Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.
Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished.
For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no expereince, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today - a person who is new in a job.
About one hundred years ago, greenhorn was a popular expression in the American west. Old-timers used it to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities back east. The greenhorn lacked the skills he would need to live in the hard, rough country.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundreds.
A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful emotion, jealousy. The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play "Othello."
It describes the unplesant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay raise and she does not.
In most places in the world, a green light is a signal to move ahead. A green light on a traffic signal means your car can continue on. In everyday speech, a green light means approval to continue with a project. We want you to know we have a green light to continue this series next week.
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This VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories, was written by Marilyn Christiano. I'm Warren Scheer.
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.
这是美国之音特别英语词汇典故节目。
Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.
绿色是自然界里重要的颜色。草、叶子和大多数植物都是绿色。
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished.
有时green这个词象征着年轻、活力、成长。有时用它来描述未成熟或未完成的东西。
For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no expereince, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today - a person who is new in a job.
例如“绿牛角” （greenhorn）是指初来乍到，没有经验的人。在十五世纪，这个词指的是牛角还没长成的小牛。一个世纪后，这个词用来指没有战场经验的士兵。到了18世纪，这个词就是现在的意思。
About one hundred years ago, greenhorn was a popular expression in the American west. Old-timers used it to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities back east. The greenhorn lacked the skills he would need to live in the hard, rough country.
大约100年前，在美国西部，新手是一个受欢迎的表达。老人用它来形容一个人刚刚从大城市回来的人。新手缺乏在艰苦国家生活的技巧。
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundreds.
那些种植植物能力很好的园丁可以称作园艺高手（green thumb）。这个表达方式出现于19世纪早期。
A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
一个有着绿拇指的人似乎有一种神奇力量，一接触植物，植物就会长得又快又好。当你看到自己的植物已经枯萎了而邻居的植物继续生长，你可能会说，邻居有一个“绿拇指”。
The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
几年前，绿色革命（Green Revolution）用来指新品种大米和其它谷物的研发。新品种植物产生更多的作物。绿色革命农业家努力工作的结果。
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful emotion, jealousy. The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play "Othello."
绿色还可以用来描述强大的情感和嫉妒。绿色怪兽（green-eyed monster）不是一个来自外界空间的生物。这是由英国作家威廉·莎士比亚在他作品《奥赛罗》使用了大约四百年的一种表达。
It describes the unplesant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay raise and she does not.
当别人有你想要的东西时，用它可以用来描述了这种不高兴的感觉。如果一个人的女朋友离他而去，跟别人走了，这时可以用这个词来描述这个人的心情。或者，如果你加薪了，而她没有，也能用这个词表达你朋友的心情。
In most places in the world, a green light is a signal to move ahead. A green light on a traffic signal means your car can continue on. In everyday speech, a green light means approval to continue with a project. We want you to know we have a green light to continue this series next week.
世界上大多数地方，绿灯是向前走。交通灯中，绿灯意味着你的车就可以继续行驶。在日常用语中，绿灯指的是项目的批准。下周，我们将会继续介绍关于绿灯的短语。
重点讲解：
1、 greenhorn [ 'ɡri:nhɔ:n ] n. 生手；不懂世故的人；易受骗的人
例句：There's nothing funnier than watching a greenhorn in action.
没有什么比看一位新手的表演更滑稽了。
2、 green thumb有特殊园艺才能
例句：With a beautiful garden, she must have a green thumb.
她有这麽漂亮的花园，她一定是位种花的专家。
3、 jealousy [ 'dʒeləsi ] n. 嫉妒；猜忌；戒备
例句：I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, fear.
我希望生活没有恨、冲动、嫉妒、羡慕和害怕。
4、 approval [ ə'pru:vəl ] n. 赞成；批准；认可
例句：The crowd roared their approval.
人群大声呼喊赞成。