VOA慢速英语:Words and Their Stories: Losing It

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
我是Susan Clark,这里是慢速英语词汇掌故节目。

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.
Tom Smith是他们公司棒球队最好的击球手。在这个赛季的几个星期中, Tom在球队的每场比赛中都能打出一个本垒打。但是他突然中止了打出本垒打的表现。他甚至根本打不到球。

One day he struck out three times in one game. He said, "I am afraid I am losing it."
有一天，他在一场比赛中三次被三振出局。他说，“恐怕我已经不能打好球了。”

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 Jones在一间女性服装店买了一件衣服。在回到家之前,她都对自己购买了这件衣服而高兴。然后她想起当她用信用卡付款后将信用卡留落在了店里。这已经是Mary本月第三次忘记重要的事情了。

Mary was angry with herself. She said, "Am I losing it?"
Mary感到懊恼。她说，"我的记忆力已经衰退了吗?"

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."
Emma Cleveland在一所大学给一个班级上数学课。她开始向学生解释如何解决一个非常棘手的问题。她很清楚这种问题。但不知何故，在那一刻，她无法解释。Emma说，"我一定是神志不清了."

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.
美国人似乎对losing it很是关注。至少你听到他们的谈话时会这么想。他们会在无法控制局面的时候使用这个表达。它可以意味着失去情绪控制。或失去做一些事情的能力。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 nineteen eighties. Others believe it began with psychologists and psychiatrists who deal with how people think, feel and act.
词汇专家对这个表达的起源有不同的意见。有些人认为它出自20世纪80年代流行的电视节目。另一些人则认为它出自与人们的思想，情感和行为打交道的心理学家和精神病医生。

One psychologist said, "We Americans have many concerns about controlling our lives. Perhaps we worry too much."
一个心理学家说，“我们美国人对于掌控生活很关注，或许我们过于担心了。”

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."
她接着说，“在许多情况下，说你losing it可缓解紧张的情绪，这是有益健康的，而且大多数的人说他们有问题并非真的无能为力。”

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.

人们更可能在沮丧的时候感觉无能为力。人们处于down in the dumps的状态的意思就指他们沮丧,消沉,忧郁。

Word expert Charles Funk says people have been feeling down in the dumps for more than four-hundred years. Sir Thomas More used the expression in fifteen thirty-four. He wrote, "Our poor family ... has fallen in such dumps."
词汇专家Charles Funk称，人们已经感受沮丧超过400年了。Thomas More先生在1534年就使用了这种表达。他写道，我们贫穷的家庭。。。情绪已相当低落。

Word experts do not agree what the word dumps means. One expert, John Ayto, says the word dumps probably comes from the Scandinavian countries. The languages of Denmark and Norway both have similar words. The words mean to fall suddenly.
词汇专家们对dumps这个单词的意思并不完全同意。专家John Ayto称，dumps这个词能来自斯堪的纳维亚国家。丹麦和挪威的语言都有类似的单词。这个词的意思是突然下降。

Americans borrowed this saying. And, over the years, it has become a popular way of expressing sadness.
美国人借用了这种表达。多年来，它已成为一个表达悲伤的流行方式。