Do You Know Which Way the Wind Blows?

 

Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories, our weekly show about common expressions in American English.

Wind is a powerful force in nature. Wind energy is partly responsible for great waves in the world's oceans. Winds can help create powerful storms, such as tornadoes¹ and hurricanes.

From very light winds, or breezes, to strong gales², wind is a force you can't see but can surely feel. Its power can be captured to create electricity for cities and the countryside.

Wind can also power many expressions in American English.

Let's start with a simple one.

If you run like the wind, you are a very fast runner.

After running, sometimes you can feel energized³. The runner gets what we call a second wind. We use this expression when we were tired, but then get more energy to finish something. For example, sometimes I feel tired after work. But after a short rest and a cup of tea, I get my second wind. I'm ready to do something fun with my friends and family.

Now, people who throw caution⁴ to the wind take a chance. This means they become careless or carefree, depending on the situation. People forget what they should be doing and just do what they want to instead.

Now, if you are doing something difficult, it is good to have the wind at your back. This way it is easier to go forward. It's always more difficult to do something in a strong wind -- unless you are sailing.

Knowing the direction of the wind is the most important part of sailing. When wind fills a sail, it makes the boat go faster. When you or I have wind in our "sails," we have the energy and power to do what we what.

If you take the wind out of someone's sails, you keep them from reaching their objectives⁵. You create a barrier or block them in some way. In life, it’s a good idea to surround yourself with people who want to fill your sails with wind and not take it out.

Wind and sailing give us another expression.

If you are three sheets to the wind, you have had way too much alcohol to drink. You are so drunk that you have a hard time standing⁶ up.

Several websites explain that in this expression "sheets" are the ropes used to control the sails on a boat or ship. If these ropes are left blowing in the wind, the crew might lose control – sort of like a drunk person.

Now, let's turn from sailing to music.

Many songwriters use the image of wind in their songs. If something such as an idea is blowing in the wind, it is being discussed but has yet to be decided⁷.

You might have heard Bob Dylan’s song "Blowin' in the Wind."

How many deaths will it take 'til (until) he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' (blowing) in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind

The answer, my friend, is blowin' (blowing) in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind

Does Dylan mean the answer is undecided? Or does he mean that the answers to the problems he sings about will spread across the world like seeds carried away by the wind? When asked in an interview, he didn’t give a clear answer. He simply said the answer is “blowin’ in the wind.”

Dylan uses another "wind" expression in the song “Subterranean Homesick Blues⁸.” But the meaning is clear when he sings "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."

Here, he means that you don't need someone knowledgeable⁹ or in power to confirm something for you. Just trust yourself. You can figure it out on your own.

So, when you know which way the wind blows, you know what is going on.

Now, some things are hard to do when there is no wind. Sailing a boat and flying a kite are two good examples. But other things are really hard to do in the wind, such as lighting¹⁰ a candle.

That brings us to our last expression for today.

A candle in the wind describes something that is weak, unprotected and likely to fail or possibly even die.

In the early 1970s, Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote the song "Candle in the Wind" in honor of actress Marilyn Monroe, who died at the age of 36.

In 1997, Elton John performed a version of the song, with different wording, at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

She died in a car crash in Paris while trying to escape photographers. Like Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana was only 36 years old.

And that’s Words and Their Stories. I’m Anna Matteo.

If you have similar expression using "wind" in your language, let us know in the Comments Section. Or simply practice using one or more of the expressions you heard here.

It seems to me you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind

Never knowing who to cling¹¹ to

When the rain set in

And I would have liked to have known you

But I was just a kid

Your candle burned out long before

Your legend ever did.

And I would have liked to have known you

But I was just a kid

Your candle burned out long before

Your legend ever did.

Words in This Stories

carefree – adj. having no worries or troubles

figure it out – phrasal verb to come to understand someone or something better

candle – n. a usually molded or dipped mass of wax or tallow containing a wick that may be burned

1 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

2 gales   

龙猫

参考例句：

• I could hear gales of laughter coming from downstairs. 我能听到来自楼下的阵阵笑声。
• This was greeted with gales of laughter from the audience. 观众对此报以阵阵笑声。

3 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

4 caution   

n.小心，谨慎，警告；vt.告诫，警告

参考例句：

• You should exercise extreme caution when driving in fog.在雾中开车要极为小心。
• There is no need for such caution.不必如此小心谨慎。

5 objectives   

n.目标( objective的名词复数 )；[光学]（望远镜、显微镜、照相机及其他光学仪器上的）物镜；[语法学]1)。 宾语 2)。 宾格；[军事]出击目标

参考例句：

• Our objectives need to be precisely delineated. 我们的目标需详细解释清楚。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives. 要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

9 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

10 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

11 cling   

vi.缠住，粘住，依恋，依靠，坚信，坚持

参考例句：

• Wet clothes cling to the body.湿衣服贴身。
• Members of a family should cling together in times of trouble.一家人应该患难与共。