Bless You!

Bless You!

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

Thanksgiving. Just as it sounds, Thanksgiving is a holiday when people give thanks for all the good in their lives.

Americans celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. Family and friends gather around the dinner table, eat a big meal together and say what they are thankful for.

In other words, they count their blessings².

Here is Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby singing "Count Your Blessings" in the 1954 movie "White Christmas."

"If you're worried and cannot sleep, count your blessing¹ instead of sheep. And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings"

To count your blessing is to be grateful for all your good fortune in life. But sometimes we use it as a warning to people who may forget to be thankful.

Here’s is an example of how to use it that way:

I am so mad at my mother-in-law. She has invited the whole family on a Mediterranean³ cruise even though she knows that I get sea sick.

You know, you should really count your blessings. You have a great family who loves you and wants to spend money on you! Be thankful. Some people have it much worse.

Good point.

A blessing is something that helps you or brings you happiness.

The word “blessing” comes from Old English, meaning “blood.” As the word evolved, it borrowed from the Latin word that means to praise or worship – literally⁴, “to speak well of.”                                  

The verb “bless” is a word you hear often in American English. This is because “Bless you!” is a common response to someone when they sneeze.

Ah-choo!

Bless you.

Speaking in a non-religious way, “bless” means to make something lucky or happy. In a religious way, “bless” means to ask God to care for, protect, or make something or someone holy.

And if a person talks about a blessed event they are talking about expecting a child. This is slightly romantic, a little formal and a lot religious. So, use accordingly.

And please take note of the difference between “blessed” and “bles-sed.” “Blessed” is the past tense of the verb “bless,” but “blessed” is the adjective.

The word “bless” definitely has religious roots and meanings. But we use the word in other expressions as well.

If something is a mixed blessing, it is both good and bad. For example, being beautiful can be a mixed blessing. You may get positive attention for your beauty. But people may also be too shy to talk to you or look at you as being not very smart.

We might also express this same meaning by saying something is a blessing and a curse.

A blessing in disguise is something that seems to be bad or unlucky at first sight, but actually turns out to be good.

For example, my trip to New York City was canceled. However, the cancellation⁵ was a blessing in disguise. A big snow storm hit and shut down all the airports. I would have been stranded⁶ at the airport for days.

Now blessing someone may sound like a good thing, but sometimes it is not.

When someone, often a woman, says bless her heart about another, it means she feels sorry for that person. She is usually expressing pity more than concern. Truth be told, it is often a way of insulting someone indirectly⁷ without making yourself look bad for doing so.

“Bless her heart” is a common expression in the southern U.S. states. So, it sounds more natural when pronounced with a slight southern accent.

However, when someone says another person is blessed with a quality or talent, they really mean it. For example, “He is blessed with athletic⁸ abilities.” Or “She is blessed with a beautiful singing voice.”

1 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

2 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

4 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

5 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

6 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

7 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

8 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。