内心里。

lose heart ：诅丧，灰心。

heart goes out ：同情。

cross my heart： 在胸口画十字，即发誓。

have one's heart set on 有所决定。

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 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

3 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

4 sleeve   

n.袖子，袖套

参考例句：

• Will you please mend the sleeve of my blouse?请你把我衬衣的袖子补一下好吗？
• He pulled my sleeve, attracted my attention in this way.他扯了扯我的衣袖以引起我的注意。

5 kind-hearted   

adj.好心的

参考例句：

• She is one of the most kind-hearted girls that I saw.她是我看到的姑娘中最善良的一个。
• Mike is a very kind-hearted boy.迈克是一好心肠的小伙子。

6 sympathy   

n.同情，赞同，同感，慰问，吊唁

参考例句：

• He felt great sympathy for these people.他很同情这些人。
• Sympathy is his best quality.同情心是他最好的品质。

7 loss   

n.损失，遗失，失败，输，浪费，错过，[军]伤亡，降低

参考例句：

• His death was a great loss to the country.他的逝世对这个国家是一大损失。
• Because of the continued loss,the factory closed down.由于连续亏损，工厂关闭了。

8 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。