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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.
在本节目中，我们探索英语中的单词和短语。
We give examples and notes on usage.
我们会举一些例子，还会对用法进行解释说明。
And sometimes we tell you how the expression came into use.
有时我们会告诉你如何使用短语。
Today we talk about train tracks.
今天我们来谈谈火车轨道。
Imagine a town that has a railroad and train tracks running through it.
想象一下，一个城镇有一条铁路，火车轨道贯穿其中。
Trains may be great to travel on, but crossing their tracks can be dangerous.
火车也许是出行的好工具，但穿越轨道可能是危险的。
Bright lights and warning signals at tracks can only do so much.
轨道上明亮的灯光和警告信号只能起到这么大的作用。
Train tracks often will divide a town in two.
轨道往往会把一个城镇一分为二。
One side is often more desirable than the other.
轨道一侧往往比另一侧更令人向往。
The houses are usually bigger or newer.
房子通常更大或更新。
Public resources, like schools and parks, are more available or are better operated.
学校和公园等公共资源更容易获得或者运营得更好。
There might be better stores, restaurants and fewer crimes reported on the desirable side of town.
在这个城镇令人向往的一侧可能会有更好的商店、餐馆和更少的犯罪报道。
The other side of the tracks, and town, might be poorer.
轨道另一侧的城镇可能更贫穷。
The houses are smaller or less modern.
房子要么更小，要么不那么现代化。
It also might be where factories, trash dumps, and other industrial sites are found.
它也可能是工厂、垃圾场等工业场所的所在地。
Community centers, playgrounds, and similar places may be few and far between.
社区中心、游乐场和类似的地方可能很少。
This means there aren't many of these facilities.
这意味着这样的设施并不多。
That kind of town, separated by a "good" side and a "bad" side, is at the heart of the expression the "wrong side of the tracks."
那种被分成“好的”一侧和“坏的”一侧的城镇是“wrong side of the tracks”这个短语的核心。
"Tracks" refers to the railroad tracks.
“Tracks”是指铁路轨道。
These sometimes were thought of as splitting a town between the haves and have nots.
这些轨道有时被视为城镇富人区和穷人区的分割线。
If I am from the wrong side of the tracks, I am from the poor part of a town.
如果我来自轨道错误的一边，那我就是来自城镇的贫困地区。
However, you don't have to live in a town with railroad tracks to use this expression.
然而，你并不一定要住在有铁路轨道的小镇上才能使用这个短语。
And many towns with railroad tracks do not divide rich and poor people.
许多有铁路轨道的城镇并没有划分富人和穷人。
If I grew up in an underdeveloped, poor and possibly dangerous environment without railroad tracks, I could still say I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
如果我在一个不发达、贫穷甚至可能危险的环境中长大，那里虽然没有铁路轨道，但我仍然可以说我出身贫困。
We use this expression another way.
我们用另一种方式使用这个短语。
Sometimes we don't even know where a person is from.
有时我们甚至不知道一个人来自哪里。
But if they often cause or get into trouble, someone might say they are bad news and are from the wrong side of tracks.
但如果他们经常引起或陷入麻烦，有人可能会说他们是令人讨厌的人，是出身贫困的人。
Now, crossing the tracks either for love or to create a richer life, is a popular idea in stories.
现在，穿越轨道要么是为了爱情，要么是为了创造更富裕的生活，这是故事中的一个流行想法。
Many popular movies are about star-crossed lovers who are from different sides of the tracks.
许多受欢迎的电影都是有关来自不同社会阶层的命运多舛的恋人的故事。
Their different economic conditions and cultural backgrounds form a barrier.
他们不同的经济条件和文化背景形成了障碍。
Their families and friends try to keep them apart.
他们的家人和朋友试图把他们分开。
But in the end, they overcome these obstacles, fall in love, and live happily ever after.
但最终，他们克服了这些障碍，坠入爱河，从此幸福地生活在一起。
At least in the movies.
至少在电影里是这样的。
Dirty Dancing is one of these popular movies.
《辣身舞》就是其中一部受欢迎的电影。
She is a upper-middle class girl.
她是一个中上层阶级的女孩。
He is a working-class dance teacher.
他是一个工人阶级的舞蹈老师。
They meet at a summer camp and their shared joy of dance brings them together.
他们在夏令营相遇，共同的舞蹈乐趣让他们走到了一起。
The barriers break down.
障碍被打破了。
Lady And The Tramp, Pretty Woman, and Grease are other very popular movies centered on this idea.
《小姐与流氓》、《风月俏佳人》和《油脂》是其他围绕这一想法拍摄的非常受欢迎的电影。
Now, sometimes the story concerns one character trying to move from the wrong side of the tracks to the right side.
有时故事讲述了一个人物试图从轨道错误的一侧（贫困区）移动到正确的一侧（富裕区）。
We can call this a rags-to-riches story.
我们可以称之为白手起家的故事。
"Rags" here are old, poor clothing in disrepair.
这里的“Rags”指的是破旧的衣服。
Annie is a rags-to-riches story.
《安妮》是一个白手起家的故事。
She is a poor and parentless girl who gets adopted by a rich man.
她是一个贫穷的、没有父母的女孩，后来被一个富人收养了。
Sometimes the story is about two groups of people from either side of the tracks who can't seem to get over their differences and get along.
有时故事讲述了轨道两边的两群人，他们似乎无法克服分歧，和睦相处。
The film The Outsiders is a good example.
电影《局外人》就是一个很好的例子。
The Greasers are from the wrong side of the tracks.
北帮是出身贫寒的一派。
The Socials are from the right side of the tracks.
南帮是出身于富裕阶层的一派。
In the story, however, both sides get into trouble.
然而，在这个故事中，双方都陷入了麻烦。
The Socials, or Socs, just have more money and better cars.
南帮只是有更多的钱和更好的车。
And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。
Don't forget to practice using the expression to be from the wrong or right side of the tracks.
别忘了练习使用“to be from the wrong/right side of the tracks”这个短语。
Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo!
下次见…… 我是安娜·马特奥。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
