VOA慢速英语:Hit the Spot, Hit Bottom, Hit the Books

Now, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - a VOA Special English program about American expressions.  I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with some expressions containing the word hit.
现在，这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故 -- 一个关于美语表达的节目。我是Rich Kleinfeldt，为大家讲述包含hit的相关表达。

Hit is a small word but it has a lot of power.  Baseball players hit the ball.  Missiles hit an airplane.  A car hits a tree.
Hit是一个简短的单词，却能发挥很大的作用。棒球选手击球，导弹击中一架飞机，一辆汽车撞上一棵树。

Hit also joins with other words to create many colorful expressions.  One is hit the road. It means to travel or to leave a place, as suggested in this song, "Hit the Road."
Hit还能和其他的单词搭配使用，组成各种色彩丰富的表达。其中一个就是Hit the road，它的意思是旅行或离开一个地方。正如 “Hit the Road” 这首歌所建议的。

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Another common expression is hit the spot.  At first it meant hitting a spot at the center of a target with an arrow.  Someone who did so was satisfied with his shooting.  Now, hitting the spot usually means that a food or drink is especially satisfying.
另一种常见的表达是hit the spot。起初，他的意思是射中靶心，射中者很满意自己的技术。现在，hitting the spot通常是指食物或饮料特别让人满意。

Many years ago, Pepsi Cola sold its drink with a song that began, "Pepsi Cola hits the spot, twelve full ounces, that's a lot…"
许多年前，百事可乐通过一首歌曲来销售它的饮料，“百事可乐让人满意，12盎司，太多了。。。”

Another expression involving hit is hit bottom.  Something that has hit bottom can go no lower.  If the price of shares of a stock hits bottom that might be the time to buy it.  Its value can only go up.
另一个涉及hit的表达是hit bottom，事情已经触底。如果股票价格触及底部，就可能是买进的时候了。股价只会上升了。

A student who tells you his grades have hit bottom is saying he has not done well in school.
一个学生说他成绩垫底就是说他在学校表现不好。

When a student's grades hit bottom it is time to hit the books.  Hit the books is another way to saying it is time to study.  A student might have to tell her friends she can not go with them to the movies because she has to hit the books.
当一个学生的成绩跌至谷底，就是时候看书了。Hit the books是是时候学习的另一种说法。一个学生可能要告诉她的朋友，她不能和她们去看电影因为她要学习。

Not hitting the books could lead to an unpleasant situation for a student.  The father or mother may hit the ceiling when they see the low grades.  Someone who hits the ceiling, the top of the room, is violently angry.  A wife may hit the ceiling because her husband forgot their wedding anniversary.
不看书可能会导致学生不愉快的状况。父母亲看到这么差的成绩可能会hit the ceiling。某个人hits the ceiling ，天花板，hit the ceiling是指非常愤怒。妻子可能会因为丈夫忘记他们的结婚纪念日而hit the ceiling。

To build something of wood, you usually need a hammer.  That is what you use to hit nails into the pieces of wood to hold them together.  When you hit the nail on the head, exactly on its top, it goes into the wood perfectly.  And when someone says your words or actions hit the nail on the head, he means what you said or did was exactly right.
做木工活，你通常需要一个锤子。这是你用来把钉子钉到木头里让它们连接到一起。当你恰好敲在钉子头上时，钉子就能完美的进入木头里。而当有人说你的话或行动hitthe nail on the head，他的意思是你所说的或所做的是完全正确的，一针见血。

If you are tired after hitting all those nails on the head, then it is time to hit the hay.  That expression comes from the days when people slept on beds filled with dried grass or hay. Some people slept on hay in barns where they kept their farm animals.
如果你钉完钉子后感到累了，那就是hit the hay的时候了，这种表达源于当年人们睡在铺满干草的床上的日子。还有人睡在饲养牲畜的谷仓的干草上。

Hitting the hay simply means going to bed. That is a good idea. I think I will hit the hay now.
Hitting the hay的意思仅仅是指去睡觉。这是个好主意，我现在就想hit the hay了。

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