VOA词汇掌故2023 "笨手笨脚"的人负责拿冰袋

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

欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。

On this show we explore words and expressions a little more deeply.

在本节目中，我们会更深入地探索单词和短语。

We give you synonyms¹ – words that mean close to the same thing.

我们会给你提供同义词——意思相近的单词。

And we use the expressions in a conversation.

我们会在对话中使用这些短语。

Today we talk about our hands – more specifically our thumbs.

今天，我们谈论我们的手——更具体地说，我们的拇指。

Most of us have one thumb and four fingers on each hand.

我们大多数人每只手上都有一个拇指和四个手指。

Our thumbs let us perform certain tasks.

我们的拇指可以帮助我们完成某些任务。

But what if all our fingers were replaced with thumbs?

但是，如果我们所有的手指都被替换成拇指会怎样呢？

Those tasks we normally perform with ease would become much more difficult.

我们通常轻松完成的那些任务将会变得困难得多。

In fact, we would lose the ability to do many things with our hands.

事实上，我们会失去用手做很多事情的能力。

Our movements would become careless and clumsy.

我们的动作会变得粗心和笨拙。

We would drop things all the time.

我们会经常掉东西。

And that is what the saying to be all thumbs means.

这就是to be all thumbs的意思。

If I am all thumbs, I lack grace with my hands.

如果我笨手笨脚，我的手活动得不优雅。

I am klutzy. So, people might call me a klutz.

我笨手笨脚的。所以，人们可能会称我是笨手笨脚的人。

They might also call me butterfingers.

他们也可能会称我是笨手笨脚的人。

Imagine your fingers are coated in butter.

想象你的手指上被涂上了黄油。

They would be very slippery.

它们会很滑的。

And it would hard to pick things up.

而且也很难拿起东西。

Now, let's hear the expression "to be all thumbs" in a conversation between two friends.

现在，我们来听听两个朋友是如何在对话中使用短语“to be all thumbs”的。

Hey, I'm planning a surprise party for Nicholas.

嘿，我在为尼古拉斯策划一个惊喜派对。

I'm bringing the food and ice.

我会带食物和冰块。

And Cassidy is bringing the drinks – about 50 bottles of wine and lemonade.

卡西迪会带饮料——大约50瓶葡萄酒和柠檬水。

Can you bring the cake?

你能带蛋糕来吗？

I have a better idea. I'll pick up the drinks.

我有个更好的主意。我带饮料。

Why don't you ask Cassidy to bring the cake?

你为什么不叫卡西迪带蛋糕来呢？

Why?

为什么？

Cassidy is all thumbs. She'll end up dropping everything and then we won't have drinks at the party.

卡西迪笨手笨脚的。她最后会把所有东西都掉了，然后我们在派对上就没有饮料喝了。

Good call. She is pretty clumsy.

我赞成。她笨手笨脚的。

Actually, at the last party she dropped the cake.

事实上，上次聚会时，她掉了蛋糕。

On second thought … I'll have her bring the ice.

我又想了想，我会让她带冰块来。

If she drops the bags of ice, it'll only help break it up.

如果她把冰袋掉地上，只会让冰块碎掉。

Very smart.

明智之举。

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 synonyms   

同义词( synonym的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If you want to grasp English, you must carefully discriminate synonyms. 如果你想掌握好英语，你必须仔细区分同义词。
• Study the idioms and synonyms l wrote down before your test. 学考试前我给你写的习惯用语和同义字。