VOA慢速英语20060430b

WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - American Expressions Based on ColorsBy Warren Scheer

Broadcast: Sunday, April 30, 2006

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Now the VOA Special English Program Words and Their Stories.

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.

Red is a hot color; Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red-hot about something unfair, when they are red-hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called Red Hots for the color and their fiery¹ taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot. Especially the kind called Dixieland Jazz.

Pink is a lighter² kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the 20th century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.

Blue is a cool color. The traditional Blues³ Music in the United States is the opposite of Red Hot Music. Blues is slow, sad, and sorrowful. Duke Ellington and his orchestra⁴ recorded a famous song Mood Indigo⁵ about the deep blue color indigo. In the words of the song, 鈥淵ou ain't been blue, till you've had that Mood Indigo.鈥?Someone who is blue is very sad.

The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural⁶ color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling stomach may say she feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car, that person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the backside of the paper money.

The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The day of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. A black list is illegal now, but at one time some businesses refused to employ people who are on a black list for belonging to unpopular organizations.

In some cases, colors describe a situation. A Brownout is an expression for a reduction⁷ in electric power. Brownouts happen when there is too much demand for electricity. The electric system is unable to offer all the power needed in an area. Blackouts were common during World War II. Officials would order all lights in a city turn off to make it difficult for enemy planes to find a target in the dark of night.

I'm Warren Sheer⁸, listen again next week for another Words and Their Stories program in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

2 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

3 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。

4 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

5 indigo   

n.靛青，靛蓝

参考例句：

• The sky was indigo blue,and a great many stars were shining.天空一片深蓝，闪烁着点点繁星。
• He slipped into an indigo tank.他滑落到蓝靛桶中。

6 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

7 reduction   

n.减少，减低，减缩；减少，减低

参考例句：

• Reduction in income tax will be welcomed with open arms.减少所得税将受到热烈欢迎。
• You will have a reduction for cash.付现金可以打折扣。

8 sheer   

adj.绝对的，全然的，峻峭的；v.躲开，躲避，使...避开； adv.完全，全然，峻峭

参考例句：

• He achieved his aim by sheer strength of will.他纯粹靠意志力达到了目的。
• I guess It'sheer waste of time arguing about it.看来争论这件事纯粹是浪费时间。