VOA慢速英语2020 杰克·弗罗斯特是谁?

 Their Stories.

If this is your first time with us, this program explores words and expressions commonly used in American English. We take a look at where they come from and how best to use them.

So, as winter officially comes to half the world, today we celebrate an expression that means winter is coming.

When temperatures drop and a cold snap¹ comes, that means one thing: Jack² Frost has arrived!

"He's nipping at your nose. You can feel it in your toes! A shiver and a tear, let's you know Jack Frost is here!"

Jack Frost represents the coming of dark, cold days. He is the personification of winter, a human form of winter weather. So, when we say, "Jack Frost is nipping at your nose," we mean that you feel the cold, icy effects of winter on your face.

When a frost or deep freeze comes, you had better bundle up! You should wear enough clothing to stay warm.

Now, Jack Frost does, indeed, bring the cold of winter. But he can also create beauty in nature. Some traditions claim that Jack Frost is responsible for leaving ice and snow on windows, trees, the ground...anywhere it will stick.

While we know frost is a natural event, it is fun to think that an imaginary creature named Jack Frost (or another name in some other cultures) changed the world into a winter wonderland!

That is what poet Hannah Flagg Gould (1789-1865) must have been thinking when she wrote a poem called The Frost.

Here are parts of that poem.

THE FROST looked forth³, one still, clear night,

And he said, "Now I shall be out of sight; ...

Then he went to the mountain, and powdered its crest⁴,

He climbed up the trees, and their boughs⁵ he dressed

With diamonds and pearls⁶..."

With all of its beauty and extremes, winter is a great subject for songs and poetry. But now, let's listen to how we use these wintry expressions in conversation.

Brrr! It is freezing outside. This cold snap came out of nowhere!

I don't care how cold it is. I'm going on a hot date!

Is that all you're wearing? You need to bundle up or Jack Frost will be nipping at more than your nose!

I'll be fine. I'm wearing my new coat.

That it is NOT a winter coat. I mean, it looks great, but it's much too thin. You will catch a cold. I know. You can wear my new down coat. It keeps you warm up to minus 30 degrees Celsius⁷!

I'm going on a date...not exploring the Arctic⁸ Circle! Thanks. But I am not wearing that big, thick black coat. Besides, the taxi will take me from door-to-door.

But what if something goes wrong? What if the car skids⁹ on the ice and is involved in an accident? You'll have to walk to the restaurant. You might freeze to death!

No, I won't. I'll just call an Uber to come and get me.

And what if that vehicle runs out of fuel? Then you'll have to walk to get more.

No, the Uber driver will. I'll just call another car.

What if that new Uber driver is a pregnant¹⁰ woman and she goes into labor¹¹? You'll have to help. You'll have to wait outside in the cold until help arrives! And the roads are already covered with five centimeters of snow! It could take the ambulance an hour to get to you! If you're wearing that thin coat...you'll catch your death!! The EMTs will find you frozen¹² solid like a block of ice!!

Stop! Stop!! You win! Give me your coat!

Good decision.

Here's my ride ...

Don't forget gloves...a hat...and a scarf! Okay, good bye. Have fun!

And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.

If you would like, please share a similar figure from your culture. Or you can simply practice with some of the language you heard here. You can do that in the Comments Section!

I'm Anna Matteo.

"Chestnuts¹³ roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir¹⁴. And folks dressed up like Eskimos."

1 snap   

n.啪地移动，突然断掉；v.猛咬，咬断，谩骂，砰然关上

参考例句：

• He broke off the twig with a snap.他啪地一声把那根树枝折断了。
• These earrings snap on with special fasteners.这副耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。

2 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

5 boughs   

大树枝( bough的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
• A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

6 pearls   

n.珍珠( pearl的名词复数 )；珍品；人造珍珠；珠状物

参考例句：

• a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链
• a string of pearls 一挂珍珠

7 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

8 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

9 skids   

n.滑向一侧( skid的名词复数 )；滑道；滚道；制轮器v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的第三人称单数 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区

参考例句：

• The aging football player was playing on the skids. 那个上了年纪的足球运动员很明显地在走下坡路。 来自辞典例句
• It's a shame that he hit the skids. 很遗憾他消沉了。 来自辞典例句

10 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

12 frozen   

adj.冻结的，冰冻的

参考例句：

• He was frozen to death on a snowing night.在一个风雪的晚上，他被冻死了。
• The weather is cold and the ground is frozen.天寒地冻。

13 chestnuts   

n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马

参考例句：

• A man in the street was selling bags of hot chestnuts. 街上有个男人在卖一包包热栗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Talk of chestnuts loosened the tongue of this inarticulate young man. 因为栗子，正苦无话可说的年青人，得到同情他的人了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

14 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。