Words and Their Stories: Feel The Pinch

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

In the nineteen thirties, a song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," was very popular in the United States. It was the time of the big Depression. The song had meaning for many people who had lost their jobs.

A dime is a piece of money whose value is one-tenth of a dollar. Today, a dime does not buy much. But it was different in the nineteen thirties. A dime sometimes meant the difference between eating and starving.

The American economy today is much better. Yet, many workers are concerned about losing their jobs as companies re-organize.

Americans have special ways of talking about economic troubles. People in businesses may say they feel the pinch. Or they may say they are up against it. Or, if things are really bad, they may say they have to throw in the towel.

A pinch is painful pressure. To feel the pinch is to suffer painful pressure involving money.

The expression, feel the pinch, has been used since the sixteenth century. The famous English writer William Shakespeare wrote something very close to this in his great play "King Lear."

King Lear says he would accept necessity's sharp pinch. He means he would have to do without many of the things he always had.

Much later, the Times of London newspaper used the expression about bad economic times during the eighteen sixties. It said, "so much money having been spent ... All classes felt the pinch."

Worse than feeling the pinch is being up against it. The saying means to be in a lot of trouble.

Word expert James Rogers says the word "it" in the saying can mean any and all difficulties. He says the saying became popular in the United States and Canada in the late nineteenth century. Writer George Ade used it in a book called "Artie." He wrote, "I saw I was up against it."

Sometimes a business that is up against it will have to throw in the towel. This means to accept defeat or surrender.

Throwing in the towel may mean that a company will have to declare bankruptcy. The company will have to take legal steps to let people know it has no money to pay its debts.

Word expert Charles Funk says an eighteen seventy-four publication called the Slang Dictionary explains throwing in the towel. It says the words probably came from the sport of boxing, or prizefighting. The book says the saying began because a competitor's face was cleaned with a cloth towel or other material. When a boxer's towel was thrown, it meant he was admitting defeat.

Most businesses do not throw in the towel. They just re-organize so they can compete better.

(MUSIC)

This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

我是Susan Clark，今天是美国之音词汇典故栏目

In the nineteen thirties, a song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" was very popular in the United States. It was the time of the big Depression. The song had meaning for many people who had lost their jobs.

在二十世纪三十年代，一首名为“大哥，你能不能给我一角钱？”的歌曲在美国很受欢迎。 那是经济大萧条时期，这首歌曾对很多失去工作的人来说意义非凡。

A dime is a piece of money whose value is one-tenth of a dollar. Today, a dime does not buy much. But it was different in the nineteen thirties. A dime sometimes meant the difference between eating and starving

一角硬币是一种价值10美分的货币。现在，一毛钱买不了什么东西。但它的意义在二十世纪三十年代却不同。 有时一角硬币就决定着饥饱。

The American economy today is much better. Yet, many workers are concerned about losing their jobs as companies re-organize.

现在美国的经济状况已经好转，然而，当许多公司要重组的时候,还是有很多人担心会失去工作。

Americans have special ways of talking about economic troubles. People in businesses may say they feel the pinch. Or they may say they are up against it. Or, if things are really bad, they may say they have to throw in the towel.

美国人用特殊方式来谈论经济困难。 行业中的人可能会说，他们入不敷出，手头拮据。或者，他们可能会说他们四面受困。或者，如果事情真的很糟糕，他们可能会说我们要认输了。

A pinch is painful pressure. To feel the pinch is to suffer painful pressure involving money.

“pinch” 是痛苦的挤压。 “feel the pinch”，是指在经济上遭受痛苦的压力。

The expression, feel the pinch, has been used since the sixteenth century. The famous English writer William Shakespeare wrote something very close to this in his great play "King Lear."

自16世纪以来，feel the pinch的表达一直沿用至今。英国著名作家威廉莎士比亚在他巨作“李尔王”中，写下了一些很接近这个短语的内容。

King Lear says he would accept necessity's sharp pinch. He means he would have to do without many of the things he always had.

李尔王说，他将接受必要的压力。 他的意思是他必须接受失去很多曾经拥有的东西的现状。

Much later, the Times of London newspaper used the expression about bad economic times during the eighteen sixties. It said, "so much money having been spent ... All classes felt the pinch."

后来，泰晤士报引用这个词语来表达十九世纪六十年代的经济大萧条时期。他这么写到，“已经花了这么多钱...社会各阶层都手头拮据。”

Worse than feeling the pinch is being up against it. The saying means to be in a lot of trouble.

比手头拮据更糟糕的是四面受困。这个词语的意思是陷入一堆麻烦中。

Word expert James Rogers says the word "it" in the saying can mean any and all difficulties. He says the saying became popular in the United States and Canada in the late nineteenth century. Writer George Ade used it in a book called "Artie." He wrote, "I saw I was up against it."

词汇专家James Rogers说“it”这个单词的意思是任何，一切困难。 他说十九世纪末期这种说法在美国和加拿大非常流行。作家George Ade在《Artie》一书中用到了这个短语，他写道：“我看到我处于四面受困的状况。”

Sometimes a business that is up against it will have to throw in the towel. This means to accept defeat or surrender.

有时一个业务处于四面受困的状况，我们就不得不throw in the towel。 这意味着要接受失败或投降。

Throwing in the towel may mean that a company will have to declare bankruptcy. The company will have to take legal steps to let people know it has no money to pay its debts.

认输可能意味着一个公司将不得不宣布破产。 该公司将采取合法步骤，让人们知道它有没有钱偿还债务。

Word expert Charles Funk says an eighteen seventy-four publication called the Slang Dictionary explains throwing in the towel. It says the words probably came from the sport of boxing, or prizefighting. The book says the saying began because a competitor's face was cleaned with a cloth towel or other material. When a boxer's towel was thrown, it meant he was admitting defeat.

词汇专家Charles Funk说，一本1874年出版的俚语词典解释了throw in the towel这句短语。书上说这个短语可能是来自拳击，这种说法来自于拳击手用毛巾或其他东西擦脸。当一名拳击手的毛巾被扔进来，就意味着他认输了。

Most businesses do not throw in the towel. They just re-organize so they can compete better.

许多企业并没有认输，他们仅仅是进行重组以便于增强他们的竞争力。

(MUSIC)

This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

dime        n.(美国、加拿大的)10分铸币,十分硬币,十分钱 
            Pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters are United States coins.
            1分铜币、5分镍币、1角银币和2角5分银币是美国硬币。  

pinch       vt.使入不敷出

throw in the towel    认输