男女羞羞视频在线观看,国产精品黄色免费,麻豆91在线视频,美女被羞羞免费软件下载,国产的一级片,亚洲熟色妇,天天操夜夜摸,一区二区三区在线电影
您現在的位置: Language Tips> Audio & Video> Special Speed News  
   
 





 
Farm: It's not worth a hill of beans
[ 2008-06-16 09:48 ]

 

Download

Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

(MUSIC)

In the early days of human history, people survived by hunting wild animals, or gathering wild grains and plants for food. Then, some people learned to grow crops and raise animals for food. They were the first farmers.

Since the 16th century, the word farm has meant agricultural land. But a much older meaning of the word farm is linked to economics. The word farm comes from the Latin word, firma, which means an unchanging payment.

Experts say the earliest meaning of the English word farm was a yearly payment made as a tax or rent.

Farmers in early England did not own their land. They paid every year to use agricultural lands.

In England, farmers used hawthorn trees along the edges of property. They called this row of hawthorns a hedge.

Hedging fields was how careful farmers marked and protected them.

Soon, people began to use the word hedging to describe steps that could be taken to protect against financial loss.

Hedging is common among gamblers who make large bets. A gambler bets a lot of money on one team. But, to be on the safe side, he also places a smaller bet on the other team, to reduce a possible loss.

You might say that someone is hedging his bet when he invests in several different kinds of businesses. One business may fail, but likely not all.

Farmers know that it is necessary to make hay while the sun shines.

Hay has to be cut and gathered when it is dry. So a wise farmer never postpones gathering his hay when the sun is shining. Rain may soon appear.

A wise person copies the farmer. He works when conditions are right.

A new mother, for example, quickly learns to try to sleep when her baby is quiet, even in the middle of the day. If the mother delays, she may lose her chance to sleep. So, the mother learns to make hay while the sun shines.

Beans are a popular farm crop. But beans are used to describe something of very little value in the expression, not worth a hill of beans. The expression is often used today.

You could say, for example, that a bad idea is not worth a hill of beans.

Language expert Charles Earle Funk said the expression was first used almost seven hundred years ago. He said Robert of Gloucester described a message from the King of Germany to King John of England as altogether not worth a bean.

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

hawthorn: 山楂

hedge:樹籬;保護或防御手段:一種保護或防御手段或方法,尤指防止經濟損失

make hay while the sun shines: 趁熱打鐵;抓緊時機

not worth a hill of beans: 一錢不值

(Source: VOA 英語點津姍姍編輯)

 
英語點津版權說明:凡注明來源為“英語點津:XXX(署名)”的原創作品,除與中國日報網簽署英語點津內容授權協議的網站外,其他任何網站或單位未經允許不得非法盜鏈、轉載和使用,違者必究。如需使用,請與010-84883631聯系;凡本網注明“來源:XXX(非英語點津)”的作品,均轉載自其它媒體,目的在于傳播更多信息,其他媒體如需轉載,請與稿件來源方聯系,如產生任何問題與本網無關;本網所發布的歌曲、電影片段,版權歸原作者所有,僅供學習與研究,如果侵權,請提供版權證明,以便盡快刪除。
相關文章 Related Story
 
 
 
本頻道最新推薦
 
Walking in the US first lady's shoes
“準確無誤”如何表達
英國新晉超女蘇珊大媽改頭換面
豬流感 swine flu
你有lottery mentality嗎
翻吧推薦
 
論壇熱貼
 
別亂扔垃圾。怎么譯這個亂字呀?
橘子,橙子用英文怎么區分?
看Gossip Girl學英語
端午節怎么翻譯?
母親,您在天堂還好嗎?

 

主站蜘蛛池模板: 贺州市| 乌兰察布市| 儋州市| 贵阳市| 甘泉县| 葫芦岛市| 温宿县| 阳朔县| 云龙县| 威海市| 武夷山市| 伊金霍洛旗| 普兰店市| 东明县| 衡南县| 都江堰市| 昌平区| 买车| 陇南市| 东乡族自治县| 含山县| 南安市| 星座| 揭西县| 车险| 嘉禾县| 仪征市| 玉林市| 深州市| 南康市| 南开区| 霸州市| 奉新县| 潮州市| 郎溪县| 绥芬河市| 新巴尔虎左旗| 太仆寺旗| 西吉县| 无为县| 罗平县| 鹤岗市| 盐亭县| 余干县| 观塘区| 淄博市| 福鼎市| 鲁甸县| 克山县| 天峨县| 那坡县| 龙山县| 九龙城区| 曲水县| 大英县| 宁乡县| 青河县| 合江县| 鸡泽县| 常德市| 星子县| 奉化市| 都江堰市| 花莲市| 泰来县| 洛宁县| 泌阳县| 垣曲县| 饶河县| 阿鲁科尔沁旗| 林州市| 驻马店市| 原平市| 开鲁县| 鄂尔多斯市| 东城区| 桑日县| 阿拉善右旗| 太仆寺旗| 河津市| 安宁市| 孟连|