VOA慢速英语2016--Table Tennis, Anyone?

AS IT IS 2016-09-11 Table Tennis, Anyone?

Hello and welcome to Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English!

On this program, we explore the stories behind common expressions in American English.

Today, we talk about an object found in every home. We eat off them. We can also work at them. We play games on them and, at other times, we simply gather around them.

They are tables!

A table is often at the center of many activities. So it is not surprising that the word “table” is used in several common expressions.

Let’s start with a very simple one: to table something.

George Bernard Shaw was a famous playwright¹. He reportedly said that “England and America are separated by the same language.”

However, he may not have said that. It was the Irish writer Oscar Wilde who wrote years earlier in his 1887 story The Canterville Ghost, “… we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.”

Regardless of who said it first, there is truth in this funny statement. Similar expressions can sometimes mean different things in the U.K and the U.S.

For example, the term to table means one thing in Britain, while it means the exact opposite in the United States.

When Britain’s parliament wishes to consider an issue for discussion, members vote “to table it.” On the other hand, when the United States Senate or House of Representatives votes “to table” a proposal, lawmakers decide to set aside the plan or even kill it altogether.

These differences led to misunderstandings between the two countries shortly after the United States entered World War II.

As the Americans and British began to develop joint² military plans, the term “to table” usually required a clearer explanation. There were British proposals that the Americans were strongly opposed to. They did not even want to discuss them. Respectfully, they said, “Let’s table them.”

The British were happy to hear that. They thought the Americans were ready to give the proposals serious considerations. Boy, were they wrong!

For a time, the misunderstandings could be troublesome. But in time, the two sides grew to understand what each meant by the expression “to table.” And communications between them improved.

So did their military situation. In time, the Allies³ turned the tables on Nazi⁴ Germany. After being on the defensive⁵ for a long time, allied⁶ forces moved forward to take the offensive⁷ on all battle fronts.

The Allies turned the tables on German forces and defeated them.

The expression “to turn the tables” means to give opponents the same treatment they have been giving you. This saying comes from a popular 16th century card game.

In the game, a player might have found themselves in a worse position than his opponent. And so, turning the board, or table, around put the other person in the same position.

Now, let us hear this expression used in an everyday conversation.

A: Hey did you watch your boss’s television interview about education reform?

B: Not yet. I hate watching her speak to reporters. Most of them are unfair and unprepared.

A: Well, your boss was ready for them. She turned the tables on all of them. She brought all her facts and knowledge about the issue to the table. She supplied hard evidence that proved their accusations⁸ wrong.

B: In that case, I’ll watch that interview right away! Nothing is better than seeing the tables turn against unfair reporters.

So the expression “turn the tables” comes from a game and so does the expression cards on the table.

If we put our cards on the table we lay everything out in plain view. Nothing is hidden. However, people who want to keep their plans secret, deal under the table. This expression is used to describe dishonest activities, such as cheating.

An employer who pays a worker under the table is paying them illegally without taking out taxes.

But if you bring something to a party, you don’t put it under the table. You put it on the table. Often when people are invited to parties, they bring something to eat or drink to share. Whether it is a bottle of wine or a chocolate cake, these gifts go on a table for everyone to enjoy.

In American English, however, what you bring to the table is not limited to food or something to drink.

What you bring to the table can be interesting stories, personal knowledge of a subject or a witty⁹ sense of humor. These things all make the event better. So, people who bring something to the table are those who bring something of value to a party, a meeting or event.

On the other hand, if someone does not bring anything of value to a gathering¹⁰, for whatever reason, we can say that person brings nothing to the table.

You might ask, what does VOA Learning English bring to the table? We create stories and programs every day that hopefully help you improve your English.

Words in This Story

witty – adj. funny and clever

sense of humor – n. a personality that gives someone the ability to say funny things and see the funny side of things

1 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 allies   

联盟国，同盟者； 同盟国，同盟者( ally的名词复数 )； 支持者； 盟军

参考例句：

• The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。
• A number of the United States' allies had urged him not to take a hasty decision. 美国的一些盟友已力劝他不要急于作决定。

4 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

5 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

6 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

7 offensive   

adj.令人不快的，侮辱的，攻击用的；n.进攻

参考例句：

• His mode of doing business is offensive to me.他干事情的方式叫我很不喜欢。
• If all else fails,I will take the offensive.如果其他方法不行，我将采取攻势。

8 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

9 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。