VOA慢速英语:Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?(翻译)

Each week we explore the meaning and origin of American English expressions.
每周我们都会探析某个美语表达的意义和来源。

Today, I want you to look at your hand.The hand is an amazing tool.With it, we humans have done many wonderful things.
今天，我们来关注一下手。手是一个神奇的工具。我们用手可以做很多奇妙的事。

Of course, human hands have also done some not so wonderful things.But today, let’s focus on the wonderful things.For those, we should thank the thumb.
当然人类的手也会做一些不好的事。今天我们关注那些所能做的奇妙的事。我们应当要感谢拇指。

You could say the thumb made us humans what we are.Its development was as important an event in man’s growth as his success in learning how to walk upright.
你可以说拇指是我们人类之所以为人的原因。长出拇指在人类发展过程中和直立行走一样重要。

Our opposable thumbs, as we call them, allow us to work with our fingers.Opposable thumbs also allow us to grab and pick up things.Scientists say without our opposable thumbs, humans might not have survived.
我们的对生拇指，使得我们可以使用手指工作。对生拇指还能够完成抓取和捡起的动作。科学家说，没有对生拇指，人类可能无法生存。

The thumb is so important that we have a couple phrases to express its power.
鉴于拇指的重要程度，有很多表达显示了拇指的作用。

The first power thumb expression is the rule of thumb.These are not rules about how to use your thumb.A rule of thumb is a general principle developed through experiments rather than scientific study.
第一个显示拇指力量的表达是the rule of thumb（经验法则）。这并不是指使用拇指的规则。这是指由经验而非科学研究得出的一般原理。

Another power thumb expression, is to be under someone’s thumb which is not a good place to be.When a person is ruled by another, completely controlled by someone else, we say the person is under the other’s thumb.
另一个表达是to be under someone’s thumb（受制于人），这种地位可不太好。当一个人被另一个人统治，完全受制于人时，我们会说the person is under the other’s thumb（这个人在另一个人控制之下）。

For example, a sick woman may find herself under the thumb of a greedy relative. The relative wants to inherit the woman’s money. He says he will take care of all her finances while she is ill.Soon, he does not buy her medicine or doctor appointments.The woman’s health gets worse and worse, but she can’t do anything about it.She is completely under his thumb.
例如，重病的女人也许发现她受制于贪婪的亲戚。这个亲戚想继承她的财产。他说他会在其重病时管理好她的财产。然后他不为她买药，不为她预约医生。这个女人的病情愈加严重，但她自己无能为力。她完全受制于这个人。

If this woman had control of her own money, she would not be under his thumb.In fact, she could thumb her nose at him.Thumbing your nose at someone is showing the person disrespect and disregard.This expression can also be used for things that you don’t respect, for example a type of literature or art or music, or even a law.
如果这个女人可以控制自己的钱，就不会受制于这个男人。事实上，她可以无视他。Thumbing your nose at someone表示一个人对某人的轻蔑和忽视。这个表达也可以用于你轻视一种文学、艺术或音乐类型，甚至是法律。

No matter how you use your thumb, each hand has only one. And that’s a good thing.Two or three thumbs on a hand might make doing things hard.In fact, that is how we describe people who are clumsy.We say they are all thumbs.
无论你怎么用拇指，每只手只有一个拇指。这是好事。每只手有两三个拇指会很难做事。事实上当我们想描述笨拙的人时，我们会说他们all thumbs（笨手笨脚）。

Anyone can be all thumbs.You know the feeling.You’re in the kitchen cooking dinner and you keep dropping things -- the spices, the broccoli, the knife.All go crashing to the floor.
任何人都有可能笨手笨脚。你明白那种感受。你在厨房做晚饭，不停地掉东西，调料、西兰花、刀。所有东西都掉到地板上摔个粉碎。

You might say, “What is wrong with me today?I’m all thumbs!”
你也许会说：“今天我是怎么了？我太笨手笨脚了！”

So, it is a good thing that our hands are designed to have only one thumb. And if that thumb is green – even better!
所以每只手只有一个拇指还是好事。如果拇指是绿色的，就更好了！

Someone with a green thumb is really good at growing plants.Let’s say the balcony of a neighbor’s apartment has a beautiful flower and herb garden.
说某人有绿拇指，是指某人有特殊园艺才能。邻居家的阳台有美丽的花朵和草本植物。

Her roses and begonias are big and fragrant.Her parsley, chives and cilantro are so plentiful that she shares them with all her neighbors.
玫瑰和秋海棠花开似锦，花香四溢。她还将种植的西芹、细香葱和香菜分享给邻居。

As she gives a bunch of fresh herbs and flowers to you in the elevator one day, you say, “These came from your balcony garden?Wow, you really have a green thumb.I can’t get anything to grow on my balcony!”
当她某一天在电梯里遇到你，给你新鲜的蔬菜和花朵时，你可以说：“这些都是在你阳台花园种植的吗？哇，你真的是有绝佳园艺才能。我什么都种不成。”

So, the thumb is helpful and useful.In fact, waving your thumb at a driver used to be a way of getting a ride.Hitchhiking was common in the U.S. decades ago.But thumbing a ride, as hitchhiking is also called, is no longer considered a safe way to travel.In fact, it is even illegal in some U.S. states.
所以，拇指真的很有用。你向司机挥舞拇指时说明你想搭车。几十年前搭便车在美国很常见。但是thumbing a ride，也就是搭便车不再是一种安全的出行方式。事实上这在美国某些州是非法的。

However, giving someone a thumbs up is still legal and still common.Thumbs up means you approve something.Thumbs down means you don’t.If a number of people are deciding on a yes or no question, someone can call for a thumbs up or thumbs down vote.
但是拇指朝上还是合法常见的。拇指朝上证明你支持某件事。拇指朝下则证明你不赞同某事。如果很多人决定是非问题，可以进行拇指朝上或拇指朝下的投票。

This expression comes from ancient Rome when gladiators fought for their lives in the public arena.The crowd decided if the fighter was to live or die.A defeated gladiator would lower his arms as a sign of surrender.If the crowd turned up their thumbs he would be allowed to live. If the crowd gave the thumbs down, he would be killed.
这一表达来自于古希腊格斗士在公共区域为了生存而角斗。观众决定武士的生死。被击败的格斗士会放下胳膊，作为投降的标志。如果人们拇指朝上，武士就可以活下来。如果人们拇指朝下，武士就会被处死。

These days a thumbs up or thumbs down vote can be important but not so ... violent.
如今以拇指朝上或朝下的方式来投票依然很重要，但没有那么暴力了。

And that brings us to the end of another Words and Their Stories.If someone asks you if you enjoyed the show, we hope you give us a thumbs up.
今天的词语掌故就到这里。如果有人问你是否喜欢这个节目，希望你可以拇指朝上。

I’m Anna Matteo.
Anna Matteo为您报道。