VOA慢速英語：詞匯掌故：泄露秘密

Have You Ever 'Spilled the Beans?'

詞匯掌故：泄露秘密

Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

現(xiàn)在是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目時間。

Beans are a popular food in many countries. From black to red, from kidney to pinto, beans are important in the diet of many cultures. Rich in fiber, protein and nutrients, beans are a healthy, plant-based food.

豆類在很多國家都是一種頗受歡迎的食物。從黑豆到紅豆，從蕓豆到斑豆，豆類在很多文化的飲食中都很重要。豆類富含纖維、蛋白質(zhì)和營養(yǎng)素，是一種健康的植物食品。

So, spilling the beans at home or in a store would not be good. Food is important and does not belong on the floor.

因此，在家里或商店里拋灑豆類不好。食物很重要，不應(yīng)該扔到地上。

"Spilling the beans" when you communicate with others is also a bad thing.

當(dāng)你與別人交流時說漏嘴(Spilling the beans)也是一件壞事。

When you spill the beans, you share or make public secret information. You don't mean to do it. The secrets just spill out of you.

說漏嘴是指你分享或公開了秘密信息。你并不想這樣做，但還是泄露了秘密。

However, this expression does not come from cooking beans or the fact that we shouldn't waste food.

但是，這種表達并非來自于烹飪豆類，也并非來自于不應(yīng)該浪費食物這種現(xiàn)實。

The expression "spill the beans" has been a part of the English language for hundreds of years. Some word historians say the term was first used all the way back in the 1500s.

數(shù)百年來，“Spill the beans”這句表達已經(jīng)成為了英語的一部分。一些詞匯歷史學(xué)家表示，這個詞語的初次應(yīng)用要追溯到十六世紀(jì)。

If you think that sounds old, you may be surprised to learn that the origin of "spill the beans" goes back to ancient Greece.

如果你認為這聽起來很古老了，你可能會驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn)“spill the beans”可以追溯到古希臘。

Several websites say this expression comes from one way ancient Greeks voted.

有幾個網(wǎng)站表示，這種表達來自于古希臘人投票的一種方式。

Back then in some communities, people voted by dropping a white or black bean into a clay urn. If the container fell on its side or broke, the beans would spill out. And this would show everyone the results of the secret vote before all the beans were counted.

當(dāng)時在一些社區(qū)，人們將白豆或黑豆扔入一個泥缸中來投票。如果這個容器翻到或者損壞，豆子就會灑出來。這會在統(tǒng)計結(jié)果出來前向大家泄露這次不記名投票的結(jié)果。

While this origin story is interesting, it does not explain why the term "spill the beans" does not appear in common usage until much later.

雖然這個起源故事很有趣，卻沒法解釋為什么“spill the beans”這個詞語直到很久之后才在習(xí)慣用語中出現(xiàn)。

Maybe it is because other expressions with the same meaning were simply more popular. For example, letting the cat out of the bag means the same as spilling the beans. We've explained the meaning of "to let the cat out of the bag" before. But it's always good to hear it again.

也許是因為其它具有類似含義的表達更受歡迎。例如，“letting the cat out of the bag”跟“spilling the beans”意思相同。我們之前的節(jié)目已經(jīng)解釋過“to let the cat out of the bag”的意思。但是再講一遍也不錯。

Americans use the verb "spill" in much the same way. Sometimes we simply say, "Spill it!" When you tell others to "spill it," you are asking them to tell you all the details about something immediately.

美國人以同樣的方式使用spill這個動詞。有時候我們只說“spill it!”當(dāng)你跟別人這么說的時候，你是讓他們立即告訴你有關(guān)某事的所有細節(jié)。

This term is very casual and could even sound offensive depending on the situation and expression in your voice. So it's best to use it with close friends, family or when you are joking around.

這個詞很隨意，甚至根據(jù)情景和表情可能會聽上去很冒犯。所以最好是在跟好友、家人或是開玩笑時使用。

Blab is another word meaning "to spill the beans." Blab is not the nicest word, however. A man who blabbers keeps talking and talking, as if he can't keep his mouth closed.

Blab是另一個意為“to spill the beans”的單詞。然而Blab不是一個褒義詞。多嘴的人說個不停，好像嘴巴合不攏一樣。

A blabber mouth is someone who can't keep their mouth shut. Blabber mouths are known for often spilling the beans and for letting more than a few cats out of the bag.

Blabber mouth是指嘴巴停不下來的人。Blabber mouths眾所周知的就是經(jīng)常說漏嘴，泄露更多秘密。

From among our expressions today -- spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, and blabber -- the blabber mouth does not always mean someone who gives away secrets. They sometimes just talk too much!

在我們今天學(xué)習(xí)的短語spill the beans、let the cat out of the bag和blabber中，多嘴的人并不總是指泄露秘密的人，他們有時候只是話太多。

Well, I don't want to be accused of being a blabber mouth. So, this will be the end this Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

那么，我可不想被人指責(zé)為喋喋不休的人。所以，今天的慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目就到這吧。

I'm Anna Matteo.

安娜·馬特奧報道。