WORDS AND THEIR STORIES(32) - Buff

WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - Buff
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Broadcast: Sunday, December 19, 2004

Now the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories. Today we tell about the word buff.

The word buff has several meanings. Buff is a light yellow color. Buff is also a soft cloth used to rub¹ a surface until it looks bright and shiny².

Yet these meanings are old and their history is not known³. The meaning of buff that we do know about is one that discribes a person. A buff is someone who has a strong sepcial interest in something. For example, someone who loves jazz music is a jazz buff. Someone who is deeply⁴ interested in the American Civil War is a civil war buff.

This meaning of the word is known to be American. Its use started almost 200 years ago in New York City. At that time New York was a growing city. There were no huge tall buildings of steel and stone. Buildings then were made of wood and brick⁵. Many were old and fires often broke out in them. The city did not have well-organized fire departments. So when the fire alarm bell rang, men near the sound of the fire bell dropped what they were doing and rushed out to fight the fire.

Later, fire companies were organized with men who were trained to fight fires. They were not paid to do this. They earned their money at other jobs but dropped what they were doing when the fire bell rang. In cold weather, many of these young volunteer fire-fighters wore coats made of the skin of buffalo⁶ to keep them warm and dry. Often when the fire bell rang, other men in the city rushed to help put out the fire. They also wore coats of buffalo skin. In time any man who rushed to fight a fire became known as a fire buff because of the buffalo coat he wore.

Time, however, has a way of bringing changes. Cities organized fire departments. Firemen became professionals⁷. They are paid to do their job. Yet even today ,we still have fire buffs who seem to appear at every fire in an area. Sometimes they prevent firemen from doing their jobs. A leading New York newspaper published a story with the headline "Fire Buffs Barred from Blaze⁸". The story was about an order from New York's fire commissioner⁹. He was angry. He told reporters that his fire-fighters were having trouble getting near the fire because fire buffs who wanted to help were really getting in the way. So he said he did not want anyone but fire-fighters to go to a fire.

Fire buffs are still around, but the word has taken on a wider meaning. It includes all who have a deep interest in something or some activity. And so we can thank the American buffalo that once wander the open plains for this meaning of the word buff.

1 rub   

n.摩擦，困难，障碍，难点，磨损处；vt.擦，搓，摩擦，惹怒；vi.摩擦，擦破

参考例句：

• Don't let the wire rub up against the pipe.别让电线碰到管子上。
• He used to rub up against many famous movie stars.他过去经常偶然碰到许多有名的影星。

2 shiny   

adj.有光泽的，发光的，辉煌的

参考例句：

• What shiny shoes you're wearing!你穿的鞋子擦得真亮啊！
• All the cups are clean and shiny.所有的杯子都很干净明亮。

3 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

4 deeply   

adv.深刻地，在深处，深沉地

参考例句：

• I do feel deeply the strength of the collective.我确实深深地感到了集体的力量。
• We're deeply honoured that you should agree to join us.您能同意加入我们，我们感到很荣幸。

5 brick   

n.砖；vt.用砖砌，用砖堵住

参考例句：

• She stared blankly at the brick wall in front of her.她面无表情地瞪着面前的砖墙。
• I bought a brick of ice cream for my daughter.我给女儿买了块冰砖。

6 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

7 professionals   

n.具有某专业资格的人( professional的名词复数 )；专业人士；内行；专门职业者

参考例句：

• The tournament is open to both amateurs and professionals. 这次锦标赛业余选手和职业选手均可参加。
• a book written for professionals and laymen alike 一本内行外行都可以读的书

8 blaze   

n.火焰，火堆，火光，火灾；vi.燃烧，着火

参考例句：

• In a blaze of anger he shouted at them.他怒火中烧，对着他们大吼起来。
• Dry wood makes a good blaze.干木燃起夺目的光焰。

9 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。