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VOA慢速英语2016--你在做梦!

时间:2016-12-04 15:44来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

You’re Dreaming! 你在做梦!

Join us now for Words and Their Stories, a program from VOA Learning English.

On this show we talk about the origins and meanings of common expressions in American English. Every week we dream up topics you might find interesting. Well, we also do research. But today we have dreamt up a show on “dreams.”

Dreams are the visions we have when we are asleep. But the word “dream” fills the expressions we use when we are awake.

“The stuff dreams are made of” is a romantic expression. It describes a really wonderful experience.

For example, let’s say you really love flight and space travel. So, a friend invites you to see a launch of a space shuttle. She even invites you to meet the astronauts who are going to fly into space.

After this experience you can say to her, “That was the stuff dreams are made of! It’s a dream come true!”

A dream come true is exactly that – a dream that has become reality.

Let’s make it even better.

Let’s say your friend can get you on the space shuttle. You can actually wear a space suit and sit in the flight commander’s seat! That would be beyond your wildest dreams. In other words, even you could not have dreamed up such a wonderful experience.

However, once you enter the space shuttle you feel ill. Your hands shake and you are unable to talk.

The astronauts try to help you. But you freak out, yelling, “Let me out of here! Let me out of here!” When you start throwing the flight manuals around the cockpit, the police come and remove you from the shuttle.

It’s a disaster. A nightmare.

After the police take your statement and your fingerprints1, your friend tries to calm you down. She tells that everything will be okay. But all you can say to her is, “I wish it was all just a bad dream.”

But it wasn’t.

You are barred from participating in any NASA-related field trips. And now you have a police record.

However, months later your childhood dream of space travel comes back strong. You decide to become a pilot. Your friend advises against it. She reminds you that you have a severe case of claustrophobia, a fear of being in small spaces.

She calls your goal of becoming a pilot a pipe dream. A pipe dream is a hope or wish that is impossible to achieve. This expression began in the late 19th century. Word experts say it refers to a dream experienced when smoking an opium2 pipe. Those dreams rarely come true.

But you insist it is possible for you to be the first person to fly around the world with your faithful pet cat -- Galaxy3. Your friend, however, says, “Dream on!” She could also say, “In your dreams!”

Both of these informal expressions are ways of saying that someone’s idea is a fantasy. Friends can use them in a funny way with each other. Otherwise, both expressions can sound a little mean.

Then your friend uses another informal expression. She tells you to wake up and smell the coffee! She adds that you are living in a dream world if you think you can become a world-famous pilot who flies with a cat. People who live in a dream world are unrealistic. They refuse to face facts.

Your friend’s remarks are hard for you to hear. But you know she is right. So, you decide to write a children’s book about someone who flies around the world with a beloved pet. As you are already a children’s book author, this is a dream that can definitely come true.

For the next few months, you happily daydream4 about the story you will write. To daydream is to let your creative mind, your imagination, take over. Luckily for you, you can daydream anywhere – not just in small spaces such as a cockpit.

It turns out you are better dreaming about air travel than doing it. Your book is a spectacular success. With the money you make from your book sales, you are finally able to buy your dream house. And it has a special room just for Galaxy, your cat.

Your proud friend invites you to speak at the school where she teaches. You tell her students to follow their dreams and to dream big. You also tell them that even broken dreams have value. You can always pick up the pieces and make a new one!

That night you call her on the phone to thank her for reminding you to never stop dreaming. She says that is what friends are for.

“Goodnight,” you say.

“Goodnight,” she says. “Sweet dreams.”

And that brings us to the end of Words and Their Stories.

Words and Their Stories

romantic – adj. not realistic or practical : not based on what is real

freak out – v. a wildly irrational5 reaction or spell of behavior

cockpit – n. a space or compartment6 in a usually small vehicle (as a boat, airplane, or automobile) from which it is steered7, piloted, or driven

escort – v. to go with (someone or something) to give protection or guidance

claustrophobia – n. abnormal dread8 of being in closed or narrow spaces

opium – n. a bitter brownish addictive9 narcotic10 drug that consists of the dried latex obtained from immature11 seed capsules of the opium poppy

fantasy – n. the free play of creative imagination

spectacular – adj. causing wonder and admiration12 : very impressive

proud – adj. having or displaying excessive self-esteem


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 fingerprints 9b456c81cc868e5bdf3958245615450b     
n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
  • They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套,以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 opium c40zw     
n.鸦片;adj.鸦片的
参考例句:
  • That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
  • Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。
3 galaxy OhoxB     
n.星系;银河系;一群(杰出或著名的人物)
参考例句:
  • The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
  • The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。
4 daydream jvGzVa     
v.做白日梦,幻想
参考例句:
  • Boys and girls daydream about what they want to be.孩子们遐想着他们将来要干什么。
  • He drifted off into another daydream.他飘飘然又做了一个白日梦。
5 irrational UaDzl     
adj.无理性的,失去理性的
参考例句:
  • After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
  • There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。
6 compartment dOFz6     
n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间
参考例句:
  • We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴,整个客车隔间由我们独享。
  • The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
7 steered dee52ce2903883456c9b7a7f258660e5     
v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导
参考例句:
  • He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
  • The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧
参考例句:
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
9 addictive hJbyL     
adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的,成为习惯的
参考例句:
  • The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
  • Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。
10 narcotic u6jzY     
n.麻醉药,镇静剂;adj.麻醉的,催眠的
参考例句:
  • Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。
  • No medical worker is allowed to prescribe any narcotic drug for herself.医务人员不得为自己开处方使用麻醉药品。
11 immature Saaxj     
adj.未成熟的,发育未全的,未充分发展的
参考例句:
  • Tony seemed very shallow and immature.托尼看起来好像很肤浅,不夠成熟。
  • The birds were in immature plumage.这些鸟儿羽翅未全。
12 admiration afpyA     
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。
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