-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Buckeyes, Sooners, Quakers, Volunteers and Cowboys 七叶树,捷足者,贵格会,志愿者以及牛仔
Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
Today, we finish telling about the interesting nicknames2 that have been given to the fifty American states.
?The state of Ohio is in the midwest. It is named the "Buckeye State" after a tree that produces nuts similar to chestnuts3.
The Great Plains state of Oklahoma is called the "Sooner State." That is because of a sale of land in 1889. Some people arrived in the territory to claim their land earlier than they were supposed to. They cheated and got there "sooner."
Pennsylvania's nickname1 is the "Keystone State." Just as a keystone holds together a stone arch4, Pennsylvania was seen as holding together the young American republic.
Pennsylvania is also sometimes called the "Quaker State." Its founder5 -- William Penn, and most of his followers6 -- were members of the Protestant Quaker religion.
Rhode Island's nickname is "Little Rhody" because of its size. The state is smaller than the area around Los Angeles, California.
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 1812.
Texas is called the "Lone7 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.
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.
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 Dominion8." Long ago, King Charles II of England added the colony's coat of arms to his shield. It joined his other dominions9 of England, Ireland, and Scotland.
West Virginia broke away from Virginia in the 1860s. It is called simply the "Mountain State" for the ancient Appalachian mountains.
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."
1 nickname | |
n.绰号,昵称;v.给...取绰号,叫错名字 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 nicknames | |
n.绰号,诨名,昵称( nickname的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 chestnuts | |
n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 );栗色;栗树;栗色马 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 arch | |
n.拱门,桥洞;v.拱起,成为弓形 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 Founder | |
n.创始者,缔造者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 lone | |
adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 dominion | |
n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
参考例句: |
|
|