VOA慢速英語:Your Idea Will Not Wash. And, Let's Talk Turkey!

I’m Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

這里是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目，我是蘇珊·克拉克(Susan Clark)。

Young Mister Smith had an idea for his employer. It was an idea for saving money for the company by increasing prices. At the same time, Smith suggested that the company sell goods of less value.

年輕的史密斯先生曾為老板出過一個(gè)主意，就是通過漲價(jià)為公司賺錢。同時(shí)，史密斯建議公司應(yīng)該銷售一些低價(jià)值的產(chǎn)品。

If his employer liked the idea, Smith might be given more pay. Perhaps he might even get a better job with the company.

如果他的老板認(rèn)同這個(gè)主意，史密斯可能會(huì)被加薪，甚至可能會(huì)升職。

Business had been very slow. So Mister Smith’s employer thought a few minutes about the idea. But then she shook her head. "I am sorry, Smith," his employer said. "It just will not wash."

公司業(yè)務(wù)曾經(jīng)一度非常清淡。因此史密斯的老板考慮了一下這個(gè)主意。但隨后她搖了搖頭。“很抱歉，史密斯，”老板說，“It just will not wash.”

Now, the meaning of these English words should be, "It will not get clean." Yet Smith's idea did not have anything to do with making something clean. So why did his employer say, "It will not wash?"

這個(gè)短語現(xiàn)在的意思應(yīng)該是指“這不會(huì)使它變干凈。”然而史密斯的主意與弄干凈某物沒有任何聯(lián)系。那么他的老板為什么會(huì)說：“It will not wash?”

Most word experts agree that "it will not wash" means it will not work. Eric Partridge wrote that the saying probably developed in Britain in the eighteen hundreds. Charlotte Bronte used it in a story published in eighteen forty-nine. She wrote, "That wiln’t wash, miss." Mizz Bronte seems to have meant that the dyes used to color a piece of clothing were not good. The colors could not be depended on to stay in the material.

大多數(shù)詞匯專家認(rèn)為，“it will not wash”的意思是行不通。埃里克·帕特里奇(Eric Partridge)寫道，這種說法可能源自19世紀(jì)的英國。夏洛蒂·勃朗特(Charlotte Bronte)1849年發(fā)表的故事中用到了這種說法。她寫道，“That wiln’t wash，miss。” 勃朗特貌似是指，用于染這塊布的染料不太好，顏色不能可靠附著于布料。

In nineteenth century England, the expression came to mean an undependable statement. It was used mainly to describe an idea. But sometimes it was used about a person.

在19世紀(jì)的英國，這個(gè)短語意味著一種靠不住的狀態(tài)。它主要用于形容一種想法，但有時(shí)也用于形容一個(gè)人。

A critic once said of the poet Robert Browning, "He won’t wash." The critic did not mean that the poet was not a clean person. He meant that Browning’s poems could not be depended on to last.

一位評論家曾經(jīng)這么談到對詩人羅伯特·布朗寧(Robert Browning)的看法，“He won’t wash.”這位評論家并不是指這位詩人不講衛(wèi)生。他說的是，布朗寧的詩不能傳承下去。

Today, we know that judgment was wrong. Robert Browning still is considered a major poet. But very few people remember the man who said Browning would not wash.

今天，我們知道評論家的這個(gè)判斷是錯(cuò)誤的。布朗寧仍然被認(rèn)為是一個(gè)大詩人。但很少有人記得這位評論家。

Happily for the young employee Smith, his employer wanted him to do well in the company. So the employer "talked turkey" to him. She said, "Your idea would be unfair to our buyers. Think of another way to save money."

對這位年輕雇員史密斯來說幸運(yùn)的是，老板希望他在公司表現(xiàn)更好。所以，老板對他直說(talked turkey)，“你的想法可能對我們的買家不公平。換個(gè)賺錢的辦法。”

A century ago, to talk turkey meant to talk pleasantly. Turkeys in the barnyard were thought to be speaking pleasantly to one another. In recent years, the saying has come to mean an attempt to teach something important.

一個(gè)世紀(jì)前，“to talk turkey”意味著愉快交談。人們曾經(jīng)認(rèn)為關(guān)在谷倉里的火雞相互之間在愉快地交流。近年來，這種說法的意思已經(jīng)開始變?yōu)?ldquo;嘗試教人某些重要的東西”。

Word expert Charles Funk tells how he believes this change took place.

詞匯專家查爾斯·芬克(Charles Funk)講述了他如何理解這個(gè)短語詞義的變化。

He says two men were shooting turkeys together. One of them was a white man. The other was an American Indian. The white man began stating reasons why he should get all the turkeys for himself. But the American Indian stopped him. He told the white man, "Now, I talk turkey to you."

他說，兩名男子一起去打火雞。一位是白人，另一位是印第安人。這位白人開始叨叨為什么他要拿走所有火雞。但這位印第安人打斷了他。他對白人男子說，"Now, I talk turkey to you."(注1)

Mister Smith thought of a better idea after his employer talked turkey to him. He was given an increase in pay. So if your idea "will not wash," try "talking turkey" to yourself and come up with a better idea.

在老板對他直說后，史密森先生想出了一個(gè)更好的主意。他被加了薪。所以，如果你的主意“行不通”，請嘗試對自己坦誠，并想出一個(gè)更好的主意。

注1：相傳在北美殖民時(shí)期，一個(gè)白人和一個(gè)印第安人去打獵，事先說好了平分打到的獵物。一天下他們共獵得2只火雞和3只老鴉。白人把老鴉給了印第安人，把火雞全留給了自己。印第安人反對這樣分配，白人就說You have three birds, I have only two.(你分3只鳥，我只拿了2只。)印第安人回答Stop talking birds. Talk turkey.(先別說鳥了，先說火雞吧。)因?yàn)閮蓚€(gè)人都明白，他們想要的獵物是火雞。