VOA慢速英语2020 词汇掌故：提防小人（在线收听）

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目时间。

For many, many years, different cultures and religions around the world have used snakes as symbols.

很多很多年以来，世界各地不同文化和宗教都将蛇作为一种象征符号。

Websites such as History.com and Encyclopedia Britannica tell us about snake symbolism in ancient cultures. They say the image of a snake meant fertility and rebirth for some native American groups, as well as people living in ancient Greece and Egypt.

诸如History.com和Encyclopedia Britannica之类的网站都给我们介绍了蛇在古代文化中的象征意义。他们表示，对于某些美国原住民群体以及生活在古希腊和埃及的人来而言，蛇的形象意味着生育和重生。

One ancient symbol of eternity is a snake eating its own tail. This image was found in the burial place of King Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut. He served as Egypt's ruler over 3,300 years ago.

古代一种象征永恒的符号是一条蛇在吃自己的尾巴。这幅图片是在图坦卡蒙国王的墓地发现的。他是3300多年前埃及的统治者。

A serpent was an important god for ancient Mayans. And the Aztec earth goddess – both creator and destroyer – is represented by a serpent wearing a skirt of snakes.

大蛇是古代玛雅人的重要神灵。阿兹特克人的地球女神就是一条穿着蛇裙的大蛇，她既是创造者也是毁灭者。

Serpents are also important in both the ancient Norse and Chinese cultures. 

在古代北欧和中国的文化中，巨蛇也很重要。

Encyclopedia Britannica notes that in Baltic traditions, running into a snake was considered good luck. And it was bad luck if you killed one.

不列颠百科全书指出，在波罗的海的传统中，碰到蛇被认为是好运。如果杀蛇则被视为厄运。

However, in some religious traditions, a serpent tempted Eve -- the world's first woman -- to disobey God by eating forbidden fruit. This got her and Adam -- the world's first man -- expelled from the Garden of Eden.

然而，在某些宗教传统中，大蛇诱惑世界上第一个女性夏娃违抗上帝旨意吃了禁果。这使得她和世界上第一个男人亚当被驱逐出伊甸园。

So, snakes were important in many cultures. Sometimes they represented creation. At other times, they represented good and evil and sometimes just evil.

所以，蛇在很多文化中都很重要。有时它们代表了创造。而有时候，它们又代表善与恶，有时候甚至代表邪恶。

Now, as you just heard, sometimes we call snakes "serpents." A serpent sounds bigger, more threatening, and even more important than a snake.

正如你所听到的，有时候我们称蛇为大蛇。大蛇听起来比蛇更大、更有威胁性甚至更加重要。

You can call a serpent a snake when talking about ancient symbols. But it does not work well the other way. If you saw a snake moving on the ground, you would not say, "Hey look! A serpent just slithered under that rock!" We often use the word "slither" to describe how a snake moves.

当我们谈论古代象征符号时，你可以把大蛇称之为蛇。但是反过来就不能这么说。如果你看到一条蛇在地上游动，你可以说：“快看，有条大蛇刚在那块岩石下蜿蜒爬行。”我们通常用蜿蜒爬行来描述蛇的运动方式。

In the English language, snakes have a bad reputation. A person described as a "snake" is a liar. He or she acts like a friend to your face but then does something terrible behind your back. A snake is someone you thought you could trust, but they end up biting you in the end.

在英语中，蛇的名声不好。被比作蛇的人是骗子。他/她当面装得像朋友一样，但是背后却做一些可怕的事情。你把这种奸诈之人当作可以信任的人，最终却被反咬一口。

People who act like your friend, but who want to hurt you instead, are a hidden danger – just like a snake in the grass.

装作朋友却想伤害你的人是一个隐患，就像是草丛中的蛇一样。

Although snakes have a bad reputation, in nature they really want to avoid human contact. Some snakes live in tall grass, often hidden from people and animals. But if you walk too close, one might bite you. So, in that way, snakes are dangerous. The same can be said of a person who acts like your friend.

虽然蛇名声不好，但是从本质上讲，它们确实希望避免与人接触。有些蛇生活在高高的草丛当中，通常躲着人类和其它动物。但是如果你走得太近可能就会被咬住。因此，从这种意义上讲蛇很危险。同样也可以这样说，那些伪装成朋友的人很危险。

And that's the end of this program. Join me again next week for another Words and Their Stories.

以上就是本期词汇掌故节目的全部内容。欢迎下周再次收听新一期词汇掌故节目。

We leave you with this warning: Be careful! Don't get bit by a snake in the grass.

最后我再给你一个警告：小心，不要让宵小之辈坑了。