时间:2019-01-12 作者:英语课 分类:2016年VOA慢速英语(七)月


英语课

American English vs. British English


Now the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories!


The fourth of July is Independence Day in the United States. On that day, we celebrate the decision by early American leaders to declare independence from Britain.


While people in both England and the U.S. speak English, the two types of English can be very different.


First, there are differences in spelling. The British like the letter “u” and have kept it in many words. Americans have dropped it. Somewhere in our language history, we decided 1 that “labor,” “color” and “favorite” were just fine without the “u” next to the “o.”


But our differences go beyond spelling. Sometimes, we use different words entirely 2.


Here, we live in apartments with elevators. Over there, they live in flats with lifts.


We put diapers on our babies and push them in strollers. The British love their babies just as much as we do, but they use nappies and prams 3 instead.


We power our cars with gas. They use petrol.


And, if we need to look in our car’s dark trunk for something, we use a flashlight. They would use a torch to search their dark boot.


Then there are idioms. Some British and American idioms have the same meaning, but use different words. For example, in the U.S. if you want to add your opinion to a conversation, you put in your two cents. In the U.K., they put in their tuppence (or two pence) worth. Makes sense. They have pence and we don’t.


Another example is the idiom about discussing the same issue again and again, especially if it cannot be resolved.


We say, “Don’t beat a dead horse!” The British, on the other hand, advise against flogging one. And, if you are keeping secrets in the United States, you have skeletons in the closet. In Great Britain, your skeletons would be hiding in a cupboard.


But the real fun begins when we start exploring idioms and expressions that are unique to each country.


Let’s start with “Bob’s your uncle.” To an American ear, that is a weird 4 expression. And it has nothing to do with any relative you may or may not have named Bob. It is just a way to finish a set of simple instructions.


What is the equivalent -- the different but equal saying -- in the U.S.? Americans might say, “and there you have it!” Or sometimes, more dramatic people will say, “Ta-da!”


For example, imagine you are explaining to someone how to use your new fancy, coffee maker 5.


You explain: “First, you grind the beans. Then you put them in the side container and pour water in the main container. Push the button and ten minutes later -- ta-da! -- you have a pot of coffee!


Sometimes over a fresh pot of coffee, you may want to have a long talk with a friend. You might even throw in a little gossip. We call that a chat, or if it’s a short conversation, chit-chat. The British would call it a “chin-wag.”


If a British person says, “I’ve got the hump,” we might think they are sick and need to see a doctor. But in fact, when Brits say they have a hump, it means they are mildly annoyed or upset. In the U.S., some informal ways to say we are upset are “I’m ticked off” or “I’m miffed.”


Now, when Americans are really surprised by something, we can say we “are at a loss for words.” Or more informally, we simply say we are “shocked” or “blown away.”


Across the Atlantic in the U.K., they are “gobsmacked.” In the U.S., we don’t get smacked 7 by gobs. Ever.


Finally, a familiar word used by both countries but in different ways is “cheers.” We use the word over drinks when we are wishing someone good health or congratulating an accomplishment 8. The British use “cheers” to mean “thank you.” For that, we Americans say, “Thank you!”


Now, we don’t expect you to pick sides. Both American and British English have their strong points. But thanks for listening to Words and Their Stories, a program that teaches American English.


Words in This Story


apartment – n. a usually rented room or set of rooms that is part of a building and is used as a place to live (British = flat)


elevator – n. a machine used for carrying people and things to different levels in a building (British = lift)


diaper – n. a piece of cloth or other material that is placed between a baby's legs and fastened around the waist to hold body waste (British = nappies)


stroller – n. a small carriage with four wheels that a baby or small child can ride in while someone pushes it (British = prams)


trunk – n. the enclosed space in the rear of an automobile 9 for carrying articles (British = boot)


flashlight – n. a small electric light that can be carried in your hand and that runs on batteries (British = torch)


flog – v. to beat or whip (someone) severely 10


smack 6 – v. to strike so as to produce a smack


gob – n. lump : a large amount


skeleton – n. the structure of bones that supports the body of a person or animal


closet – n. a usually small room that is used for storing things (such as clothing, towels, or dishes) (British = cupboard)


fancy – adj. pricey and fashionable


grind – v. to crush or break (something) into very small pieces by rubbing it against a rough surface or using a special machine


gossip – n. information about the behavior and personal lives of other people



adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
n.(手推的)婴儿车( pram的名词复数 )
  • In order to offer guests convenience, our company hires out prams. 本公司出租小孩推车,为旅客提供便利。 来自互联网
  • Oh, no; girls, you know, are much too clever to fall out of their prams. 没有啊,你知道,女孩子太机灵,不会从儿童车里掉出来的。 来自互联网
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的
  • From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
  • His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
n.制造者,制造商
  • He is a trouble maker,You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼,你不要跟他在一起。
  • A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
vt.拍,打,掴;咂嘴;vi.含有…意味;n.拍
  • She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
  • I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。
拍,打,掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )
  • He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴,一声也不言语。
  • She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。
n.完成,成就,(pl.)造诣,技能
  • The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
  • Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标,钱是至关重要的。
n.汽车,机动车
  • He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
  • The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
标签:
学英语单词
a sight for sore eyes
act on something
aggregate adjustment
alternate hemianesthesia
amalrik
antipersonnel hand grenade
aposematic resemblance
backwash-regeneration cycle
Balmer discontinuity
be one up on
billers
bottle method
bottom clearance
calophya meliorata
central business intensity index
chemical energies
climate resource
cold-maceration
commencement of liquefaction
creg
delayed scanning
diffused silicon diode
discount on stock
division rings
dropping character
electric-field meter
elliptical cross section
employee needs for motivation
engle
Eriochrome black T
festyfull
Fontinaleae
gaseous effluent cooler
globe and mail
GTBA
guas
harazd
have your eye on something
helmet
HEXOPAL
horizontal airspace
in the wedding
interflowing
interpersonal relations
inthrones
Ipomoea dissecta
irrigation cooler
Kamenki
Keplerates
landov
luminosity classification
Magyichaung
major corn seed
malvas
Martelange
mean population
mesospore
mesyl
metahyostyly
mevinphos
mycosphaerella platanifolia cooke
non-recognition
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
outfronts
parameter-free representation
Pascalines
pediculosis
peripheral manager interface
piquerist
Platform for Internet Content Selection
practices of law
pressure sounder
Psaronius
pyxine sorediata
radar-coverage indicator
red scad
repeatability of a measuring instrument
Rex cat
rosette leaves
Schallibaum's solution
sgurr
slow-scan sync
solderball
sporadic typhus
sulesomab
swimmy
synaptic space
Taiohae
tapehead
timber hitch
Tolypite
train load
trigger error
two-pin plug
uniform tariff classification
unulcerate
vertebrate feet
waist cincher
Wall of Worry
wanshon
weakly water-wet
whitten effect