VOA慢速英语2015 留意古罗马历中的三月

'Beware the Ides of March' 留意古罗马历中的三月

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

People who believe in luck and bad luck -- that is to say, those considered superstitious¹ – maythink that some days or events are unlucky.

In the United States, Friday the 13 is known as an “unlucky” day by superstitious people. Anotherfamously unlucky day for some is March 15, also known as, “The Ides of March.”

The Ides of March is so unlucky that it is often spoken as a warning: “Beware the Ides of March.”

First, what exactly is an “ides?” The Latin root of “ides,” a singular word, means “to divide.” So, theides of any month falls in its middle. The Roman calendar set ides on the 15th in March, May, Julyand October or on the 13th in the other months. The ides of a month usually falls on the first dayof a full moon.

In Roman times, the Ides of March was known as a date for paying off debts. But this connectionwas quickly lost because of different timing² between calendar months and changes in the moon’sappearance. The Ides of March was also a time people celebrated³ Mars, the god of war.

But why do some people still use the expression, "Beware of the Ides of March"? Why do theyconsider it an unlucky day?

March 15 was very unlucky for one man a very long time ago. On that date in the year 44 BC JuliusCaesar was killed.

The British playwright⁴ William Shakespeare takes this incident from Roman history and freezes itforever in literature. In Act 1, Scene 2 of "Julius Caesar,” Shakespeare writes about a meetingbetween the dictator and a “soothsayer,” someone who can predict the future.                  

“Beware the Ides of March,” says the soothsayer.

Caesar asks, “What man is that?”

And Brutus, Caesar’s loyal friend answers, “A soothsayer says to (bids you) beware the Ides ofMarch.

Caesar does not listen to the warning. He should have. In Act III, Scene I, Shakespeare’s famousline seems to show that Caesar is asking for trouble.

Caesar says to the Soothsayer, “The Ides of March are come.”

The Soothsayer answers, “Aye, Caesar, but not gone.”

Caesar’s friend Brutus will be among the attackers who kill him on the Ides of March.

When he sees that Brutus has turned against him, he says, “Eh tu, Brutus?” This means “You too,Brutus?”

This expression is widely used in Western culture when someone is betrayed by a friend.

“The Ides of March” is also the name of a U.S. film made in 2011. George Clooney directed the film. He also stars in it as a promising⁵ presidential candidate.

While no one gets assassinated⁶, “The Ides of March” is a film about a friend being disloyal to afriend in the world of politics. Often in politics, loyalty⁷ and friendship do not go hand-in-hand.

Julius Caesar learned this the hard way on the Ides of March.

I’m Anna Matteo, thanking Christopher Jones-Cruise for playing Julius Caesar and Jonathan Evansfor playing Brutus.

1 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

2 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

7 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。