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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 words and expressions in the English language.
在本节目中，我们探讨英语中的单词和短语。
We give you examples and notes on usage.
我们举例子，并对用法进行解释说明。
Today we go inside a building and talk about a feature of every building – walls.
今天，我们走进建筑物，谈论每栋建筑物的一个特征——墙。
Walls protect us from the outside world.
墙保护我们免受外界的影响。
They can help us stay safe and give us comfort.
它们可以帮助我们保持安全，并给我们带来舒适感。
But what if we are inside a room too long?
但是，如果我们在房间里待的时间太长怎么办？
Those same walls can start to feel like a prison.
同样的墙可能会开始让人感觉像是监狱。
We can feel trapped by them.
我们可能会觉得被它们困住了。
When that happens, we can say the walls are closing in on us.
当这种情况发生时，我们可以说墙正在向我们逼近。
This means you are feeling confined, or stuck, in an area.
它的意思是你感觉自己被限制或者被困在某个地方。
For example, after a year of living with the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt like the walls of my house were closing in on me.
例如，在与新冠疫情共存一年后，我感觉我的房子的墙正在向我逼近。
When that feeling came over me, I knew I needed to go outside for a walk!
当这种感觉袭上心头时，我知道我需要出去走走！
When you feel trapped or confined indoors, a walk outside usually helps.
当你感觉被困在室内时，出去走走通常会有帮助。
Not only are you in the fresh air, but you are also looking at different things.
你不仅可以呼吸新鲜空气，而且还可以看不同的东西。
A change of scenery can help when you feel like the walls are closing in.
当你感觉墙在向你逼近的时候，换个环境会有所帮助。
Sometimes the “walls” in this idiom are not actual walls in a building.
有时这个习语中的“墙”指的并不是建筑物中的实际的墙。
Instead, they are walls in our minds or in a certain situation.
相反，它们是我们心中或者在某种情况下的墙。
We can use the expression the walls are closing in when we are sick and tired of something.
当我们厌倦了某事物时，我们可以用the walls are closing in这个短语。
For example, if you unable to make advances in your job, you could feel like the walls have closed in on your career.
例如，如果你无法在工作中取得进步，你可能会觉得自己的职业生涯碰到了瓶颈。
You may feel like you don’t have the chance to advance or try new things.
你可能会觉得自己没有机会进步或尝试新事物。
It can feel like the “walls” are closing in on a relationship too.
the “walls” are closing in也可以用来形容感情。
When people find themselves in very restricted relationships with someone who is trying to control them, it may feel like the walls are closing in on them.
当人们发现自己与试图控制他们的人困在感情中时，可能会感觉墙正在向他们逼近。
In these cases, a change of scenery is not found outside in the woods.
在这些情况下，外面的树林里不会有风景的变化。
The change of scenery is a new job or a new relationship.
风景的变化是一份新的工作或一段新的关系。
When the walls feel like they are closing in, we can also use another word to describe what we are feeling: claustrophobic.
当感觉墙壁正在逼近时，我们也可以用另一个词来描述我们的感受：幽闭恐惧症。
Claustrophobia is defined as an abnormal fear of being in closed or confined spaces.
幽闭恐惧症指的是对身处封闭空间的异常恐惧。
Sometimes, we use the term “claustrophobic” to mean we feel uneasy by a situation that is limiting or restricting.
有时，我们用“幽闭恐惧症”这个词来表示我们对受限的情况感到不安。
This feeling of unease could be from physical or non-physical reasons.
这种不安的感觉可能来自身体或非身体原因。
A job and a relationship can also feel claustrophobic.
工作和感情也会让人感到幽闭恐惧。
Now let’s listen to two people use the words and expressions you heard in this story.
现在让我们来听两个人是如何用你在这个故事中听到的单词和短语。
Hey, what happened to Chad? I haven’t seen him around DC lately.
嘿，查德怎么了？我最近在华盛顿附近没见过他。
During the pandemic, he moved out west…somewhere in the desert.
在疫情期间，他搬到了西部……在沙漠里的某个地方。
The desert? What made him do that!?
沙漠？是什么让他那样做的！？
He said he felt too claustrophobic in the city and was sick and tired of being around so many people. He needed more space and open skies!
他说，他觉得这座城市让他感到幽闭恐惧，和这么多人待在一起让他感到厌倦。他需要更多的空间和开阔的天空！
I can understand that. Sometimes the walls of my apartment feel like they are closing in on me. But moving to the desert is a pretty extreme decision.
我能理解。有时，我感觉公寓的墙壁正在向我逼近。但搬到沙漠是一个非常极端的决定。
He’ll be back. He texted me last night complaining that it takes him 30 minutes to drive to the nearest store.
他会回来的。他昨晚给我发短信，抱怨说他开车去最近的商店要花30分钟。
Well … he wanted more space. Now he’s got it!
他想要更多的空间。现在他获得了！
Yep.
是的。
And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。
Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.
下次见……我是安娜·马特奥！
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
