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And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
On this program we explore terms and expressions in the English language.
在本节目中，我们将探索英语中的术语和表达。
And today we talk about a word that will help you talk about the best of times. That word is heyday.
今天我们要谈论的单词将帮助你谈论最好的时期。这个词就是“heyday”。
If you are in your heyday you are in your prime.
如果你正处于壮年时期，你就是风华正茂。
You are at the peak of your abilities.
你正处于你能力的巅峰。
You are having your best days ever!
你正过着最美好的日子!
Some people had their heydays when they were young, maybe in college or high school.
有些人的全盛时期是在他们年轻的时候，可能是在大学或高中。
They consider themselves past their prime.
他们认为自己已经过了盛年。
They might talk about those past experiences only and not plan for new experiences in the future.
他们可能只谈论过去的经历，而不计划未来的新经历。
These people might be stuck in their glory days.
这些人可能还沉浸在他们的光辉岁月里。
Other things besides people can have a heyday.
除了人以外，其他事情也可以有一个全盛时期。
If you are at the pinnacle of success, you could say your career is having a heyday.
如果你正处于成功的顶峰，你可以说你的事业正处于全盛时期。
Also, a place, like a city, can have a heyday and so can an industry.
此外，一个地方，比如一座城市，可以有一个全盛时期，一个行业也可以有一个全盛时期。
For example, I grew up in the rust belt of West Virginia.
例如，我在西弗吉尼亚州的铁锈地带长大。
In its heyday, my hometown was known for its steel industry.
在其全盛时期，我的家乡以钢铁工业而闻名。
In fact, every man in my family worked in the steel mills.
事实上，我家的每个男人都在钢铁厂工作。
But when the industry shrank, the steel factory jobs disappeared.
但当钢铁行业萎缩时，钢铁厂的工作岗位就消失了。
The city fell on hard times and today is still trying to recover.
这座城市陷入了困难时期，今天仍在努力恢复。
However, many other parts of West Virginia are having a tourism heyday because of the beautiful natural environment.
然而，由于美丽的自然环境，西弗吉尼亚州的许多其他地区正处于旅游的全盛时期。
So, where does the word heyday come from?
那么，“heyday”这个词是怎么来的呢?
Some word experts say that it first appeared in English in the 16th century as an interjection.
一些词汇专家说，它最早出现在英语中是在16世纪，当时它是一个感叹词。
An interjection is a word or cry (such as "ouch") that expresses a sudden or strong feeling.
感叹词是表达突然或强烈感情的词或哭(如“哎哟”)。
So, "heyday" was used to express extreme happiness or wonder.
所以，“heyday”被用来表达非常幸福或惊奇。
Around the same time, "heyday" was also used as a noun meaning "high spirits."
大约在同一时期，“heyday”也被用作名词，意为“兴高采烈”。
Meriam-Webster online dictionary says it was not until the 18th century that the word was used to mean "the period when one's achievement or popularity has reached its zenith."
梅里亚姆-韦伯斯特在线词典表示，直到18世纪，这个词才被用来表示“一个人的成就或受欢迎程度达到顶峰的时期”。
Usually, we use heyday in the singular form.
通常情况下，我们用单数形式的“heyday”。
Saying the plural is a little less common.
说复数不太常见。
And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见…… 我是安娜·马特奥。
