VOA慢速英語:Words and Their Stories: Great Scott

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

現在是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故。

Every language has its ways of expressing strong emotions -- surprise, shock, anger.

每種語言都有其表達驚訝、震驚和憤怒等強烈情感的方式。

The expressions range from mild to strong, from exclamations and oaths, to curses and swear words. The ones that are accepted in public speech change through the years as social rules change.

表達程度從輕到重，從感嘆到起誓，到詛咒和臟話。隨著社會公德的變化，被公眾接受的表達也逐年改變。

At times, only very mild expressions are socially accepted.

有時，社會只能接受非常輕微的表達。

Some of the most popular expressions are those that are guaranteed not to offend anyone. Most of these exclamations have survived from earlier days. And their original meanings are long since forgotten.

最流行的是那些確保不會傷害任何人的表達，這些感嘆語中的多數源遠流長，其原有意義早已被遺忘。

Great Scott! is a good example. It expresses surprise or shock. You might say to someone, "Great Scott! I did not know she was married!"

Great Scott!就是一個很好的例子。它表達的是一種驚訝或震驚。你可能會對某人說，“天啊，我都不知道她已經結婚了。”

Language expert Webb Garrison tells an interesting story about the expression.

語言專家韋伯·加里森(Webb Garrison)講述了關于這個表達的一個有趣的故事。

Just before the Civil War, the Whig political party was making a last effort to remain a part of American political life. For the election of eighteen fifty-two, the Whigs wanted to offer a colorful candidate for president.

美國內戰(zhàn)以前，輝格黨為保持其政治生命做最后努力。在1852年選舉中，輝格黨希望推出一名生動活潑的總統(tǒng)候選人。

They thought that Winfield Scott would be the right candidate.

他們認為溫菲爾德·斯科特(Winfield Scott)是最合適的人選。

In his thirty years as a general, Winfield Scott had become one of the best-known military leaders in the country. During the war with Mexico, he had captured Vera Cruz and occupied Mexico City.

在他作為將軍的30年里，斯科特成為了美國最著名的軍事領導人之一。在美墨戰(zhàn)爭期間，他曾拿下韋拉克魯斯并占領墨西哥城。

51VOA注：這是美國入侵墨西哥期間，斯特拉從墨西哥東部最大港口城市韋拉克魯斯登陸，一舉攻占墨西哥首都墨西哥城。

So, party leaders thought that if any Whig could be elected president, it was Winfield Scott.

所以，輝格黨黨首認為，如果輝格黨中有誰能夠當選總統(tǒng)，那一定非斯科特莫屬。

General Scott quickly accepted the nomination and began campaigning. It did not take long for the public to realize that General Scott really liked General Scott!

斯科特將軍很快接受了提名并開始競選。沒多久公眾就意識到，斯科特將軍非常自大!

His speeches were full of praise for himself. It was evident that he thought he was the greatest candidate who had ever lived. Soon his political opponents began to make fun of him. They called him, Great Scott.

他的講話滿是對自己的贊譽。很顯然，他認為自己是有史以來最偉大的候選人。不久他的政治對手開始嘲笑他，稱其為偉大的斯科特(Great Scott)。

General Scott did not come close to winning the presidency. But his name still lives as part of the English language.

斯科特將軍沒能贏得選舉。但他的名字做為英語語言的一部分流傳了下來。

Other popular exclamations combine holy with other words.

另一些常用感嘆詞則將holy與其它詞聯系起來。

Holy Mackerel! is one that expresses surprise or wonder. It comes from earlier days when the Roman Catholic Church ruled that Catholics must not eat meat on Fridays. Since mackerel was a common and cheap fish in the United States, it was often eaten for dinner on Friday.

Holy Mackerel!就是其中一個，它表達一種驚奇或懷疑。它源自于很久以前，羅馬天主教規(guī)定天主教徒周五不能吃肉。由于鯖魚是每種一種常見的廉價魚，它經常在周五被端上餐桌。

Then there is Holy Toledo! It is another expression of surprise. It refers to the city of Toledo, Spain, an important religious center in medieval times. Toledo was a holy city for both the Roman Catholics and the Muslim Moors of Spain.

再有就是Holy Toledo!這是另一種驚喜的表達。它和中世紀時重要的宗教中心，西班牙城市托萊多有關。托萊多曾是羅馬天主教徒和西班牙穆斯林摩爾人共同的圣城。