VOA慢速英語:Words and Their Stories: Down to Earth

[00:09.94]Now, the VOA Special English program [00:13.79]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. [00:16.65]Every week at this time, [00:18.75]we tell about popular American words and expressions. [00:24.10]Some of these are very old. [00:26.90]Some are new. [00:29.00]Together, they form the living speech of the American people. [00:34.65]Today we tell about the expression "down to earth." [00:40.05]Down to earth means being open and honest. [00:45.07]It is easy to deal with someone who is down to earth. [00:49.22]A person who is down to earth is a pleasure to find. [00:54.26]He or she accepts other people as equals. [00:59.60]A down to earth person is the opposite of someone [01:04.21]who acts important or proud. [01:07.12]Down to earth people could be important members of society. [01:12.77]But they do not consider themselves [01:15.86]to be better than others who are less important. [01:19.96]They do not let their importance "go to their heads." [01:24.51]Someone who lets something go to his head [01:28.35]feels he is better than others. [01:31.30]He has a "big head." [01:34.14]A person who is filled with his own importance [01:38.21]and pride is said to have "his nose in the air." [01:43.81]Often the person who has a big head [01:47.00]and his nose in the air has no reason to feel better than others. [01:53.36]He surely is the opposite of someone who is down to earth. [01:58.76]Americans use another expression [02:02.20]that is similar in some ways to down to earth. [02:06.15]The expression is "both feet on the ground." [02:10.60]Some one with both feet on the ground [02:13.70]is a person with a good understanding of reality. [02:18.21]She has what is called "common sense." [02:22.11]She may have dreams. [02:24.42]But she does not allow them [02:26.78]to block her understanding of what is real. [02:30.77]The opposite kind of person is one who has his "head in the clouds." [02:37.27]Someone with his head in the clouds is a person [02:41.67]whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. [02:46.17]Such a person may be called a "daydreamer." [02:50.77]Sometimes a person with his head in the clouds [02:54.47]can be brought back to reality. [02:57.41]Sharp words from a teacher, for example, [03:01.26]can usually get a daydreaming student to put "both feet on the ground." [03:07.07]The person who is down to earth usually has both feet on the ground. [03:13.61]But the opposite is not always true. [03:17.72]Someone with both feet on the ground [03:20.81]may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down to earth. [03:27.91]When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, [03:32.62]and when we are down to earth we do not have our noses in the air. [03:38.72]We act honestly and openly to others. [03:42.77]Our lives are like the ground below us – solid and strong. [03:49.28](MUSIC) [03:59.82]This Special English program was written by David Jarmul. [04:03.92]I'm Warren Scheer. [04:06.17]Listen again next week at this time for another [04:11.61]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program on the Voice of America.

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