And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
现在是美国之音慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
In life, things can get tough.
在生活中，事情可能会变得艰难。
Sometimes, it is good not to let things bother us.
有时候，不让事情困扰我们是件好事。
Letting things roll off our backs is a good life skill.
让事情从我们背上滚下来是一项很好的生活技能。
When things roll off our backs, they are out of our minds.
当事情从我们的背上滚下来时，它们就会从我们的头脑中消失。
They no longer bother us.
他们不再打扰我们。
But, let's face it … sometimes, things do bother us.
但是，让我们面对现实吧……有时候，事情确实会困扰我们。
Sometimes in life, we are pushed to our limit.
有时在生活中，我们被推到了极限。
So, on today's program, we talk about those times when we have had enough!
所以，在今天的节目中，我们谈论那些我们已经受够了的时光！
We have a couple of expressions that help us describe that state of mind.
我们有几个短语可以帮助我们描述这种心态。
They involve the word straw.
它们涉及到straw（稻草）这个词。
First, let's define straw.
首先，让我们看看straw的定义。
Straw is the dry stem of plants like wheat or other grains.
稻草是小麦或其他谷物等植物的干茎。
TheHayManager. com says, "Straw is yellow or golden colored and is a byproduct of the grain harvest." In other words, it is a waste product of wheat.
TheHayManager。com说：“稻草是黄色或金色的，是谷物收获的副产品。”换句话说，它是小麦的废品。
But it has many uses.
但它有很多用途。
In a garden, you can use straw on top of soil to keep it from drying out.
在花园里，你可以用稻草覆盖在土壤上，防止土壤变干。
Straw can also keep weeds from growing.
稻草还可以防止杂草生长。
Straw, especially dry straw, is not very nutritious.
稻草，尤其是干稻草，没什么营养。
But because it is hollow, straw makes excellent bedding for animals.
但由于它是中空的，稻草是动物的绝佳被褥。
Horses, cows, goats, and camels may enjoy a good night's sleep on a straw bed.
马、牛、山羊和骆驼可以在稻草床上睡个好觉。
Animals not only sleep on straw.
动物不仅睡在稻草上。
Some may also have to carry bales of straw on their backs.
有些可能还得背上成捆的稻草。
And that brings us to this expression: the straw that broke the camel's back.
这就给我们带来了这样一个短语：the straw that broke the camel's back（压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草）。
Merriam-Webster dictionary says the expression means "the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, …" or some other bad feeling.
韦氏词典说，这个短语的意思是“一系列让人非常不安、愤怒……的坏事中的最后一件”，或者其他一些不好的感觉。
The straw that broke the camel's back was one straw too many.
压垮骆驼的稻草实在是太多了。
With that piece added to the camel's back, the load became too heavy to bear.
把稻草放在骆驼背上，担子变得太重了。
In other words, it is the last thing to happen that makes you give up on something.
换句话说，这是导致你放弃的最后一件事情。
Here is an example: Let's say I have a friend who constantly lets me down.
这里有一个例子：假设我有一个朋友，他总是让我失望。
When he says he is going to do something, he never does it.
当他说他要做某事时，他从来没有做过。
And he always promises next time will be different.
他总是承诺下一次会有所不同。
Well, one day I told him I was going out of town for two days and needed someone to feed my cat.
嗯，有一天我告诉他我要出城两天，需要有人来喂我的猫。
He offered to help.
他主动提出要帮忙。
I was not so sure.
我不是很确定。
But he promised that he would take care of my cat Meepers.
但他承诺他会照顾我的猫咪梅普尔斯。
I believed him and left my cat in his care.
我相信了他的话，把我的猫交给了他照顾。
Well, guess what?
好吧，你猜怎么了？
He forgot to feed her!
他忘了喂她！
She went two whole days without food!
她整整两天没吃东西！
Luckily, Meepers is a very fat cat.
幸运的是，梅普尔斯是一只非常胖的猫。
But still, that was unforgivable.
但尽管如此，这仍然是不可原谅的。
It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
这是压倒骆驼的最后一根稻草。
I am never trusting him again.
我再也不相信他了。
We have a similar straw expression but without the camel.
我们有类似的关于稻草的表达，但没有骆驼。
The last straw is the last thing that pushes you to some sort of limit.
“The last straw”（最后一根稻草）是最后一件把你推到某种极限的东西。
You cannot take a situation anymore because of that last straw.
你因为最后一根稻草而不能再忍受这种情况了。
Here's another example: Earlier this year, I joined a local yoga studio.
这里还有另一个例子：今年早些时候，我加入了当地的一家瑜伽馆。
It was very close to my home.
它离我家很近。
So, that was good.
所以，这是很好的。
But other things about the studio were not.
但瑜伽馆的其他方面却并非如此。
It was very small.
它非常小。
So, when I did yoga positions, I would often get hit by other people.
所以，当我做瑜伽姿势时，我经常会被其他人打到。
That bothered me.
这让我很困扰。
Also, the teacher talked too much about modern philosophy during the class.
此外，老师在课堂上讲了太多关于现代哲学的话题。
That got on my nerves.
这让我很紧张。
But then she raised the cost of her classes.
但后来她提高了课程的费用。
The price almost doubled!
价格几乎翻了一番！
That was the last straw.
那是最后一根稻草。
I decided just to do yoga at home with a YouTube instructor.
我决定在家里和一位YouTube教练一起做瑜伽。
I save money.
我省钱了。
And if the instructor talks too much, I can just turn down the sound.
如果教练说得太多，我可以把音量关小一点。
And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》的全部内容！
Don't forget to practice using last straw or the straw that broke the camel's back.
别忘了练习使用"last straw"或"the straw that broke the camel's back"。 Until next time … I'm Anna Matteo.
下期节目见…我是安娜·马泰奥。
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