VOA慢速英语2019--'Explosive' People Are Dangerous

 

Now, the VOA Learning¹ English program Words and Their Stories.

On this show, we explain where words and expressions in the English language come from, and -- probably more important for those learning to speak English -- how we use them.

Our show today starts off with a bang².

Yes, that was the sound of an explosion³. When I said the show will start with a bang, what I meant to say is that it will open with a lot of energy and excitement. That is how we use the phrase “with a bang.”

But since we are here, let’s talk about the words “explode” (a verb), “explosion” (a noun) and “explosive⁴” (an adjective).

You probably know all three words. An explosion is often loud and dangerous. And it can cause much damage. But you might not know that English speakers often use the word “explosive” to describe other things. Events or issues that are “explosive” are likely to happen suddenly and violently. And explosive people can be suddenly violent.

There are a few words we often use with “explosive.” These word pairings are good to know for two main reasons. One: they are “go-to” terms that make word choice easier. And two: Your spoken English will sound more natural, more like a native speaker.

It is important to note that not all “explosive” pairings are bad. An “explosive laugh,” for example, is not violent. It is simply laughter that happens suddenly and loudly. And if a company experiences “explosive growth,” the business grows greater than expected and in a shorter amount of time.

But generally speaking, we use “explosive” word pairings when talking about bad things.

A few examples are “explosive issue,” “explosive force,” “explosive temper⁵” and “explosive personality.”

Let’s talk more about that last one.

Someone with an explosive personality blows up at the smallest thing. And this can cause problems. Explosive people are quick to have a hostile⁶ or even violent reaction to something. You could say they have a short fuse⁷.

Many explosives⁸, especially older ones, usually have a fuse. You light the fuse to set off the explosion. So, someone with a short fuse explodes at even small things. They are volatile⁹!

This is the opposite of a long fuse, which takes longer to set off an explosion. People have time run away and take cover. But a short fuse can be dangerous. People don’t have time to escape. So, people with short fuses¹⁰ can be dangerous to be around. You never know when they will blow up! We often use the term “blow up” to mean lose your temper.

Another expression with a similar meaning is time bomb. Sometimes we say someone is a ticking time bomb. This means we are not sure when this person is going to get angry, but we are sure that he or she will.

Another term that describes a dangerous or unpredictable situation is powder keg.

Many years ago, a powder keg was a small container used to hold gunpowder¹¹. These days, a powder keg is something that is likely to explode. We usually use this term to describe a situation that is ready to blow up.

I hope you enjoyed this program on explosive terms. Use them the next time you need to describe something exciting or violent.

And that’s Words and Their Stories for this week. Until next time!

I’m Anna Matteo.

We like explosion that leave you feeling good.

We like ideas that change the world for good.

Words in This Story

go-to – adj. always helpful : producing desired results or information when needed

temper – n. heat of mind or emotion : proneness¹² to anger

volatile – adj. likely to change in a very sudden or extreme way : having or showing extreme or sudden changes of emotion : likely to become dangerous or out of control

opposite – adj. completely different

blow up – phrasal verb to lose self-control especially : to become violently angry : n. an outburst of temper

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 bang   

n.巨响，猛击；vi.砰砰作响；vt.砰地敲，猛击

参考例句：

• Pack it up, you kids;or I'll bang your heads together!住手，你们这些小孩，再弄就揍你们！
• She fell and got a nasty bang on the knee.她摔倒了，膝盖猛撞在地上。

3 explosion   

n.爆发，发出，爆炸

参考例句：

• The police arrived right at the moment of the explosion.警察就在爆炸的那个时候赶到了。
• The shock of the explosion was felt far away.爆炸引起的震动很远都可感觉到。

4 explosive   

adj.爆炸的，爆发的；极易引起争论的；n.炸药

参考例句：

• Where's the rest of the explosive?剩下的炸药在哪里？
• Gelignite is a high explosive.葛里炸药是一种烈性炸药。

5 temper   

n.恶劣的心情，心绪焦躁；性情，脾气

参考例句：

• The man lost his temper and struck out wildly.那人因发怒而大打出手。
• One day the man flew at me in a temper.一天,那个人冲着我大发脾气。

6 hostile   

adj.不友好的，敌对的；敌方的，敌人的

参考例句：

• The local people are hostile to outsiders.当地人敌视外地人。
• Their hostile looks showed that he was unwelcome.他们怀敌意的表情说明他不受欢迎。

7 fuse   

n.导火线，引信，保险丝；v.熔，烧断电路

参考例句：

• The metal will fuse at a relatively low temperature.这金属在不太高的温度下熔化。
• This is the right fuse for the refrigerator.这是电冰箱上使用的保险丝。

8 explosives   

n.爆炸物，炸药( explosive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They caved in the roof of the underground passage with powerful explosives. 他们用强大的炸药把地下通道的顶部炸塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The slightest spark can set off the explosives stored here. 一点点火星就能够使储存这里的火药爆炸。 来自《用法词典》

9 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

10 fuses   

保险丝( fuse的名词复数 )； 导火线； 引信

参考例句：

• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole. 作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。
• We electrified the main circuits to see if the fuses would blow. 我们把主要电路通上电，看看保险丝是否会烧断。

11 gunpowder   

n.火药

参考例句：

• Gunpowder was introduced into Europe during the first half of the 14th century.在14世纪上半叶，火药传入欧洲。
• This statement has a strong smell of gunpowder.这是一篇充满火药味的声明。

12 proneness   

n.俯伏，倾向

参考例句：

• Their proneness to hallucinatory experiences, and their stress levels, were also assessed. 同时也评估他们产生幻觉的倾向和压力水平。 来自互联网
• Shame proneness as the independent variable was positively correlated with social anxiety. 目的：在大学生中尝试验证羞耻感对社交焦虑的影响作用。 来自互联网