Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Today's word, pan, takes us back to the days of the gold rush in California.

On January twenty-fourth, eighteen forty-eight, a man named James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in the territory of California. The news spread quickly. Thousands rushed west. They traveled on foot, by horseback and by boat to reach the gold fields. By eighteen forty-nine, the great gold rush was on.

Towns and cities grew overnight. Throughout the territory – in the mountains, along the streams and rivers – thousands of people searched for gold. They had food to eat and blankets to cover them. They also had mules to ride, and picks and pans to search for gold.

Some found areas of mountain rock thick with gold. These men got rich. But such areas were few and quickly claimed by the first men to find them. Others searched for gold in the rivers coming down the mountains. They were after pieces of gold that the rains had washed down from above.

The only way to find this gold was by panning. First a gold miner put dirt in a metal pan and added water. Then he shook the pan so that the water would wash the dirt. Slowly, he poured the water out of the pan. If he was a lucky miner, pieces of gold would remain.

Across the nation, newspapers carried stories of the gold being found. One told how thousands of people climbed the mountains looking for gold. Some stories told how others followed the rivers and streams with pans. Each one hoped that the place he claimed panned out well – had some gold.

For many, gold mining did not pan out. For a few, it panned out well. But in time, huge machines were built that could wash many tons of dirt at a time. Panning died out.

The word, however, remained in the language. Today, Americans still say, "It panned out well," when something they have done pleases them. A business, a discovery, a simple event pans out well if it is successful. Unhappily, sometimes things do not pan out.

In recent years, the word pan has taken on another meaning. Today, it also means to criticize. How it got this meaning is hard to discover. But the job of a critic is to sometimes pan the work of a writer, artist or singer.

Sometimes, critics may pan a movie or play so severely that no one will go to see it. There are times, however, when a play became highly successful, even though most of the critics panned it without mercy. The pans should have washed out the play. But, as actors have pointed out, sometimes a critic's pan turns up gold.

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This VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Herb Sutcliffe. I'm Warren Scheer.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Today's word, pan, takes us back to the days of the gold rush in California.

这是美国之音特别英语词汇典故节目。今天的典故与pan有关，它将把我们带回到加利福尼亚州淘金热时代。

On January twenty-fourth, eighteen forty-eight, a man named James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in the territory of California. The news spread quickly. Thousands rushed west. They traveled on foot, by horseback and by boat to reach the gold fields. By eighteen forty-nine, the great gold rush was on.

在1848年1月24日，James Wilson Marshall在加利福尼亚州境内发现了黄金。这个消息很快传开了。成千上万的人们或徒步，或骑马，或乘船冲向西部的加利福尼亚州。1849年，淘金热开始了。

Towns and cities grew overnight. Throughout the territory – in the mountains, along the streams and rivers – thousands of people searched for gold. They had food to eat and blankets to cover them. They also had mules to ride, and picks and pans to search for gold.

加利福尼亚大大小小的城镇一夜之间人海茫茫。成千上万的人们在山上或沿河流溪流寻找金子。他们饿了就吃随身携带的食物，冷了就用随身携带的毛毯覆盖。他们骑着骡子带着锅、桶寻找金子。

Some found areas of mountain rock thick with gold. These men got rich. But such areas were few and quickly claimed by the first men to find them. Others searched for gold in the rivers coming down the mountains. They were after pieces of gold that the rains had washed down from above.

一些人在岩石山发现了很多金子，后来这些人变得很富有。但这样的地方很少，因此就被第一个发现的人占领了。其他人到山脚下的河流里寻找被雨从山上冲下来的黄金。

The only way to find this gold was by panning. First a gold miner put dirt in a metal pan and added water. Then he shook the pan so that the water would wash the dirt. Slowly, he poured the water out of the pan. If he was a lucky miner, pieces of gold would remain.

寻找这种黄金的唯一办法是用淘金盆淘金。首先，一个矿工把带泥土的金子放在金属锅里加入水。然后摇动锅，将泥土洗掉。再慢慢地把水倒出锅。如果他足够幸运，金子就会保留下来。

Across the nation, newspapers carried stories of the gold being found. One told how thousands of people climbed the mountains looking for gold. Some stories told how others followed the rivers and streams with pans. Each one hoped that the place he claimed panned out well – had some gold.

全国各大报纸都报道了淘金热的故事。有的报道人们是怎样在山上寻找金子的，有的报道人们是怎样带着锅沿河流寻找金子的。但是每个人都希望他们占领的地方都能淘到金子。

For many, gold mining did not pan out. For a few, it panned out well. But in time, huge machines were built that could wash many tons of dirt at a time. Panning died out.

对大多数人来说，用淘金盆淘金并没有收获。只有少数人有所收获。随着时代的发展，一种可以一次洗掉几吨泥土的机器诞生了，人们就不再用淘金盆了。

 The word, however, remained in the language. Today, Americans still say, "It panned out well," when something they have done pleases them. A business, a discovery, a simple event pans out well if it is successful. Unhappily, sometimes things do not pan out.

但是，这个词语还在语言中保留着。现在美国人用它来表达“结果很好”。事业、发现或简单的事情成功了就可以用这个短语表达pans out well。相反，若没成功就用things do not pan out表达。

In recent years, the word pan has taken on another meaning. Today, it also means to criticize. How it got this meaning is hard to discover. But the job of a critic is to sometimes pan the work of a writer, artist or singer.

最近几年，pan又有了另一个意思。现在，它也表达批评的意思。这个意思的来源很难取证。一个批评家的工作有时候就是批评作家、艺术家和歌唱家的作品。

Sometimes, critics may pan a movie or play so severely that no one will go to see it. There are times, however, when a play became highly successful, even though most of the critics panned it without mercy. The pans should have washed out the play. But, as actors have pointed out, sometimes a critic's pan turns up gold.

有时候批评家会批评一位影星以至于没人去看他的表演了。有时候，批评家批评的那部电视剧会非常成功。因此演员们说有时候批评家的批评会有好的结果。

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This VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Herb Sutcliffe. I'm Warren Scheer.

这是美国之音特别英语词汇典故节目。由Herb Sutcliffe撰写，我是Warren Scheer。

  重点讲解：

例句：They searched for him everywhere.

他们到处搜寻他。

例句：It will exist everlastingly whether human exist or die out.

不管人类存在或灭亡，它都将永久地存在。