VOA慢速英語:Words and Their Stories: Ace in the Hole
- 聽力原文
- 參考譯文
Now, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English by the Voice of America.
It is surprising how many expressions that Americans use every day came from the card game of poker. For example, you hear the expression, ace in the hole, used by many people who would never think of going near a poker table. An ace in the hole is any argument, plan or thing kept hidden until needed. It is used especially when it can turn failure into success.
In poker and most card games, the ace is the highest and most valuable card. It is often a winning card. In one kind of poker game, the first card to each player is given face down. A player does not show this card to the other players. The other cards are dealt face up. The players bet money each time they receive another card.
No one knows until the end of the game whose hidden card is the winner. Often, the ace in the hole wins the game.
Smart card players, especially those who play for large amounts of money, closely watch the person who deals the cards. They are watching to make sure he is dealing honestly. They want to be sure that he is not dealing off the bottom of the stack of cards. A dealer who is doing that has stacked the deck. He has fixed the cards so that he will get higher cards. He will win and you will lose.
The expression, dealing off the bottom, now means cheating in business, as well as in cards. And when someone tells you that the cards are stacked against you, he is saying you do not have a chance to succeed.
In a poker game you do not want to let your opponents know if your cards are good or bad. So having a poker face is important. A poker face never shows any emotion, never expresses either good or bad feelings. No one can learn – by looking at your face – if your cards are good or bad.
People now use poker face in everyday speech to describe someone who shows no emotion.
Someone who has a poker face usually is good at bluffing. Bluffing is trying to trick a person into believing something about you that is not true.
In poker, you bluff when you bet heavily on a poor hand. The idea is to make the other players believe you have strong cards and are sure to win. If they believe you, they are likely to drop out of the game. This means you win the money they have bet.
You can do a better job of bluffing if you hold your cards close to your vest. You hold your cards close to you so no one can see what you have. In everyday speech, holding your cards close to your vest means not letting others know what you are doing or thinking. You are keeping your plans secret.
We are not bluffing when we say we hope you have enjoyed today’s program.
(MUSIC)
Now, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English by the Voice of America.
現(xiàn)在是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目。
It is surprising how many expressions that Americans use every day came from the card game of poker. For example, you hear the expression, ace in the hole, used by many people who would never think of going near a poker table. An ace in the hole is any argument, plan or thing kept hidden until needed. It is used especially when it can turn failure into success.
美國人使用的許多日常表達方式都來源于撲克牌，其數(shù)量之多令人驚訝。例如，你可能會聽到許多連靠近牌桌都沒想過的人使用這么一個短語：Ace in the hole。Ace in the hole指的非必要時候不公開的觀點、計劃或其他信息。尤其是用在這些信息可以轉(zhuǎn)敗為勝的時候。
In poker and most card games, the ace is the highest and most valuable card. It is often a winning card. In one kind of poker game, the first card to each player is given face down. A player does not show this card to the other players. The other cards are dealt face up. The players bet money each time they receive another card.
在撲克牌或大部分紙牌游戲中，Ace是最大也是最有價值的牌。通常代表著勝利。在一種紙牌游戲中，每個玩家拿到的第一張牌是暗牌(即正面朝下)，玩家不會讓其他玩家看到自己的這張底牌。其他的牌都是明牌(即正面朝上)。玩家每收到一張牌都要押上籌碼。
No one knows until the end of the game whose hidden card is the winner. Often, the ace in the hole wins the game.
在牌局結(jié)束前，沒人知道誰是贏家。通常，底牌是ace的玩家能贏得牌局。
Smart card players, especially those who play for large amounts of money, closely watch the person who deals the cards. They are watching to make sure he is dealing honestly. They want to be sure that he is not dealing off the bottom of the stack of cards. A dealer who is doing that has stacked the deck. He has fixed the cards so that he will get higher cards. He will win and you will lose.
聰明的紙牌玩家，尤其是下注大的玩家會密切注視莊家，以確保莊家在老實發(fā)牌，沒在牌中作弊。作弊的莊家已經(jīng)做牌了，他調(diào)換了紙牌以保證他能拿到最大的一副牌，這樣他就能贏得牌局。
The expression, dealing off the bottom, now means cheating in business, as well as in cards. And when someone tells you that the cards are stacked against you, he is saying you do not have a chance to succeed.
Deal off the bottom這個短語現(xiàn)在指的是生意或牌局中的欺詐。如果一個人告訴你， the cards are stacked against you，他的意思是說你沒有贏的機會。
In a poker game you do not want to let your opponents know if your cards are good or bad. So having a poker face is important. A poker face never shows any emotion, never expresses either good or bad feelings. No one can learn – by looking at your face – if your cards are good or bad.
在牌局中，你不想讓你的對手知道你牌的好壞。所以面無表情(having a poker face)是非常重要的。Poker face不會表現(xiàn)出任何表情，不會表達出好或不好的感覺。沒人能夠通過觀察你的面部來得知你牌的好壞。
People now use poker face in everyday speech to describe someone who shows no emotion.
人們現(xiàn)在在日常生活中使用poker face描述沒有一點表情的人。
Someone who has a poker face usually is good at bluffing. Bluffing is trying to trick a person into believing something about you that is not true.
面無表情的人通常善于虛張聲勢唬人(bluffing)，Bluffing就是騙你相信謊言。
In poker, you bluff when you bet heavily on a poor hand. The idea is to make the other players believe you have strong cards and are sure to win. If they believe you, they are likely to drop out of the game. This means you win the money they have bet.
在牌局中，當你牌不好又押得很大時，你就會虛張聲勢唬人(bluff)。這樣做是為了使對手相信你拿到很好的牌，一定會贏。如果對手們被唬住了，他們就可能會退出這局。這意味著你就能贏得他們押的賭注。
You can do a better job of bluffing if you hold your cards close to your vest. You hold your cards close to you so no one can see what you have. In everyday speech, holding your cards close to your vest means not letting others know what you are doing or thinking. You are keeping your plans secret.
如果你把牌放到胸口(hold your cards close to your vest)，那么你唬人(bluffing)的效果會更好。你小心地藏著自己的牌，這樣，其他人就不能偷看到你的牌。在日常生活中，holding your cards close to your vest意思是不讓其他人知道你在做什么或者在想什么。你將自己的計劃保密。
We are not bluffing when we say we hope you have enjoyed today’s program.
- 頻道推薦
- |
- 全站推薦
- 推薦下載
- 網(wǎng)站推薦
