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This week, we answer a question from Evelio in Colombia. He writes:
本周我们回答来自哥伦比亚的埃韦利奥的一个问题。
Why is a sort of men's underwear called "long johns"? Thank you.-- Evelio, Colombia
他写道：男士的一种内衣为什么叫做"秋裤"呢？谢谢。
Dear Evelio,
亲爱的埃韦利奥：
When I looked up the history of the term "long johns," I found it was first used in World War II by American soldiers.
当我查找"long johns"这个词的历史时，我发现是二战时的美国士兵最先使用这个词。
That got me thinking about other words and phrases the soldiers invented.
这就让我想起来了士兵发明的其他的单词和词组。
Many words that we use today, or are considered slang terms, came from the soldiers in that war.
我们如今使用的很多单词，或者用作俚语的词，都是二战时士兵发明的。
World War II was fought in many areas, including Europe.
第二次世界大战发生在许多地区，包括欧洲。
Because parts of Europe get cold in winter, the U.S. military gave soldiers special under-clothing to help keep them warm.
因为欧洲部分地区在冬天变得很冷，美国军队给士兵发了特殊的内衣裤帮助御寒。
This under-clothing covered much of the body, even the arms and legs.
那些士兵把它叫做"秋衣裤"。
The soldiers called it "long johns."
那些士兵把它叫做"秋衣裤"。
Long johns are believed to have been named after John L. Sullivan, a famous American boxer in the 19th century.
人们认为秋衣裤这个名字是以19世纪美国著名拳师约翰·沙利文的名字命名的。
Sullivan wore a similar-looking piece of clothing when he competed in boxing matches.
沙利文参加拳赛时会穿着类似的衣服。
It is also worth noting that Americans sometimes call long johns "long underwear."
值得一提的是美国人有时候会把它叫做"长内裤"。
And, in parts of the U.S., people may use the term "long john" when they talk about a kind of baked sweet that looks like a bar.
而且，在美国的部分地区，当人们谈论一种长得像棒子的烤甜点时，他们可能会使用“高个子约翰”这个词。
This treat might help you stay warm in cold weather, too.
在寒冷的天气里，这种食物也可以帮助你保持温暖。
Here is another term that was born in the military.
现在我们来说下一个在军队诞生的词汇。
When members of Britain's Royal Air Force did not know why a plane was experiencing problems, they claimed that a small imaginary creature was inside the aircraft.
当英国皇家空军成员不知道飞机出现什么问题时，他们就会说飞机里有一个小的假想生物。
They had a name for this creature: a gremlin.
他们给它起了个名字叫小精灵。
American soldiers began using the term gremlin during the war.
美国士兵在战争时开始使用这个单词。
On a television program in the 1960s, a man reported seeing one outside of the plane in which he was flying.
20世纪60年代的一个电视节目报道称，有个人在他乘坐的飞机外面看到一个精灵。
A gremlin's destroying the plane! You've got to believe me!
有个小精灵在毁灭这架飞机！你们得相信我！
Today Americans use "gremlin" when talking about small magical creatures.
现在美国人用"gremlin"这个单词表示小的神奇生物。
The U.S. military is one place where following orders is very important.
在美国军队里，听从命令是非常重要的。
Soldiers called someone a "Big Wheel" if that person had power over them.
如果有人比他们权利大，士兵们就叫他"大人物"。
Today, we use this term when talking about someone who has the respect of others.
如今，我们用这个词指那些受人尊敬的人。
Here is an example of how to use it in a sentence:
下面是我们在句子中应用的一个例子：
My father's a pretty big wheel down at the factory.
我父亲在工厂里是个大人物。
I hope that helps to answer your question, Evelio.
我希望这能帮助回答你的问题，埃韦利奥。
And that's Ask a Teacher for this week.
以上就是本期名师答疑的全部内容。
I'm Jill Robbins.
我是吉尔·罗宾斯。
