A Chip on Your Shoulder詞匯典故
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Every week at this time we tell the story of words and expressions used in American English. Some of them are old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people.
Some popular expressions are a mystery. No one is sure how they developed. One of these is the expression, carry a chip on your shoulder. A person with a chip on his shoulder is a problem for anybody who must deal with him. He seems to be expecting trouble. Sometimes he seems to be saying, "I'm not happy about anything, but what are you going to do about it?"
A chip is a small piece of something, like a chip of wood. How did this chip get on a person's shoulder? Well, experts say the expression appears to have been first used in the United States more than one hundred years ago.
One writer believes that the expression might have come from an old saying. The saying warns against striking too high, or a chip might fall into your eye. That could be good advice. If you strike high up on a tree with an axe, the chip of wood that is cut off will fall into your eye. The saying becomes a warning about the dangers of attacking people who are in more important positions than you are.
Later, in the United States, some people would put a real chip on their shoulder as a test. They wanted to start a fight. They would wait for someone to be brave enough to try to hit it off.
The word chip appears in a number of special American expressions. Another is chip off the old block. This means that a child is exactly like a parent.
This expression goes back at least to the early sixteen hundreds. The British writer of plays, George Colman, wrote these lines in seventeen sixty-two. "You'll find him his father's own son, I believe. A chip off the old block, I promise you!"
The word chip can also be used in a threatening way to someone who is suspected of wrongdoing. An investigator may say, "We're going to let the chips fall where they may." This means the investigation is going to be complete and honest. It is also a warning that no one will be protected from being found guilty.
Chips are often used in card games. They represent money. A poker player may, at any time, decide to leave the game. He will turn in his chips in exchange for money or cash.
This lead to another meaning. A person who finished or died was said to have cashed in his chips. Which is a way of saying it is time for me to finish this program.
(MUSIC)
You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. I'm Warren Scheer.
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
現(xiàn)在是美國(guó)之音慢速英語(yǔ)詞匯掌故節(jié)目。
Every week at this time we tell the story of words and expressions used in American English. Some of them are old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people.
每周的這個(gè)時(shí)間，我們都會(huì)講述美式英語(yǔ)中的詞匯典故。這些典故中有一些是古老的，有些是新的。它們共同構(gòu)成了美國(guó)人們的生活用語(yǔ)。
Some popular expressions are a mystery. No one is sure how they developed. One of these is the expression, carry a chip on your shoulder. A person with a chip on his shoulder is a problem for anybody who must deal with him. He seems to be expecting trouble. Sometimes he seems to be saying, "I'm not happy about anything, but what are you going to do about it?"
有些常用說(shuō)法是一個(gè)謎，沒(méi)人能確定它們是如何產(chǎn)生的'。其中一個(gè)這樣的說(shuō)法就是：carry a chip on your shoulder（準(zhǔn)備隨時(shí)吵嘴、打架的樣子 ）。這種隨時(shí)準(zhǔn)備干仗的人對(duì)任何必須要和他打交道的人來(lái)說(shuō)都是個(gè)問(wèn)題。他似乎在等著找麻煩。有時(shí)他的樣子看上去就像在說(shuō)，“我就是對(duì)什么都不爽，但你又能怎樣吧？”
A chip is a small piece of something, like a chip of wood. How did this chip get on a person's shoulder? Well, experts say the expression appears to have been first used in the United States more than one hundred years ago.
Chip是指一些東西的碎屑，例如木頭碎屑。碎屑怎么會(huì)跑到人的肩膀上去呢？專(zhuān)家表示，這種說(shuō)法似乎在100多年前首次在美國(guó)應(yīng)用。
One writer believes that the expression might have come from an old saying. The saying warns against striking too high, or a chip might fall into your eye. That could be good advice. If you strike high up on a tree with an axe, the chip of wood that is cut off will fall into your eye. The saying becomes a warning about the dangers of attacking people who are in more important positions than you are.
一位作家相信這一說(shuō)法可能來(lái)自一句諺語(yǔ)。這個(gè)諺語(yǔ)警告人們砍木頭時(shí)不要砍的太高，否則碎屑可能會(huì)落到眼睛里。這應(yīng)該是一個(gè)很好的建議。如果你用斧頭砍樹(shù)時(shí)砍的位置太高，砍掉的木頭碎屑就會(huì)落到你的眼睛里。這個(gè)諺語(yǔ)變成了人們襲擊比自己位置更重要的人的危險(xiǎn)警告。
Later, in the United States, some people would put a real chip on their shoulder as a test. They wanted to start a fight. They would wait for someone to be brave enough to try to hit it off.
后來(lái)在美國(guó)，一些人會(huì)在肩膀上放上真正的碎屑作為測(cè)試。他們想挑起事端，看誰(shuí)敢將這些碎屑打落。
The word chip appears in a number of special American expressions. Another is chip off the old block. This means that a child is exactly like a parent.
Chip還出現(xiàn)在很多特殊的美國(guó)說(shuō)法中。另一個(gè)說(shuō)法是chip off the old block，意思是酷像父母的小孩子。
This expression goes back at least to the early sixteen hundreds. The British writer of plays, George Colman, wrote these lines in seventeen sixty-two. "You'll find him his father's own son, I believe. A chip off the old block, I promise you!"
這個(gè)說(shuō)法至少要追溯到17世紀(jì)初。英國(guó)劇作家喬治·科爾曼（George Colman）在1762年這樣寫(xiě)道：“我相信，你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)他就是他父親的親生兒子。我向你保證，他們就像一個(gè)模子里刻出來(lái)的。”
The word chip can also be used in a threatening way to someone who is suspected of wrongdoing. An investigator may say, "We're going to let the chips fall where they may." This means the investigation is going to be complete and honest. It is also a warning that no one will be protected from being found guilty.
Chip還可以用來(lái)威脅涉嫌不法行為的人。調(diào)查人員可能會(huì)說(shuō)，“We're going to let the chips fall where they may.(我們將采取行動(dòng)不計(jì)后果)。”意思是，調(diào)查過(guò)程將是全面和誠(chéng)實(shí)的。這也是一個(gè)警告，即任何人都不能逃脫法律的制裁。
Chips are often used in card games. They represent money. A poker player may, at any time, decide to leave the game. He will turn in his chips in exchange for money or cash.
Chips（籌碼）還常用于紙牌游戲中，它們代表的是錢(qián)。撲克牌玩家可能隨時(shí)會(huì)決定離開(kāi)這個(gè)游戲。他會(huì)把自己的籌碼兌換成現(xiàn)金或支票。
This lead to another meaning. A person who finished or died was said to have cashed in his chips. Which is a way of saying it is time for me to finish this program.
這引申出另一個(gè)意思。一位完成工作或去世的人會(huì)被說(shuō)成have cashed in his chips（籌碼已兌現(xiàn)，引申意思是工作完成或去世了）。用這個(gè)說(shuō)法也能表示，是時(shí)候結(jié)束這次節(jié)目了。
【A Chip on Your Shoulder詞匯典故】相關(guān)文章：
GRE詞匯典故法08-24
人類(lèi)心靈的詞匯典故07-26
behind the eightball的詞匯典故09-24
GRE詞匯積累典故法09-24
快車(chē)道詞匯典故06-21
GRE詞匯典故法背誦09-24
gre詞匯背誦典故法09-26
艱難的選擇的詞匯典故09-24