VOA慢速英语2014 数字一的表达

 

Number One 数字一的表达

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

现在，这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目。

Today I will tell about expressions using numbers. Let us start with the number one. Numbers can be tricky¹. On the one hand, they are simply numbers. On the other hand, they have meanings. I for one use these expressions a lot.

今天，我将讲述一下使用数字的表达。我们从数字“一”开始。数字是非常巧妙的。一方面(On the one hand)，它们是简单的数字。另一方面，他们也有本身的含义。举个例子说(for one),我经常用到这些表达。

Many people consider themselves number one, the most important person. They are always looking out for number one and taking care of number one. It is as if they are the one and only person on Earth. Some people however, are not so self-centered. My brother is such a person. It is true – no joke. I am not trying to pull a fast one on you.

许多人认为他们自己是最重要的人物(number one)。他们经常谋求自身的利益(looking out for number one),为自己的利益打算(taking care of number one).似乎他们是地球上唯一的人(one and only)。然而，有些人不那么以自我为中心。我弟弟就是这样一个人。这是真的——这可不是开玩笑。我不会试图欺骗你(pull a fast one)。

First, you have to understand that my brother is one in a million. He is such a nice person. All his friends like him. They consider him one of the boys. Recently, my brother had a bad day at the office. It was just one of those days. Nothing went right. So he stopped at a local bar -- a drinking place -- after leaving work. My brother planned to have a glass of beer with his friends -- a quick one – before he went home. But a quick one turned into one or two, and soon those became one too many.

首先，你必须要明白，我的弟弟是万中挑一的人(one in a million)。他是一个不错的人。他所有的朋友都喜欢他。他们认为他是真正的玩友(one of the boys)。 最近，我弟弟在工作上不是很愉快，那是一段倒霉的日子(one of those days),事事不顺。于是，下班之后他就在一个当地酒吧——喝酒的地方逗留。我弟弟打算跟朋友喝完一杯啤酒就走——就干一杯(quick one)。但是干一杯(quick one)变成了一两杯(one or two)，很快就喝多了(one too many)。

As my brother was leaving, he ordered a last drink -- one for the road. His friends became concerned. One by one, they asked him if he was able to drive home safely.

当我弟弟准备离开的时候，他要了最后一杯(one for the road)。他的朋友们开始担心，一个个(One by one)，他们问他是否能够安全地开车回家。

Now my brother is a wise and calm person. He is at one with himself. He recognizes when he has had too much alcohol² to drink. So he accepted an offer for a ride home from a female³ friend.

此时，我弟弟是个非常聪明冷静的人，他头脑冷静下来。他意识到自己喝了太多酒，于是他就接受了一个女性朋友的帮助，让她载他回家。

At one time in the past, my brother had been in love with this woman. She is a great person -- kind, thoughtful⁴ and intelligent -- all good qualities rolled up into one. But sadly their relationship did not work. He always used to say "One of these days, I am going to marry this girl." But that never happened.

在过去的一个时间，我的弟弟已经爱上了这个女人。她是一个优秀——善良，体贴，聪明——集所有的优秀品质于一身(rolled up into one)。但可悲的是他们之间的关系没有进展。他总是说：“将来总有一天(One of these days)我会娶这个女孩为妻”。 但是，这从来没有发生过。

For one thing, she did not love him as much as he loved her. It was just one of those things. The situation was regrettable and my brother had to accept it. But even now, he considers her the one that got away. 

一方面(For one thing)，是因为她没有他爱她爱的深。这是命中注定的事(one of those things)。这种情况令人遗憾，我弟弟不得不接受它。但即便是现在，他还认为她是他失去的那个人(the one that got away)。

However, they are still friends. And because my brother had been kind to her, she felt that one good turn deserves⁵ another. He was good to her and she wanted to help him in return. So she drove⁶ him home.

然而，他们仍然是朋友。而且因为我的弟弟一直善待她，她觉得应该以德报德(one good turn deserves another)。他对她很好，她想帮助他作为报答。因此，就开车送他回家了。

If my brother had driven home from the bar that night, his number would have been up. Something bad would have happened. Thankfully he made it home safely. And, he and the woman are back to square one. They are back to where they started – being friends.

 

如果我弟弟那晚从酒吧开车回家，那他就要完蛋了(number would have been up)，可能会发生不好的事情。幸好他平安回家。而且他和那个女人回到原点(back to square one)，他们回到他们开始的地方——成为朋友。

1 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

2 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

3 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

4 thoughtful   

adj.思考的，沉思的，体贴的，关心的

参考例句：

• She is thoughtful for her friends.她很体贴她的朋友们。
• This is a thoughtful essay.这是一篇具有思想性的随笔。

5 deserves   

v.应受，应得，值得( deserve的第三人称单数 )；应受报答；应得报酬；应得赔偿

参考例句：

• A wilful fault has no excuse and deserves no pardon. 不能宽恕故意犯下的错误。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is the only poet in this country that deserves the name. 他是这个国家唯一的一位名副其实的诗人。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。