密歇根新闻广播 消灭急待解决的问题

Our goal here at That's What They Say is to answer our listeners' burning questions about language. But here's an interesting question -- why are those questions burning in the first place?

Obviously, a question is not a physical object. You can't douse¹ a question with gasoline, throw a match at it and watch it burn.

However, that's not to say there isn't something about a burning question that's hot.

Metaphorical² use of the word "burning" goes back to at least the 1600s. That's when we start to see phrases like "burning shame" and "burning disgrace."

Think about how you feel when you experience true shame. Does your face start to feel hot? Do you sweat? Maybe your ears turn red? Shame may not be able to burn in the literal sense, but it's the kind of emotion that, for some of us, can be accompanied by feelings of heat.

The idea of a "burning question" pops up in the 19th century as one that sparks heated discussion. In other words, there's excitement and passion burning about the question.

With that in mind, think about some of your current burning questions. One question that many listeners have been asking Michigan Radio lately is about the state's roads -- why haven't they been fixed³? That's certainly the kind of question that can spark heated public discussion.

However, we're guessing that you've got some other questions you're dying to have answered that don't have quite as much public appeal.

Maybe your significant other is taking you on a mystery getaway next weekend. While the locale of said getaway is at the top of your personal list of burning questions, it's not likely something that will spark debate among the masses.

That's okay though. We've all got our own burning questions. Especially those of us who haven't gotten around to watching season four of Dallas quite yet.

Former prime time soap operas aside, if you've got burning questions about grammar or language, let us know below.

1 douse   

v.把…浸入水中，用水泼；n.泼洒

参考例句：

• Men came with buckets of water and began to douse the flames.人们提来一桶桶水灭火。
• He doused the flames with a fire extinguisher.他用灭火器把火焰扑灭。

2 metaphorical   

a.隐喻的，比喻的

参考例句：

• Here, then, we have a metaphorical substitution on a metonymic axis. 这样，我们在换喻（者翻译为转喻，一种以部分代替整体的修辞方法）上就有了一个隐喻的替代。
• So, in a metaphorical sense, entropy is arrow of time. 所以说，我们可以这样作个比喻：熵像是时间之矢。

3 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。