VOA慢速英语2021--Boxing Day and Box Expressions

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning¹ English.

In some places around the world, the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day. In Britain, Australia, Canada and other places, Boxing Day is a national holiday.

There are several thoughts on how the holiday became known as Boxing Day. The Associated Press wrote about the origins of the name back in 2019.

The most widely held understanding of the origins of Boxing Day comes from a tradition among wealthy people. They would give a "Christmas Box" to their servants and other workers. The box would contain money and gifts. Traditionally, these workers would also have Boxing Day off to rest.

The AP story says the start of Boxing Day may even date back to the times of the Romans. Some experts say Roman invaders² brought the practice to Britain. The tradition was then taken up by churches. Churches would put boxes outside their doors to collect money for the poor. This tradition gained popularity³ during the middle 1800s and continues to this day.

Boxing Day is still celebrated⁴ today in many countries around the world. However, the United States is not one of them. We don't generally have the day off.

But the Christmas holiday, which takes place the day before, is often filled with boxes. Boxes are useful for storing and containing all kinds of things – especially gifts! It is fun to shake a gift box and try to guess what is inside. But an empty box can be just as much fun. Just ask any child ... or any cat, for that matter. Personally, I cannot walk by a cardboard⁵ box without thinking of what I could make out of it.

A child can enjoy the box their gift came in as much as, if not more than, the gift itself. An empty box can lead to imaginative⁶ play. It can become anything! It can be a secret house in the forest or a boat on the open sea or a rocket ship flying through space!

That is because children are masters at "thinking outside the box." To think outside the box means to explore ideas and consider solutions that are creative and unusual.

Someone who thinks outside the box is not limited or controlled by rules or tradition. Another way of saying this is that they are not "boxed in" by such rules and traditions. They think of new ways to solve a problem.

To be "boxed in" can also mean being physically⁷ prevented from moving. For example, a car can "box in" another car in a parking space, .

However, thinking outside the box is important not just for playing or for teaching⁸ English. Lots of problems and situations can be helped by thinking outside the box!

And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time...

Words in This Story

origin – n. the rise or beginning from a source

church – n. a building for public and especially Christian⁹ worship¹⁰

cardboard – n. a material made from cellulose fiber (such as wood pulp) like paper but usually thicker

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

3 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 cardboard   

n.硬纸板，卡纸板

参考例句：

• She brought the shopping home in a cardboard box.她将买的东西放在纸箱里带回家。
• There is a sheet of stiff cardboard in the drawer.在那个抽屉里有块硬纸板。

6 imaginative   

adj.富有想象力的，爱想象的

参考例句：

• The imaginative child made up fairy stories.这个想像力丰富的孩子自己编神话故事。
• Scott was an imaginative writer.司格特是位富于想象力的作家。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

9 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

10 worship   

n.崇拜，礼拜；v.崇拜，敬仰；做礼拜

参考例句：

• The Greeks used to worship several gods.过去，希腊人崇奉好几种神。
• Blind worship must be ended.盲目崇拜必须停止。