VOA慢速英语2012 Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 4（在线收听）

Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 4

词汇典故：美国各州别名 4

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故节目。

Today, we finish telling about the interesting nicknames that have been given to the fifty American states.

今天我们将结束讲述美国50个州的有趣别名。

The state of Ohio is in the midwest. It is named the Buckeye State after a tree that produces nuts similar to chestnuts.

中西部的俄亥俄州由于一种结着类似栗子的坚果的树被称为“七叶树州”。

The Great Plains state of Oklahoma is called the Sooner State. That is because of a sale of land in eighteen eighty-nine. Some people arrived in the territory to claim their land earlier than they were supposed to. They cheated and got there "sooner."

大平原的俄克拉荷马州被称为“捷足州”。这是因为1889年一块土地出售时，一些到达该州的人们慌称比他们实际到得更早。他们蒙骗于是捷足先登。

Pennsylvania's nickname is the Keystone State. Just as a keystone holds together a stone arch, Pennsylvania was seen as holding together the young American republic. Pennsylvania is also sometimes called the Quaker State. Its founder, William Penn, and most of his followers, were members of the Protestant Quaker religion.

宾夕法尼亚州的别名是“基石州”。正如垒成牌坊的基石，宾夕法尼亚州被视为维系了年轻的美利坚共和国。宾夕法尼亚州有时也被称为“贵格会之州”，宾夕法尼亚州开拓者威廉·佩恩和他的多数追随者是基督新教贵格会成员。

Rhode Island's nickname is Little Rhody because of its size. The state is smaller than the area around Los Angeles, California.

罗得岛州由于面积小被称为“小罗得”。该州的面积比环洛杉矶地区还小。

Tennessee got its nickname -- the Volunteer State -- because of the bravery of its citizens. They volunteered to join Tennessean Andrew Jackson to defend the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, against the British army in the War of Eighteen Twelve.

田纳西州由于其市民的英勇得名“志愿者之州”。他们在1812年抵抗英军的战斗中，志愿加入田纳西人安德鲁·杰克逊(Andrew Jackson）的队伍保卫新奥尔良。

Texas is called the Lone Star State. It gets its nickname from the single star on its flag. This represents the short time Texas was an independent nation battling Mexico for self-rule.

德克萨斯州被称为“孤星之州”。它得名自其旗帜上的一颗单独的恒星。这代表着德克萨斯州作为一个独立国家抵抗墨西哥争取自治的短暂历史。

The Beehive State of Utah has no more beehives than any other state. The nickname is from the Mormon Church's symbol for hard work.

“蜂巢州”犹他州并没有比其他州更多的蜂巢。该别名来自摩门教辛勤工作的象征。

The eastern state of Vermont is proud of its beautiful Green Mountains so it calls itself the Green Mountain State. The southern state of Virginia is called the Old Dominion.

东部的佛蒙特州因其美丽的青山而自豪，故自称为“青山州”。南部的弗吉尼亚州被称为“老自治州”。

Long ago, King Charles the Second of England added the colony's coat of arms to his shield. It joined his other dominions of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

很久以前，英格兰国王查理二世将该殖民地的盾形纹章加到他的盾牌，该州加入到他英格兰、苏格兰和爱尔兰等其他领土里。

West Virginia broke away from Virginia in the eighteen sixties. It is called simply the Mountain State for the ancient Appalachian mountains.

西弗吉尼亚州十九世纪六十年代脱离弗吉尼亚州。它因古老的阿帕拉契山脉而被称为“山颠之州”。

And we have saved perhaps the most American nickname for last. The western state of Wyoming was once an area where cattle were transported east. And where there are cattle, there are men -- and now women -- to move them. So Wyoming is the Cowboy State.

我们还保留了可能是近代最美国的别名。西部的怀俄明州曾经是往东部运牛的地区。哪里有牛，哪里就有男人，现在还包括女人来运送它们。因此怀俄明州被称为“牛仔州”。