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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。
Today we talk about a type of writing -- boilerplate.
今天我们要谈论的是一种文章——文件范例。
Boilerplate language is the writing in documents such as contracts.
文件范文指的是合同等文件中的文字。
The language is standardized.
这种语言是标准化的。
This means the words are well established and used by many people.
意思是这些词已经被很多人认可和使用了。
The language is widely recognized as acceptable.
人们普遍认为这种语言是可以接受的。
It is not creative, nor does it change very much.
它没有创造性，也没有太大的变化。
So, when it comes to things like business documents, legal contracts, and training manuals, boilerplate is a good thing.
因此，当涉及商业文件、法律合同和培训手册之类的东西时，文件范例是一个好东西。
You don't need or want creative language in those sorts of documents.
你不需要也不想在这类文件中使用创造性的语言。
However, in writing other kinds of stories, boilerplate has a different meaning.
然而，在写其他类型的故事时，boilerplate有不同的含义。
If a piece of writing is not special or creative, we can call it boilerplate.
如果一篇文章没有特色或创意，我们可以称之为boilerplate（陈词滥调）。
The words hackneyed and trite have related meanings.
hackneyed和trite有相关的含义。
Hackneyed or trite writing is commonplace and repeated too often.
陈词滥调很常见，而且经常被重复。
There is nothing special about boilerplate writing.
一派陈词滥调的文章并没有什么特别之处。
Now, let's hear boilerplate used in some examples.
现在，让我们来听一些使用boilerplate的例子。
I'm not signing any contract without my lawyer looking at it first.
未经我的律师事先查看，我是不会签任何合同的。
I don't care how boilerplate it is.
我不在乎它有多规范。
The writing in the novel was boilerplate.
这部小说是一派陈词滥调。
It showed no creativity.
没有任何创意。
The writing job was not difficult for the college student.
写作工作对这个大学生来说并不难。
It was mostly boilerplate type stories.
它大多是模板式的故事。
The website Meriam-Webster.com explains how the term "boilerplate" came to mean standard or non-creative writing.
网站Meriam-Webster.com解释了“boilerplate”一词是如何演变成表示标准的或非创造性文本的。
Boilerplate comes from syndicated stories used especially by weekly newspapers.
Boilerplate来自联合报道，尤其是周报。
These stories were ready-to-print and required no additional writing.
这些报道都已经准备好，不需要额外的写作。
Boilerplate stories were not usually hard news.
一派陈词滥调的报道通常不是硬新闻。
They were stories that just filled space in the newspaper.
这些报道只是填补了报纸上的空白。
So, the term boilerplate can mean ordinary, mediocre writing.
因此，boilerplate一词可以表示普通的、平庸的文章。
In the past, these stories were sent on flat, metal plates.
在过去，这些故事是用扁平的金属板传送的。
These story plates looked like plates used to make steam boilers, devices used to make steam for heat or power.
这些传送故事的板看起来像是用来制造蒸汽锅炉的板，蒸汽锅炉是用来制造蒸汽供热或发电的装置。
So, they were called "boiler plates."
因此，它们被称为“boiler plates”。
Soon, the term "boilerplate" came to mean the actual printed material on the plates as well as to the plates themselves.
不久之后，“boilerplate”一词开始指印版上的实际印刷材料以及印版本身。
And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见……我是安娜·马特奥。
Hopefully, you don't find our materials at VOA Learning English to be boilerplate.
希望你不会觉得美国之音慢速英语的材料是一派陈词滥调。
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！
