VOA标准英语2008年-You're an Idiot!

In America, as in most cultures, you risk offending people if you call them dumb or an idiot to their faces. You also risk a punch in the nose.
　
It seems as if there's not a question that can't be answered, or problem solved, these days by one of the many Dummies¹ or Idiots books

And yet by the millions, people are buying books with titles like Wine for Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles. When we don't know a thing about meditation² or buying stocks or speaking Bulgarian, we're happy to be insulted. Go right ahead: call us dummies on the cover of your book. Just show us how to lay tile or knit a sweater.

And for 17 years, that's exactly what a seemingly endless stream of books, written in a breezy manner with lots of illustrations and simple instructions, has done.
　
Some people elongated³, carnivorous mammals called ferrets are cute and would make great pets. However, they might first be advised to consult Ferrets for Dummies

Want a tattoo⁴? There's The Complete Idiot's Guide to getting one. A yappy little dog? Chihuahuas for Dummies will tell you all there is to know about them. There's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Webkinz, whatever that is. And Chronic⁵ Pain for Dummies, leaving us to wonder where smart people go to deal with pain.
　
Does the idea of getting up in front of an audience and giving a speech frighten you? No problem. There's a Complete Idiot's Guide to Public Speaking

More than 125 million copies in the Dummies series alone have sold since the first Dummies book — about a computer program called DOS — was published in 1991. Ever since, Dummies and Idiots books have promised to teach us how to garden, learn religions, paint walls, even raise our kids.

Dummies books have been translated into 39 languages and published in 40 countries, so all the idiots are no longer in America. There are now dummies videos, too.

You name it — chess, vampires⁶, foreclosed houses — there's a Dummies or Idiots book about it. There's even one called Biochemistry for Dummies. But no Idiot's Guide to Brain Surgery . . . yet!

 

1 dummies   

n.仿制品( dummy的名词复数 )；橡皮奶头；笨蛋；假传球

参考例句：

• If he dummies up, just try a little persuasion. 如果他不说话，稍微劝劝他就是了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All the articles in the window are dummies. 橱窗里的全部物品都是仿制品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

3 elongated   

v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Modigliani's women have strangely elongated faces. 莫迪里阿尼画中的妇女都长着奇长无比的脸。
• A piece of rubber can be elongated by streching. 一块橡皮可以拉长。 来自《用法词典》

4 tattoo   

n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于

参考例句：

• I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。
• He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。

5 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

6 vampires   

n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门

参考例句：

• The most effective weapon against the vampires is avampire itself. 对付吸血鬼最有效的武器就是吸血鬼自己。 来自电影对白
• If vampires existed, don`t you think we would`ve found them by now? 如果真有吸血鬼，那我们怎么还没有找到他们呢？ 来自电影对白