VOA慢速英语2021 火车已离站，一切"为时已晚"

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning¹ English.

欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。

On this program we explore words and expressions in the English language.

在本期节目中，我们来探索一下英语词汇和短语。

We give examples, notes on usage² and sometimes we use them in a short story.

我们会对用法进行举例和解释说明，有时甚至会在小故事中使用它们。

Today we talk about transportation³ expressions involving ships, boats, and trains.

今天我们讨论与轮船、客船和火车有关的交通方面的表达。

A train ride can be a wonderful adventure.

乘火车可以是一次奇妙的冒险。

Imagine that you are in your final days of study in Budapest.

想象一下，你在布达佩斯学习的最后几天。

You have lived there as a student for over a year but have never traveled to Prague.

你作为学生在那里生活了一年多，但从未去过布拉格。

So, on your last weekend, you plan a train trip from Budapest to Prague.

所以，在最后一个周末，你计划乘火车从布达佩斯到布拉格。

But you only have a couple of days to make the trip.

但是你只有几天的时间去旅行。

You buy a ticket leaving late on a Friday night.

你买了一张周五深夜出发的车票。

You plan to catch the train after your last class.

你打算在上完最后一节课后赶火车。

You are so excited! But after class your professor offers to buy you dinner.

你太兴奋了！但是下课后，你的教授主动提出要请你吃晚饭。

He wants to send you off with a celebration⁴.

他想给你饯行。

You don't want to be rude.

你不想表现得无礼。

So, you agree, but your eye is always on the clock.

所以，你同意了，但你的眼睛一直盯着表。

Dinner takes longer than you thought it would and soon it's nearing your time to catch the train.

晚餐的时间比你想象的要长，很快就要到你赶火车的时间了。

So, you thank him and say you have a train to catch.

所以，你向他表示感谢并说你要赶火车。

But he insists that you stay for a quick dessert and offers to drive you to the station.

但他坚持让你留下来吃点甜点，并主动提出开车送你去车站。

You do the time math in your head and figure that if he drives you, you will have just enough time to catch your train.

你在脑子里算了一下时间，计算出如果他开车送你，你正好有足够的时间赶上火车。

But then, after dessert, he remembers, "Oh I didn't drive. How silly of me!"

但在吃完甜点后，他想起来：“哦，我没开车。我真傻！”

You tell him, "Thanks. I really have to go!"

你告诉他：“谢谢，我真的得走了！”

You rush to the station!

你快速赶往车站！

But by the time you get there the station, the train—your train—is pulling away.

但是当你到达车站时，火车——你要乘坐的那趟火车——已经开走了。

And there won't be another one until the next night.

第二天晚上才会有下一趟。

You have missed your train and your chance to see Prague before returning home!

你错过了那趟火车，也错过了回家前游览布拉格的机会！

And that brings us to our expression for today.

那就引出了我们今天的表达。

"That train has left the station."

“That train has left the station.”

It means⁵ you have missed an opportunity.

它是指你错过了一个机会。

The chance to do something—something you really wanted to do—has passed.

做某事（你真正想做的事）的机会已经溜走了。

We say this when a process is already underway.

当一个过程已经在进行时，我们会这样说。

The time for discussion⁶ is over.

讨论的时间结束了。

It's too late to change your mind.

现在改变主意已经太晚了。

And it's too late to make changes.

现在做出改变已经太迟了。

Some possibility or choice is no longer available or likely.

某些可能性或选择不复存在或不可能了。

If you like boating⁷ expressions, you can also say: "That ship has sailed," or that someone has "missed the boat."

如果你喜欢关于船的表达方式，你也可以说：“That ship has sailed”，或者某人“missed the boat”。

They are all used the same way.

它们的用法都是一样的。

Besides missing⁸ an opportunity, all of these expressions could be used in another situation: When events have been put into place and there is no stopping them.

除了错失机会，所有这些表达都可以用于另一种情况：当事情已经安排好，没有人能阻止其发生的时候。

For example, let's say your mother wants to fix you up with the nice child of her boss.

例如，假设你妈妈想把你介绍给她老板的好孩子。

She arranges⁹ the whole date without talking to you first.

她没有先和你商量就安排了整个约会。

You don't want to go, but she has already told her boss that you would.

你不想去，但她已经告诉她的老板你会去的。

If you were to tell me about it, I would probably say to you: "Sorry. But that train has already left the station. You must go on that date."

如果你告诉我这件事，我可能会对你说：“对不起，但为时已晚，你必须得去赴约。”

Usually when we use "that train has left the station" or "that ship has sailed" it means events are going forward and you can't stop them.

通常，当我们用“that train has left the station”或“that ship has sailed”时，它的意思是事情正在向前发展，你无法阻止它们。

Now, here is a note on usage.

以下是对该用法的说明。

Simply put, these sayings mean, "It's too late. So, save your breath¹⁰."

简单地说，这些谚语的意思是：“太晚了，所以省省力气吧。”

So, they could sound rude or thoughtless¹¹. And they are informal¹².

因此，它们可能听起来无礼或不顾及他人。而且它们是非正式表达。

So, I would say them to a friend and co-worker¹³.

所以，我会对朋友和同事这么说。

But I wouldn't say them to my boss or my professor—although it was his fault that I missed my train in the first place!

但我不会对我的老板或教授说这些话——尽管一开始我错过火车是他的错！

And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.

以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见…… 我是安娜·马特奥。

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 usage   

n.惯用法，使用，用法

参考例句：

• I am clear about the usage of this word at last.这个词的用法我算是弄明白了。
• The usage is now firmly established.这种用法现已得到确认。

3 transportation   

n.运输，运输系统，运输工具

参考例句：

• The transportation of goods by air costs a lot.航空运输货物花费很高。
• He finally solved the difficulty of transportation.他终于解决了运输的困难。

4 celebration   

n.庆祝，庆祝会；典礼

参考例句：

• The celebration passed off successfully.庆祝活动圆满结束。
• The celebration of Christmas is a custom.庆祝圣诞节是一种习俗。

5 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

6 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

7 boating   

n.划船

参考例句：

• They were fond of boating.他们喜欢划船。
• The lovely river itself was ideal for fishing and boating.这条美丽的河流本身就宜于钓鱼和划船。

8 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

9 arranges   

v.安排，准备( arrange的第三人称单数 )；把…（系统地）分类；整理；改编（剧本等）

参考例句：

• He's a wonder with the way he arranges everything without any help. 他不要任何帮忙就把事情样样办妥，真是个奇才。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Charlotte always arranges everything in our house and rules us like a despot. 在我们家里，件件事总是由夏洛特去安排，她象个专制君主那样统治着我们。 来自辞典例句

10 breath   

n.呼吸，气息，微风，迹象，精神，一种说话的声音

参考例句：

• I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
• While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。

11 thoughtless   

adj.没有考虑的，无深虑的，轻率的

参考例句：

• It was thoughtless of you to forget your sister's birthday.你真粗心，把你姐姐的生日都给忘了。
• I wonder why you are so thoughtless of others.我很奇怪，你为何如此不替别人着想。

12 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。

13 co-worker   

n.共同工作者；同事

参考例句：

• I went to visit my co-worker on Saturday.周六去同事家做客了。
• My new co-worker comes to work late every day.我的新同事每天上班都迟到。