Now, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a VOA Special English program about American expressions. I’m Rich Kleinfeldt with expressions made using the word hold.

現(xiàn)在是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目。我是Rich Kleinfeldt，今天講述的是包含hold這個單詞的一些詞匯。

"Can’t hold a candle to" is a popular expression. It is from the time before electricity, when people used candles for light. Someone who lived in a big house would have a servant light his way by holding a candle. The expression meant that the person who cannot hold a candle to you is not fit even to be your servant. Now, it means such a person cannot compare or compete. In the following song, singer Dolly Parton tells her new love that her old flames, her old lovers, cannot compare with him.

"Can’t hold a candle to"（比不上，遠不如）是一個常用詞匯。源自還沒有電力，人們使用蠟燭照明的那個年代。住在大房子里的人會有一個仆人拿著蠟燭在前面為他引路。這個詞匯以前的意思是拿著蠟燭給人引路都做不好的人，連做仆人都不配?，F(xiàn)在它的意思是無法與這個人比較或競爭。在接下來這首歌里，歌手多莉·帕頓（Dolly Parton）對新歡唱道，她的舊愛遠比不上他。

Another expression is "hold your tongue." It means to be still and not talk. "Hold your tongue" is not something you would tell a friend. But a parent or teacher might use the expression to quiet a noisy child.

另一個詞匯是“hold your tongue.”它的意思是保持安靜，別說話。這個詞匯不常用于朋友之間。但父母或老師可以使用這個詞匯讓吵鬧的孩子安靜下來。

"Hold out" is an expression one hears often in sports reports and labor news. It means to refuse to play or work. Professional football and baseball players hold out if their team refuses to pay them what they think they are worth. Members of labor unions hold out and refuse to work until they get the work agreement they want.

"Hold out"是體育新聞或勞工新聞中常聽到的一個詞匯。它的意思是罷工。如果球隊拒絕在工資上體現(xiàn)出球員自認的價值，職業(yè)足球或棒球球員就拒絕出賽。工會成員也會罷工直到得到想要的勞工合同。

The expression "hold up" has several different meanings. One is a robbery. A man with a gun may say, "This is a hold up. Give me your money." Another meaning is to delay. A driver late for work may tell his boss, "I was held up by heavy traffic." Someone who was robbed on the way to work might say, "Sorry, boss, I was held up by a hold up."

"hold up"這個詞匯有幾種不同的意思。第一種意思是搶劫。一個拿槍的男子可能會說，“搶劫，把錢交出來?！绷硪环N意思是延誤、耽擱。一位開車上班遲到的員工可能告訴老板，“我被堵車給耽擱了?！币晃辉谏习嗦飞媳粨尳俚膯T工可能會說，“對不起老板，我被搶劫給耽擱了?！?/span>

Still another meaning of the expression is for a story to be considered true after an investigation. The same driver late for work could say, "My boss did not believe a hold up held me up. But the police confirmed what I said so my story held up."

還有另一種意思用于一種調(diào)查確認屬實的說法（即說法、理論等經(jīng)得住考驗推敲）。同樣開車上班遲到的員工可能說，“我的老板不相信我被一次搶劫給耽擱了，但警方證實了我的說法，所以我的說法經(jīng)得起考驗?！?/span>

"Hold on" is another expression. Often it means wait or stop. As you leave for school, your brother may say, "Hold on, you forgot your book."

"Hold on"是另一個詞匯。它通常意味著等一下或停下來。當你去上學時，你弟弟可能會說，“等一下，你忘了帶你的書。”

(Hold on is used to ask a telephone caller to wait and not hang up his telephone. If you call a library to ask for a book, the librarian might say, "Hold on while I look for it.")

（Hold on還用于讓來電者稍等一下不要掛電話。如果你打給圖書館找一本書，圖書管理員可能說，“稍等一下，讓我找找?！?/span>

Our final expression is "hold the line." That means to keep a problem or situation from getting worse, to hold steady. For example, the president may say he will hold the line on taxes. He means there will be no increase in taxes. Now, I must hold the line on this program. I have no more time left today.

今天講述的最后一個詞匯是"hold the line." 意思是防止某個問題或狀態(tài)惡化，保持穩(wěn)定。例如，總統(tǒng)可能說他將保持稅收穩(wěn)定，意思是不再加稅?，F(xiàn)在，我要保持節(jié)目平穩(wěn)，因為我今天的節(jié)目時間到了。

 

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