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How Can a Smelly Fish Help You Avoid the Truth?

时间:2017-02-08 23:34:35

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(单词翻译)

 

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

On this show, we try to explain common expressions used in American English.

Today, we talk about a small, silvery fish, called herring.

In some places, herring is a popular food. In the United States, herring is also part of a curious expression. We call unimportant1 information that is used to distract2 a “red herring.”

For example, mystery writers often use red herrings as plot devices. In her book “The Sittaford Mystery,” writer Agatha Christie gives many characters a reason for killing3 the rich Captain Trevelyan. But those reasons turn out to be red herrings. Christie used them to throw the reader off the scent4 of the real killer5.

In a mystery, a red herring is something the writer presents as a clue, but actually isn’t. Mysteries aren’t the only places that use red herrings.

People who work in government or write about politics also commonly use this expression. Politicians are sometimes guilty of drawing people’s attention away from serious issues by throwing out red herrings that they know will get a reaction.

People also criticize the media for creating red herrings – reports that are used to purposefully distract readers from more important issues.

As you can see, the expression red herring is useful … but it is odd. How did herring turn red? And why does it mean something that is purposefully misleading?

The first part, about the color, is easy to answer.

Before modern transportation and cooling equipment, fish was difficult to ship to customers. It would go bad before reaching stores. So, people began curing fish for later use. They added salt to the fish or left it hanging in a smoky room. After this process, the fish skin would darken, changing to a reddish-brown color. In this way, some herring literally6 turned red.

In our examples today, however, a “red herring” means something that takes attention away from the real issue. How did it come to mean that? Well, language experts do not really agree.

Some word historians7 point out that these smoked fish have a very strong smell. So, they might have been used to train hunting and tracking dogs. They suggest the scent of red herring could trick a group of hunters and, more importantly, their dogs. In other words, red herring could throw even the best hunting dogs off track, making them likely to go in the wrong direction.

However, to other language experts, this explanation makes no sense. It suggests that people were following the hunters, secretly plotting to ruin their day. Who would do that? More importantly, there doesn’t seem to be any written evidence to support that claim.

So, there are things we don’t know about the origin of “red herring.” But we do know this. From politics to the news to mysteries, we commonly use “red herring” in written English. But it can sound more formal and even a bit dated in everyday conversations.

There are some words that mean about the same thing but that are more commonly used in spoken English -- words like ploy8, a ruse9 or subterfuge10.

They all mean to trick someone or to send someone up the garden path, whether in search of stinky fish or anything else that is not the truth.

Now let’s hear these tricky11 words in a short story.

Our story begins with a guy named Max. He works as a security guard at a famous museum. As a security guard, Max watches visitors to the museum as they come and go. He often wonders things about them. Where do they come from? Are they happily married? What do they do for a living?

One day, Max notices a very pretty woman visiting the exhibit he is guarding. He has seen her before. In fact, she often comes to see the rare jewelry12 exhibit – sometimes several times a week.

During one of these visits, she starts a conversation with Max. She asks if it is difficult being a security guard and if he ever gets bored. She introduces herself as Maria, a fashion designer.

When Maria comes to visit, she often talks with Max. “Maybe she likes me,” he thinks.

Max thinks she is very interesting and wants to spend more time with her. During one of their talks at the museum, he finds out that she is studying Italian.

He lies and tells her he has always wanted to learn Italian. He is simply using Italian as a ruse. And it works! Max and Maria meet every Saturday afternoon in the museum garden to study Italian.

During the lessons, they also talk about themselves. Maria shares her dreams of one day showing her fashions in a museum. Max tells her many details about his security job. He jokes that it would be very easy to rob the museum.

Maria asks him if he could identify a robber. They describe what they think a robber would look like and laugh together.

Over the passing weeks, they learn more about each other. What Max doesn’t learn, however, is that Maria is not as innocent as she looks.

Maria is actually an international jewel thief! Police from eight different countries have been searching for her the past two years!

Her latest goal is to steal the rare Black Diamond! This diamond is the most valuable diamond in the world and it is part of the exhibit that Max is guarding. All her attention on him was a subterfuge to learn more about the museum’s security system.

One night after the museum closes, Maria makes her move. She enters the building using the security code that Max shared with her – his dog’s name, Bones.

“When dealing13 with a beautiful woman, men can be so stupid,” she laughs to herself.

She sneaks15 into the jewelry exhibit and destroys the movement-detecting alarms Max told her about. Then she walks up to the glass case protecting the Black Diamond and unlocks16 it with the key she stole from Max.

As she holds the diamond in her hands, she laughs, “The Black Diamond is mine!”

Just then the lights go on, an alarm sounds and a team of police run in.

They have caught her!

As a police officer handcuffs Maria, the lead police investigator17 comes into the room. Her surprise is so strong she is unable to speak.

It is Max.

He flashes his police badge18 and says, “Your stealing days are over, Maria! Or should I call you by your real name, Natasha Stealzolot!”

She yells19, “I should’ve know learning Italian was just a ploy! How could I have been fooled by you, a simple police detective?!”

Max puts his badge back in his pocket and says, “You can think about that in prison where you’ll be spending the next 15 years! Oh, and by the way, I speak perfect Italian. Arrivederci!”

Words in This Story

curing to prepare or alter especially by chemical or physical processing for keeping or use <fish cured with salt>

clue something that helps a person find something, understand something, or solve a mystery or puzzle

decoy a person or thing that attracts people's attention so they will not notice someone or something else

ploy a clever trick or plan that is used to get someone to do something or to gain an advantage over someone

ruse a trick or act that is used to fool someone

subterfuge the use of tricks especially to hide, avoid, or get something

make one’s move – informal expression : to start doing something to achieve an aim or solve a problem

code – n. a system of signals or symbols for communication : a system of symbols (as letters or numbers) used to represent assigned and often secret meanings : a set of instructions for a computer

sneak14 – v. to move quietly and secretly in order to avoid being noticed

detect – v. to discover or notice the presence of (something that is hidden or hard to see, hear, taste, etc.) detecting – adj.

alarm – n. a device that makes a loud sound as a warning or signal

uniform – n. a special kind of clothing that is worn by all the members of a group or organization

handcuff – v. to put handcuffs on (someone) handcuff – n. a set of two metal rings that are joined together and locked around a person's wrists

flash – v. to show (something) briefly20 : commonly used with “badge” : <The officer flashed his badge.>

badge – n. a small object (such as a tag, pin, or metal shield) that is worn or held up by a person so that it can be easily seen, that has writing (such as a person's name) and often a picture on it, and that shows who the person is : <The policeman flashed his badge.>

by the way – informal expression : incidentally (used to introduce a minor topic not connected with what was being spoken about previously)


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1 unimportant OfHz34     
adj.不重要的,无意义的
参考例句:
  • Let's not quarrel about such unimportant matters.我们不要为这些小事争吵了。
  • Money seems unimportant when sets beside the joys of family life.与天伦之乐相比,金钱显得微不足道。
2 distract ms9xo     
vt.分散注意力,转移注意力,使分心
参考例句:
  • Don't distract my attention.不要分散我的注意力。
  • It was all a ploy to distract attention from his real aims.那纯粹是障眼法,用以分散人们对他真正意图的注意力。
3 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
4 scent WThzs     
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉
参考例句:
  • The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
  • The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。
5 killer rpLziK     
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者
参考例句:
  • Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
  • The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。
6 literally 28Wzv     
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实
参考例句:
  • He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
  • Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候,她不走到真正要昏厥了,决不肯坐下来。
7 historians aa2dff49e1cda6eb8322970793b20183     
n.历史学家,史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
  • Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。
8 ploy FuQyE     
n.花招,手段
参考例句:
  • I think this is just a government ploy to deceive the public.我认为这只是政府欺骗公众的手段。
  • Christmas should be a time of excitement and wonder,not a cynical marketing ploy.圣诞节应该是兴奋和美妙的时刻,而不该是一种肆无忌惮的营销策略。
9 ruse 5Ynxv     
n.诡计,计策;诡计
参考例句:
  • The children thought of a clever ruse to get their mother to leave the house so they could get ready for her surprise.孩子们想出一个聪明的办法使妈妈离家,以便他们能准备给她一个惊喜。It is now clear that this was a ruse to divide them.现在已清楚这是一个离间他们的诡计。
10 subterfuge 4swwp     
n.诡计;藉口
参考例句:
  • European carping over the phraseology represented a mixture of hypocrisy and subterfuge.欧洲在措词上找岔子的做法既虚伪又狡诈。
  • The Independents tried hard to swallow the wretched subterfuge.独立党的党员们硬着头皮想把这一拙劣的托词信以为真。
11 tricky 9fCzyd     
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的
参考例句:
  • I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手,你能帮我吗?
  • He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题,只做了个笼统的表述。
12 jewelry 0auz1     
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
参考例句:
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
13 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
14 sneak vr2yk     
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝);偷偷摸摸做;n.潜行;adj.暗中进行
参考例句:
  • He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
  • I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。
15 sneaks 5c2450dbde040764a81993ba08e02d76     
abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋(网球鞋)v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状
参考例句:
  • Typhoid fever sneaks in when sanitation fails. 环境卫生搞不好,伤寒就会乘虚而入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Honest boys scorn sneaks and liars. 诚实的人看不起狡诈和撒谎的人。 来自辞典例句
16 unlocks 5ded395aeb61415fd2982a389803ae10     
v.开锁( unlock的第三人称单数 );开启;揭开;开着,解开
参考例句:
  • Appropriate and thoughtful self assertion unlocks talent, setting achievement in motion. 适当和周到的自我主张解锁人才,设置运动的成就。 来自互联网
  • Then, the specific IP address unlocks the services and temporarily grants access. 然后,特定的IP地址解锁服务,临时同意访问。 来自互联网
17 investigator zRQzo     
n.研究者,调查者,审查者
参考例句:
  • He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
  • The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。
18 badge buHz6     
n.徽章,证章,标记,标识,象征
参考例句:
  • Every student should carry a school badge.每个学生都应该佩带校徽。
  • The olive leaf is a badge of peace.橄榄叶是和平的象征。
19 yells 125085a41c2797c7a3b1b94d59906b26     
v.叫喊,号叫,叫着说( yell的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • The most savage yells of all came from the schoolchildren. 最野蛮的喊叫声来自那些学童。 来自英汉文学
  • Dimes, dimes, "yells another, selling $ 10 vials of crack. 另一个卖瓶装克拉克的青年也在大声叫卖。 来自名作英译部分
20 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

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