VOA词汇掌故2024--Many People 'Thank Their Lucky Stars'

Many People 'Thank Their Lucky Stars'

　　Now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

　　Looking up at a star-filled night sky can be one of the most beautiful sights to see. It can fill you with awe¹ and amazement². It can also take us away from our worldly troubles and problems.

　　A long time ago, people may have looked to the stars for more than inspiration³ and entertainment. Ancient star-gazers may have looked to the stars to find good luck. In modern times, people who believe in astrology also look to the stars for guidance and advice on how to improve their lives.

　　Stars have served us in many ways throughout human history. So, it is not surprising that we have an expression that thanks them.

　　When we say, thank your lucky stars, we are expressing gratitude⁴ for something. We use this expression to show our appreciation⁵ for something good in our lives. For example, I thank my lucky stars for my health and also a career that I love.

　　We often use the expression with the word "should." For example: My friend should thank her lucky stars for her amazing brother. He has helped her many times over the years.

　　This saying means that you should be grateful for your good luck. Thanking the stars in ancient times may have been a type of superstition⁶. But these days, it simply means we are thankful.

　　Let's hear what some of my co-workers thank their lucky stars for.

　　First is Dan Friedell:

　　I thank my lucky stars for the people who came before me and taught me lessons about life I put into practice today.

　　And here is Dorothy Gundy:

　　I thank my lucky stars that the rain has stopped and the children can play outdoors.

　　Sometimes we use the word "count" in this expression. Saying I count my lucky stars doesn't change the meaning. For example: I count my lucky stars for my family and friends.

　　Now let's hear this expression used in a conversation:

　　A: Are you okay? You look terrible.

　　B: I rear-ended a garbage truck on my drive over here.

　　A: Oh no! Was anyone hurt?

　　B: No, thankfully. But I really damaged my car. It's going to cost a lot to fix it.

　　A: Well, crashing into the back of a trash truck will do that. What happened?

　　B: I dropped a piece of chocolate and looked down for a minute to find it. When I looked up, the trash truck was stopped right in front of me.

　　A: Wow. You should count your lucky stars that you weren't seriously injured.

　　B: I know! I'm very thankful. And I need to be more careful. But in my defense⁷ ... it was really good chocolate.

　　We here at VOA Learning English thank our lucky stars for all of our listeners.

　　What do you count your lucky stars for? Tell us in the comment section or send us an email at [email protected].

　　Words in This Story

　　awe – n. a feeling of mixed fear, respect, and wonder

　　inspiration – n. the act or power of moving the mind or the emotions

　　gratitude – n. the state of being grateful : grateful – adj. appreciative⁸ of benefits received

　　appreciation – n. a feeling or expression of admiration⁹, approval, or gratitude

　　superstition – n. a belief or practice resulting from ignorance¹⁰, fear of the unknown, or trust in magic

　　conversation – n. talking or a talk between two or more people

1 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

3 inspiration   

n.灵感，鼓励者，吸气

参考例句：

• These events provided the inspiration for his first novel.这些事件给了他创作第一部小说的灵感。
• What an inspiration she was to all around her!她对于她周围所有的人是一种多么大的鼓舞！

4 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

5 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

6 superstition   

n.迷信，迷信行为

参考例句：

• It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
• Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

9 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

10 ignorance   

n.无知，愚昧，不了解，（of，about）不知道

参考例句：

• The relation of disease to poverty and ignorance is easy to see.疾病与贫穷、无知之间的关系是显而易见的。
• Maybe it is all due to my own ignorance.也许是我少见多怪。