WORDS AND THEIR STORIES(23) - Face

WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - Face
By Frank¹ Beardsley

Broadcast: Sunday, October 03, 2004

Now Words and Their Stories, a VOA Special English program about American expressions. I'm Rich Kleinfeldt. with expressions that include the word face.

The first is face the music. It means to accept the results of what you have done.

Here is an example from a Reuter's news report. Britain's highest court had ruled that former Chilean dictator² Augusto Pinochet was legally arrested. Opponents³ of General Pinochet welcomed the news. One of them said we have waited for years for this man to face the music. No one is sure how the expression began.

One story is that it came from a military ceremony held when a soldier was forced out of an army. The buttons were cut from the soldier's clothing. He was put on a horse facing the back of the horse and let away. As he left he faced the music of a military band and the soilders he had served with.

Another story says the expression began in the theater. New actors shaking with fright were told that the only cure was to go out and face the music. The music was played by the orchestra⁴ seated in front of the stage.

A similar expression is face up to. It means to accept something that is difficult or painful. For example a man must face up to the fact that he lied about the business deal and will lose his job. Or a child must learn to face up to her responsibilities and complete her schoolwork.

Meeting someone face-to-face can be exciting, especially if the other person is famous. It is an expression one may use after visiting the White House and meeting the president face-to-face. Or a teacher might ask for a face-to-face meeting with the parents of a student in trouble. It means to talk to someone in person, not by telephone.

Another expression is as plain as the nose on your face, it means that something is as clear as it can possibly be. Shakespeare used the words almost 500 years ago for a joke in his play Two Gentlemen of Verona. Valentine secretely loves lady Sylvia . His servant jokes that Vlaentine's love for her is as hard to see as the nose on a man's face. Of course a man's nose can not be hidden.

A more recent use of the expression appeared in a report in News Day magazine. It was about a dispute⁵ between the United States and Europe over agriculture. The United States had criticized⁶ Europeans for protecting their soybean farmers. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in return criticized the United States for its huge budget deficits⁷. The reports said the OECD seemed to be seen for guards sake⁸. It is plain as the nose on your face that you must raise taxes.

This VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories was written by Frank Beardsley. I am Rich Kleinfeldt.

1 frank   

adj.坦白的，直率的，真诚的

参考例句：

• A frank discussion can help to clear the air.坦率的谈论有助于消除隔阂。
• She is frank and outgoing.她很爽朗。

2 dictator   

n.独裁者，爱发号施令的人

参考例句：

• We felt quite impotent to resist the will of the dictator.我们感到无力抗拒独裁者的意志。
• A dictator must have a firm hand.独裁者的手段是很厉害的。

3 opponents   

n.对手，敌手( opponent的名词复数 )；反对者

参考例句：

• Somehow he always manages to outwit his opponents. 他反正总能设法智胜对手。
• to use strong-arm tactics against your political opponents 用强制手段对付政敌

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 dispute   

n.争端，分歧；v.争论，争吵，辩论，辩驳

参考例句：

• They are trying to find a way of settling the dispute.他们正设法寻找解决争端的办法。
• The parties to the dispute should be more polite to each other.争执双方应相互礼貌些。

6 criticized   

vt.批评(criticize的过去式)v.评论，批评( criticize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The decision was criticized by environmental groups. 这个决定受到了环保团体的批评。
• The movie has been criticized for apparently legitimizing violence. 这部电影因明显地美化暴力而受到了指责。

7 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

8 sake   

n.缘故，理由

参考例句：

• He loves poetry for beauty's sake.他因为爱美而喜欢诗歌。
• We can't risk big things for the sake of small ones.我们不能因小失大。