VOA慢速英語(yǔ): 你正在失去它嗎？

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Are You Losing It?

你正在失去它嗎?

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program Words and Their Stories.

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

Tom Smith is the best hitter on his company’s baseball team. For weeks during the playing season, Tom hit a home run in every game the team played. But then suddenly he stopped hitting home runs. He could not hit the baseball at all.

湯姆·史密斯是其公司棒球隊(duì)最好的擊球員。在賽季期間的連續(xù)幾周，他在團(tuán)隊(duì)比賽中的每一場(chǎng)中都打出了一個(gè)全壘打。但是他突然間打不出全壘打，他根本打不到棒球。

One day he struck out three times in one game. He said, "I am afraid I am losing it."

有一天，他在一場(chǎng)比賽中被三振出局，他稱：“我害怕失去它。”

Mary Jones bought a dress in a woman's clothing store. She felt very happy about buying the dress until she got home. Then she remembered she had left her credit card at the store when she used it to pay for the dress. It was the third time that month that Mary had forgotten something important.

瑪麗·瓊斯在女裝店買(mǎi)了一條裙子，買(mǎi)衣服讓她感覺(jué)非常開(kāi)心，直到她回到家。然后她想起當(dāng)她用她的信用卡來(lái)支付這件衣服時(shí)，將其信用卡落在了商店里。這已經(jīng)是瑪麗這個(gè)月第三次忘記較重要的事了。

Mary was angry with herself. She said, "Am I losing it?"

瑪麗對(duì)自己生起氣來(lái)，她說(shuō)：“我正在失去它嗎?”

Emma Cleveland was teaching a class in mathematics at a college. She began to explain to the students how to solve a very difficult problem. She understood it very well. But somehow, at that moment, she could not explain it. Emma said, "I must be losing it."

艾瑪·克利夫蘭在大學(xué)教數(shù)學(xué)，她開(kāi)始向?qū)W生們解釋如何解決一個(gè)非常困難的問(wèn)題。她自己很明白，但卻不知道為什么在那一刻，她不知道該怎么向?qū)W生解釋這道題了。艾瑪說(shuō)：“我一定是正在失去它。”

Americans seem to have a lot of concern about losing it. At least that is what you would think from hearing them talk. They use the expression when they feel they are losing control. It can mean losing emotional control. Or losing the ability to do something. Or losing mental powers.

美國(guó)人似乎在擔(dān)心很多失去。至少聽(tīng)到他們這樣說(shuō)話，你會(huì)這樣想。他們這樣表達(dá)時(shí)，他們感覺(jué)自己正在失去那種控制力。這就意味著失去情緒控制力，或失做某事的能力，或失去精神力量。

Word experts differ about how the expression started. Some believe it came from television programs popular in the 1980s. Others believe it began with psychologists and psychiatrists who deal with how people think, feel and act.

詞匯專家對(duì)于這種表達(dá)是如何開(kāi)始的有著不同的意見(jiàn)。有些人認(rèn)為這種表達(dá)來(lái)自20世紀(jì)80年代流行的電視節(jié)目。其他人則認(rèn)為這種表達(dá)開(kāi)始于心理學(xué)家和精神病醫(yī)生們對(duì)人們想法、感覺(jué)和行為的處理。

One psychologist said, "We Americans have many concerns about controlling our lives. Perhaps we worry too much."

一位心理學(xué)家說(shuō)：“我們美國(guó)人在調(diào)控我們的生活時(shí)，有很多擔(dān)憂，也許是我們自己太過(guò)擔(dān)心。”

She continued, "In many situations, to say you are 'losing it' eases the tension. It is healthy. And most people who say they are having a problem are not 'losing it.'" People may feel more like they are losing it when they are "down in the dumps."

她繼續(xù)說(shuō)道：“在很多情況下，說(shuō)你正在‘失去它’，來(lái)緩和緊張狀況。該表達(dá)是合適的。而且大多數(shù)人稱他們遇到了麻煩，而不說(shuō)‘失去它’。當(dāng)他們‘情緒低落’時(shí)，人們可能更喜歡用‘他們正在失去它’來(lái)表達(dá)。”

People who are "down in the dumps" are sad. They are depressed.

“情緒低落”的人是難過(guò)傷心的，他們是沮喪。

Word expert Charles Funk says people have been feeling "down in the dumps" for more than 400 years. Sir Thomas More used the expression in 1534. He wrote: "Our poor family...has fallen in such dumps."

詞匯專家查爾斯·方克稱，400多年以來(lái)，人們一直感覺(jué)“情緒低落”。托馬斯·莫爾曾在1534年用過(guò)該表達(dá)方式。他寫(xiě)道：“我們貧窮的家庭……已經(jīng)沉浸于這樣的低落情緒中。”

Word experts do not agree what the word "dumps" means. One expert, John Ayto, says the word "dumps" probably comes from the Scandanavian countries. The languages of Denmark and Norway both have similar words. The words mean "to fall suddenly."

詞匯專家并不同意“dumps”這個(gè)詞的意思，一位專家約翰·艾托稱，“dumps”這個(gè)詞可能來(lái)自斯堪的納維亞地區(qū)的國(guó)家。丹麥和挪威都有類似的單詞，這個(gè)詞的意思是“突然下降”。

Americans borrowed this saying. And, over the years, it has become a popular way of expressing sadness.

美國(guó)人借用了這句俗語(yǔ)，并且，這么多年以來(lái)，它已成為一種表達(dá)悲傷的流行方式。

[page]聽(tīng)力原文[/page]

Are You Losing It?

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program Words and Their Stories.

Tom Smith is the best hitter on his company’s baseball team. For weeks during the playing season, Tom hit a home run in every game the team played. But then suddenly he stopped hitting home runs. He could not hit the baseball at all.

One day he struck out three times in one game. He said, "I am afraid I am losing it."

Mary Jones bought a dress in a woman's clothing store. She felt very happy about buying the dress until she got home. Then she remembered she had left her credit card at the store when she used it to pay for the dress. It was the third time that month that Mary had forgotten something important.

Mary was angry with herself. She said, "Am I losing it?"

Emma Cleveland was teaching a class in mathematics at a college. She began to explain to the students how to solve a very difficult problem. She understood it very well. But somehow, at that moment, she could not explain it. Emma said, "I must be losing it."

Americans seem to have a lot of concern about losing it. At least that is what you would think from hearing them talk. They use the expression when they feel they are losing control. It can mean losing emotional control. Or losing the ability to do something. Or losing mental powers.

Word experts differ about how the expression started. Some believe it came from television programs popular in the 1980s. Others believe it began with psychologists and psychiatrists who deal with how people think, feel and act.

One psychologist said, "We Americans have many concerns about controlling our lives. Perhaps we worry too much."

She continued, "In many situations, to say you are 'losing it' eases the tension. It is healthy. And most people who say they are having a problem are not 'losing it.'" People may feel more like they are losing it when they are "down in the dumps."

People who are "down in the dumps" are sad. They are depressed.

Word expert Charles Funk says people have been feeling "down in the dumps" for more than 400 years. Sir Thomas More used the expression in 1534. He wrote: "Our poor family...has fallen in such dumps."

Word experts do not agree what the word "dumps" means. One expert, John Ayto, says the word "dumps" probably comes from the Scandanavian countries. The languages of Denmark and Norway both have similar words. The words mean "to fall suddenly."

Americans borrowed this saying. And, over the years, it has become a popular way of expressing sadness.