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

Every language has its ways of expressing strong emotions -- surprise, shock, anger.
每一种语言都有其表达强烈情感的方式—如惊讶，震惊，愤怒。

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.
表达的范围从轻微到强烈，从感叹词和宣誓到诅咒和脏话。随着社会准则习惯的改变，一些在公开场合讲话公认的表达也逐年改变。

At times, only very mild expressions are socially accepted.
有时，只有非常温和的表达才能被社会所接受。

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.
一些最流行的表达是那些保证不会得罪任何人的表达。大多数从早期流传下来的感叹词。其原有意义早已被遗忘。

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就是一个很好的例子。它表示惊讶或震惊。你可能会对某人说，“天哪！我不知道她已经结婚了！”

Language expert Webb Garrison tells an interesting story about the expression.
语言专家Webb Garrison讲述了一个有关表达的有趣故事。

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.
就在内战之前，辉格党为了维持其在美国的政治生命做出最后的努力。在1852年选举中，辉格党人希望派出一名丰富多彩的总裁候选人。

They thought that Winfield Scott would be the right candidate.
他们认为Winfield Scott将会是合适的人选。

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.
在他作为将军的30年里，Winfield Scott已成为在全国最知名的军事领导人之一。与墨西哥的战争期间，他夺取了韦拉克鲁斯并占领墨西哥城。

So, party leaders thought that if any Whig could be elected president, it was Winfield Scott.
所以，辉格党的领导人认为，如果说有辉格党人能能够当选总统的话，那一定是会Winfield Scott。

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!
Scott将军很快就接受了提名并开始了竞选活动。没过多久，公众就认识到Scott将军果然名不虚传。

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.
他在自己的演讲中对自己赞不绝口。很显然，他认为自己是有史以来最伟大的候选人。不久，他的政治对手开始取笑他。他们称他为Great Scott。

General Scott did not come close to winning the presidency. But his name still lives as part of the English language.
Scott将军最终没有赢得总统选举。但他的名字却成为英语中的一部分，至今仍被使用。

Other popular exclamations combine holy with other words.
其他流行的感叹词将holy与其他词结合起来。

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!是一个表示惊讶或怀疑的词语。它来自早期罗马天主教会规定天主教徒周五不能吃肉的规定。由于鲭鱼是一种在美国常见和廉价的鱼，它是经常成为周五的晚餐。

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! 它是另一个表达惊讶的。它与中世纪时代西班牙的一个重要的宗教中心城市托莱多有关。托莱多以前是罗马天主教徒和西班牙穆斯林摩尔人共同的圣城。

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