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And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English!
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目！
On this program we explore the meaning of words and expressions in the English language.
本节目探索英语中单词和短语的含义。
Today we talk about a saying that comes from the world of carpentry.
今天，我们谈论一句来自木工行业的谚语。
Two of the most basic tools for building things are a hammer and nail.
建造东西的两个最基本的工具是锤子和钉子。
With them, you can build many wooden structures from a house to a piece of furniture to a picture frame.
有了它们，你可以建造许多木结构，大到一座房子、一件家具，小到一个相框。
For the nail to go into the wood, you must hit the nail on the flat part at the very top.
为了把钉子钉进木头，你必须把钉子钉在木头最上面的平坦部分上。
This is called the head.
这就是所谓的头。
If you miss, you might damage the wood or injure yourself.
如果你打偏了，你可能会损坏木头或伤到自己。
So, our expression for today is “to hit the nail on the head.”
所以，我们今天的表达是“一针见血”。
We use it several ways.
我们有几种用法。
When you hit the nail on the head, you got something exactly right.
当你hit the nail on the head时，你就完完全全做对了一件事情。
In other words, you were correct.
换句话说，你是正确的。
Here is an example: Hey, remember when you told me that Bob would not last long at his new job?
有一个例子：嘿，还记得你告诉我鲍勃在他的新工作岗位上坚持不了多久吗？
Yeah, that was last week.
是的，那是上周的事了。
I got the feeling from him that he was not enjoying the work.
我从他那里感觉到他不喜欢这项工作。
Well, you hit the nail on the head.
好吧，你说到点子上了。
He just texted me that he quit his job.
他刚给我发短信说他辞职了。
Hitting the nail on the head can also mean you have understood or expressed something perfectly.
Hitting the nail on the head也可以表示你已经完全理解或表达了某件事。
For example, you could say that "the reporter hit the nail on the head in her explanation of current budget debates in the city.”
例如，你可以说：“记者在解释该市当前的预算辩论时一针见血。”
If you have hit the nail on the head, you have also described a situation accurately.
如果你hit the nail on the head，也意味着你准确地描述了一种情况。
That situation can be either good or bad.
这种情况可以是好的，也可以是坏的。
Here is another example: How was your camping trip?
还有另一个例子：你的露营之旅怎么样？
It was amazing!
太棒了！
I haven’t had that much fun outdoors in … forever!
我……这辈子都没有在户外活动中玩得那么开心！
Wonderful!
精彩!
Didn’t Stacy suggest the campground you visited?
你去的露营地是史黛西建议的对吧？
Yes!
对!
She said it was heaven with lots of outdoor activities.
她说那里是有很多户外活动的天堂。
And she really hit the nail on the head!
她真的完全说中了！
We stayed for four days and loved every minute!
我们住了四天，每一分钟都很开心！
So, if you are totally right about something; if you describe something perfectly; if you find the exact answer; or if you do or say the right thing – you have hit the nail on the head!
所以，如果你在某件事上完全正确；如果你完美地描述了某件事；如果你找到了准确的答案；或者如果你做或说对了什么--你就hit the nail on the head了！
Word experts claim that by the time Henry David Thoreau used the expression in 1849, it was already a commonly used one.
词汇专家称，当亨利·戴维·梭罗在1849年使用这个短语时，它已经是一个常用短语了。
In A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, he wrote this: “The poet will prevail to be popular in spite of his faults, and in spite of his beauties too.
在《康科德及梅里马克河畔一周》里，他写道：“诗人尽管有缺点，尽管美丽，但仍会广受欢迎。
He will hit the nail on the head, and we shall not know the shape of his hammer.
他会一针见血，我们不会知道他锤子的形状。
He makes us free of his hearth and heart, which is greater than to offer one the freedom of a city.”
他把我们从他的壁炉和心灵中解放出来，这比给人一个城市的自由要伟大得多。”
And that’s all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见，我是安娜·马泰奥。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
