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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 words and expressions in the English language.
在本期节目中，我们来探索一下英语词汇和短语。
We give examples, notes on usage, and sometimes we even use them in a short story.
我们会举例说明用法，有时甚至会在短篇小说中使用它们。
For this week, we talk about something that we all use—a bed!
本周，我们谈论的是我们都用到的东西——床！
Everyone likes different sleep conditions.
每个人都喜欢不同的睡眠环境。
Some like it dark and quiet. Others like to listen to sounds of nature as they fall asleep.
有些人喜欢黑暗和安静。另一些人喜欢在入睡时听大自然的声音。
Some like soft beds, and some like hard beds.
有些人喜欢软床，有些人喜欢硬床。
So, today, we talk about beds.
所以，今天，我们来谈谈床。
We have several expressions that use this word.
我们有几个短语用到了这个词。
The first one we will talk about involves a flower—the rose.
首先我们要讨论的是一种花——玫瑰。
Imagine sleeping on a bed of roses.
想象一下睡在铺满玫瑰的床上的情景。
Roses smell nice. So, that could be very pleasant, indeed.
玫瑰花闻起来很香。所以，那样确实是非常令人心旷神怡的。
Well, as long as the roses do not have thorns. Ouch!
嗯，只要玫瑰没有刺就行了。哎呦!
Well, if a bed of roses is nice, then "no bed of roses" is not.
嗯，如果说铺满玫瑰的床很好，那么“没有玫瑰的床”就不好了。
If something is "no bed of roses," it is difficult or really unpleasant.
如果某件事是“no bed of roses”，意思是它是困难的或者是真的令人不快的。
And we have all had those experiences. I know I have.
我们都有过这样的经历。我知道我有。
Once, I was asked to sing and play the ukulele for a special event.
有一次，我被邀请为一个特别的活动演唱和演奏尤克里里。
The event was to raise money for a homeless shelter.
这次活动的目的是为一个无家可归者收容所募款。
So, I was happy to volunteer.
所以，我很乐意做志愿者。
I did not know the organizer well, but what could go wrong?
我不太了解组织者，但会出什么问题呢？
The ukulele is such a happy instrument.
尤克里里是一种声音悦耳的乐器。
Well, as it turned out, a LOT could go wrong.
嗯，事实证明，很多事情都可能会出错。
The organizer was actually kind of mean and bossy.
组织者实际上有点刻薄专横。
First, she picked all the songs, and they were not that great.
首先，她选了所有的歌，但都不是很好。
So, when we suggested other songs, she would yell.
所以，当我们推荐其他歌曲时，她会大喊大叫。
She also would yell at us if we played poorly.
如果我们表演得不好，她也会冲我们大喊大叫。
And this happened often because many of us were just beginners.
因为我们中的许多人都只是初学者，所以这种情况经常发生。
Then on the night of our performance, it rained and was very cold.
而且在我们演出的那天晚上，天下起了雨，非常冷。
So, only a few people came to hear us play.
所以只有几个人来听我们演奏。
This put her in a very bad mood.
这让她心情很不好。
But then something happy happened.
但后来发生了一件开心的事。
Someone in the crowd joined in by playing the flute.
人群中有人吹着笛子加入了。
But then she yelled at them too!
但接着她也冲他们大喊大叫！
In the end, I got sick and lost my voice for about a month.
最后，我生病了，嗓子哑了大约一个月。
So, let me tell you, the whole experience was no bed of roses!
所以，让我告诉你，整个经历并不愉快!
Now, if this woman had been unkind just once, I could say that maybe she "got up on the wrong side of the bed."
如果这个女人只有一次不友善的话，我可以说，她可能“got up on the wrong side of the bed”。
This means you are in a bad mood.
意思是你心情不好。
You feel irritable. But it's not your usual way of feeling.
你感到烦躁。但这不是你平常的感觉。
Perhaps you just didn't get enough sleep.
也许你只是睡眠不足。
However, this woman was unpleasant at every practice.
然而，这个女人在每一次练习中都是不友好的。
So, it was more than just waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
所以，这不仅仅是起床时心情不好。
She was just no fun.
而是她一点也不有趣。
Well, months later she needed ukulele players to help in another performance.
几个月后，她需要尤克里里演奏者在另一场演出中帮忙。
But none of us joined.
但我们都没加入。
Playing the uke, as it is sometimes called, is something we do for fun.
弹尤克里里（有时被叫做“uke”）是我们为了好玩而做的事情。
And we did not want to get yelled at again.
我们不想再被骂了。
So, this woman played alone and continues to play alone.
所以，这个女人是一个人弹的，也还在继续一个人弹。
You could say, "she made her bed, now she must lie in it."
你可以说，“she made her bed, now she must lie in it”。
This means that a person has made a difficult situation and then must deal with the results, or consequences.
意思是一个人制造了困境，就必须得自己承担后果。
Usually we say this to someone who has put themselves in the difficulty and then complains about it.
通常我们会对那些让自己陷入困境然后抱怨的人说这句话。
When you use this expression, you can also use the word "sleep."
当你使用这个表达时，你也可以用“sleep”这个词。
"She made her bed, now she must sleep in it."
“她自作自受。”
And you do not have to say the whole thing.
而且你也不必把这句话都说出来。
Simply saying, "You made your bed ..." is quite enough.
简单地说“You made your bed ...”就足够了。
Finally, bed is where we end up after finishing a long day.
最后，床是我们结束漫长一天的地方。
So, it is not surprising that we also have a "bed" expression for finishing a project or task.
所以，我们在完成一个项目或任务时也有一个含有“bed”的表达也就不足为奇了。
When you "put something to bed" you finish it.
当你“put something to bed”时，意思是你完成了某件事。
In fact, we are done with this Words and Their Stories.
事实上，我们已经完成了本期词汇掌故节目。
So, it's time to put this episode to bed ... until next time.
所以，是时候结束这一期了......下次见。
I'm Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·马特奥。
