VOA慢速英语:Table Tennis, Anyone?(翻译)

Hello and welcome to Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English!
大家好，欢迎来到VOA英语学习词汇掌故栏目。

On this program, we explore the stories behind common expressions in American English.
这个栏目主要是讨论美式英语一些常见表达的故事。

Today, we talk about an object found in every home.We eat off them,we can also work at them.We play games on them and, at other times, we simply gather around them.
今天我们要讨论的这件物品每家都有。我们在这个物件旁边吃饭，在上面工作。我们也在上面玩游戏，其他时候则围聚在其旁边。

They are tables!
这个物品就是桌子。

A table is often at the center of many activities.So it is not surprising that the word “table” is used in several common expressions.
桌子通常是很多活动的中心。因此，常用表达中出现桌子一词，一点也不奇怪。

Let’s start with a very simple one: to table something.
首先来看一个非常简单的表达：to table sth。

George Bernard Shaw was a famous playwright.He reportedly said that “England and America are separated by the same language.”
萧伯纳是个非常著名的剧作家。据报道，他曾经说过：“英国和美国是由同一种语言分开的两个国家。”

However, he may not have said that.It was the Irish writer Oscar Wilde who wrote years earlier in his 1887 story The Canterville Ghost,“… we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.”
但是，他可能并没有这么说过。爱尔兰作家奥斯卡·王尔德于早期1887年所作的《坎特维尔幽灵》中写道：“现在我们和美国有很多相同之处，当然，语言除外。”

Regardless of who said it first, there is truth in this funny statement.Similar expressions can sometimes mean different things in the U.K and the U.S.
不管是谁先说的，这个有趣的说法中有个事实。即类似的表达在英国和美国的意思有时可能不同。

For example, the term to table means one thing in Britain, while it means the exact opposite in the United States.
比如table一词在英国是这种意思，在美国则是相反的意思。

When Britain’s parliament wishes to consider an issue for discussion, members vote “to table it.”On the other hand, when the United States Senate or House of Representatives votes “to table” a proposal,lawmakers decide to set aside the plan or even kill it altogether.
英国议会想就某事进行讨论时，议员可能会投票进行支持（to table it）。相反，美国参议员或者众议院对建议进行table时，律师通常会决定搁置该计划或者全盘否定该计划。

These differences led to misunderstandings between the two countries shortly after the United States entered World War II.
美国参与二战之后，这些差异经常导致两国之间出现误解。

As the Americans and British began to develop joint military plans, the term “to table” usually required a clearer explanation.There were British proposals that the Americans were strongly opposed to.They did not even want to discuss them.Respectfully, they said, "Let’s table them."
美国和英国开始展开联合军事计划之后，通常会对to table一词进行详尽的解释。如果美国强烈反对英国的一些建议，甚至完全不想讨论这些建议。他们会毕恭毕敬地说，Let’s table them.(请不要再说这个了。)

The British were happy to hear that.They thought the Americans were ready to give the proposals serious considerations.Boy, were they wrong!
英国听到这句话之后非常高兴。他们认为美国人会认真考虑这些建议。伙计们，他们错了！

For a time, the misunderstandings could be troublesome.But in time, the two sides grew to understand what each meant by the expression “to table.”And communications between them improved.
有段时间，这些误解非常麻烦。但双方及时意识到对各方来说to table一词的含义各是什么。两方的交流开始有所改善。

So did their military situation.In time, the Allies turned the tables on Nazi Germany.After being on the defensive for a long time, allied forces moved forward to take the offensive on all battle fronts.
军事状况也是如此。同盟国在对战纳粹德国方面开始扭转了格局（turn the tables）。防御了很长时间之后，同盟国在前沿战场开始发起了进攻。

The Allies turned the tables on German forces and defeated them.
同盟国对战德国军队时反败为胜。

The expression “to turn the tables” means to give opponents the same treatment they have been giving you.This saying comes from a popular 16th century card game.
To turn the tables 的意思是为对手提供一样的待遇。这种说法源于16世纪一项著名的扑克游戏。

In the game, a player might have found themselves in a worse position than his opponent.And so, turning the board, or table, around put the other person in the same position.
这个游戏中，玩游戏的人可能会发现自己的处境不如对手。因此扭转形势（turn the board/table）让对方处于与自己一样的形势。

Now, let us hear this expression used in an everyday conversation.
现在我们来听下日常对话中如何使用这种表达。

A: Hey did you watch your boss’s television interview about education reform?
A:你好，你看你老板有关教育改革的电视访问节目了吗？

B: Not yet, I hate watching her speak to reporters.Most of them are unfair and uNPRepared.
B：还没。我讨厌看她接受记者采访。很多问题都不公平，老板也没准备好。

A: Well, your boss was ready for them.She turned the tables on all of them.She brought all her facts and knowledge about the issue to the table.She supplied hard evidence that proved their accusations wrong.
A：好吧，但你老板做好准备了。她扭转了局势。她把自己有关这个问题的事实和知识都摆到了台面之上。她摆出一些证据，证明记者的指责是错误的。

B: In that case, I’ll watch that interview right away!Nothing is better than seeing the tables turn against unfair reporters.
B：如果是这样的话，我会立即看看这个采访。没有什么比扭转局势打败那些不公平的记者更大快人心的了。

So the expression “turn the tables” comes from a game and so does the expression cards on the table.
Turn the tables （扭转局势）来源于一场游戏，cards on the table(公开的计划) 也同样是来源于一种游戏。

If we put our cards on the table we lay everything out in plain view.Nothing is hidden.However, people who want to keep their plans secret, deal under the table.This expression is used to describe dishonest activities, such as cheating.
Put our cards on the table意思是开诚布公的讨论某事。毫不隐瞒。但有时人们不想宣布自己的计划，这就是deal under the table。这个表达通常是用于描述不诚实的行为，例如欺骗。

An employer who pays a worker under the table is paying them illegally without taking out taxes.
如果说雇员向雇工付钱时是under the table，意思就是非法付账，没有交税。

But if you bring something to a party, you don’t put it under the table.You put it on the table.Often when people are invited to parties, they bring something to eat or drink to share.Whether it is a bottle of wine or a chocolate cake, these gifts go on a table for everyone to enjoy.
但如果说bring sth to a party，意思就是不会进行暗箱操作。而是开诚布公讨论。通常人们受邀出席宴会时，他们会带来一些吃的或者喝的与人共享。不管是一瓶酒还是巧克力蛋糕，这些礼物都会放到桌子上供大家享用。

In American English, however, what you bring to the table is not limited to food or something to drink.
但在美式英语中，拿到桌子上的并不局限于食物或者喝的东西。

What you bring to the table can be interesting stories, personal knowledge of a subject or a witty sense of humor.These things all make the event better.So, people who bring something to the table are those who bring something of value to a party, meeting or event.
拿到桌面上的可以是有趣的故事，对某件事的个人见解或者诙谐的幽默。这些都能让整个氛围变得更好。因此，people who bring something to the table通常是指那些为聚会、会议或者大事带来宝贵东西的人。

On the other hand, if someone does not bring anything of value to a gathering,for whatever reason, we can say that person brings nothing to the table.
另一方面，如果有人并未为聚会带来任何有价值的东西，不管是什么原因，都可以将其称作是毫无贡献的人（ person brings nothing to the table）。

You might ask, what does VOA Learning English bring to the table?We create stories and programs every day that hopefully help you improve your English.
你可能会问，VOA英语学习为大家带来了什么呢？每天我们都编写一些故事或者栏目，期望帮助大家提高英语水平。

Thanks for listening.I’m Anna Matteo.
谢谢收听。 Anna Matteo为您报道。