手机APP下载

您现在的位置: 首页 > 在线广播 > VOA慢速英语 > VOA慢速-词汇掌故 > 正文

VOA慢速英语(翻译+字幕+讲解):词汇典故—大人物

来源:可可英语 编辑:Sunny   可可英语APP下载 |  可可官方微信:ikekenet
 下载MP3到电脑  批量下载MP3和LRC到手机
加载中..
]K%__w*=iG;)py@dq6l~

Jw_[54L(&siV

Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.

@T-F2rBKrUx3|

Some expressions describe people who are important -- or who at least think they are. One such expression is bigwig.

Aq%7ADyzGMQFca^oFL9

In the 17th century, important men in Europe began to wear false hair, called wigs. As years passed, wigs began to get bigger. The size of a man's wig depended on how important he was. The more important he was -- or thought he was -- the bigger the wig he wore. Some wigs were so large they covered a man's shoulders or back.

OBysTh2--4.4

Today, the expression "bigwig" is used to make fun of a person who feels important. People never tell someone he is a bigwig. They only use the expression behind his back.

gJLB%XUcS8u8agM

"Big wheel" is another way to describe an important person. A big wheel may be the head of a company, a political leader, a famous movie star. They are big wheels because they are powerful. What they do affects many people. Big wheels give the orders. Other people carry them out. As in many machines, a big wheel makes the little wheels turn.

ItY#wDPxCI%bpyNVrRB

Big wheel became a popular expression after World War II. It probably comes from an expression used for many years by people who fix parts of cars and trucks. They said a person "rolled a big wheel" if he was important and had influence.

X=8~J(3phL1m!b~p87#3

The top of something is the highest part. So it is not surprising that top is part of another expression that describes an important person. The expression is top banana. A "top banana" is the leading person in a comedy show. The funniest comedian is called "the top banana." The next is "second banana." And so on.

[RmnabOQWb-PhB

Why a banana? A comedy act in earlier days often included a part where one of the comedians would hit the others over the head with a soft object. The object was shaped like the yellow fruit: the banana.

dAoV+Q(dB8Q

Top banana still is used mainly in show business. Yet the expression can also be used to describe the top person in any area.

FO(X!3U_LGSA

A "kingpin" is another word for an important person. The expression comes from the game of bowling. The kingpin is the number one pin. If hit correctly with the bowling ball, the kingpin will make all the other nine pins fall. And that is the object of the game.

v,M2f2^7t^C-I&PD

So, the most important person in a project or business is the kingpin. If the kingpin is removed, the business or project is likely to fail.

T|Y4mz,46*|IKgFrgDM

Kingpin is often used to describe an important criminal, or the leader of a criminal gang. A newspaper may report, for example, that "police have arrested the suspected kingpin of a car-stealing operation."

zdHdj59.6Lt

This VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories was written by Marilyn Christiano. I'm Warren Scheer.

6b4%))7|%h

文本来自51voa,译文属可可原创,仅供学习交流使用,未经许可请勿转载

TUV0k|wfTWmxy

6IRL;;*,F*zjzl6WmI]Y*368ZD5|f;X=1%G.f

重点单词   查看全部解释    
comedy ['kɔmidi]

想一想再看

n. 喜剧,滑稽,幽默事件

 
popular ['pɔpjulə]

想一想再看

adj. 流行的,大众的,通俗的,受欢迎的

联想记忆
describe [dis'kraib]

想一想再看

vt. 描述,画(尤指几何图形),说成

联想记忆
criminal ['kriminl]

想一想再看

adj. 犯罪的,刑事的,违法的
n. 罪犯

联想记忆
wheel [wi:l]

想一想再看

n. 轮子,车轮,方向盘,周期,旋转
vi.

 

发布评论我来说2句

    最新文章

    可可英语官方微信(微信号:ikekenet)

    每天向大家推送短小精悍的英语学习资料.

    添加方式1.扫描上方可可官方微信二维码。
    添加方式2.搜索微信号ikekenet添加即可。