【VOA慢速】“浅试一下”还是“大胆一试”？

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

现在是VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。

Today we talk about trying something new or something you are unsure about.

今天我们谈论的是尝试一些新事物或你不确定的事物。

People can react differently to these kinds of situations.

人们可能会对这些情况做出不同的反应。

Some people may want to jump right in feet first.

有些人可能首先就想毫不犹豫地投入其中。

They may want to take the plunge!

他们可能想要大胆一试！

And some people may want to test the waters.

有些人可能想试试水。

They may want to dip their toes in first.

他们可能想先浅试。

Which kind of person are you?

你是哪种人？

Well, imagine you are standing on the edge of a lake or swimming pool.

好的，想象一下你正站在湖边或游泳池边。

You want to get into the water, but you don't know the water's temperature.

你想下水，但你不知道水温。

Do you jump right in?

你是直接跳进去吗？

If you do, you may be more bold and adventurous.

如果你那样做，你可能是胆子更大，更有冒险精神。

Or do you want to dip a toe into the water before you decide?

或者你想在决定之前先用脚趾试试水？

If so, you may be more cautious and careful.

如果是这样的话，你可能是更加谨慎和小心的人。

If you dip your toes into something, you start doing it slowly and carefully.

如果你浅试某事物，你就会开始缓慢谨慎地做这件事。

You are not sure if you will like it.

你不确定自己是否会喜欢它。

You want to test the waters before beginning something, or before taking the plunge.

你想在开始做某事之前或在大胆一试之前试试水。

Testing the waters means you get a feel for something before committing to it.

试水是指你在投入做某事之前先感受某事物。

For example, if you want to move to a new city, you probably want to test the waters first by going there for a short stay.

例如，如果你想搬到一个新城市，你可能想先去那里短暂待一段时间来试试水。

Taking the plunge is the opposite of dipping your toes.

大胆一试与浅试一下正好相反。

When you take the plunge, you jump right into something.

当你大胆一试时，你就会毫不犹豫投入到某件事中。

You do not wait or hesitate.

你不等待，也不犹豫。

We use the expression dip your toes in for many situations.

我们在很多情况下都会用到“浅试一下”这个短语。

You may want to try an activity briefly to find out if you like it first.

你可能想先短暂地尝试某项活动来看看自己是否喜欢它。

It can also mean you start something very carefully before becoming involved in something that you are not experienced at.

这也可能意味着你在投入到你没有经验的事情之前，会非常小心地开始一件事情。

Now, let's hear some of these expressions used in a non-water related situation.

现在，让我们来听一些在与水无关的情境下使用的表达。

Hey, I'm going ballroom dancing this Saturday.

嘿，这周六我要去跳交际舞。

Do you want to join me?

你想和我一起吗？

Ballroom dancing?

交际舞？

I know nothing about ballroom dancing.

我对交际舞一窍不通。

That's fine!

没问题！

This place I found is perfect for you.

我找到的这个地方非常适合你。

Before the dance starts, they give a free class to beginners.

在交际舞开始之前，他们会给初学者上一节免费课。

Yeah, I don't know.

嗯，我不了解。

Maybe I'll just go and watch.

也许我还是去看看好了。

You know … dip my toes in.

你知道的……浅试一下。

I like to know what I'm getting into first.

我想知道我首先要掌握什么。

Sure.

当然。

But I promise you … after the first 5 minutes you are going to want to jump in feet first!

但我向你保证，在最初的5分钟之后，你就会想先大胆去尝试跳交际舞！

That is 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。

If you are new to VOA Learning English, there's no need to dip your toes in first.

如果你是VOA慢速英语的新听众，你就没有必要先浅试。

Just take the plunge!

大胆一试吧！

Visit our website to find more stories.

访问我们的网站找到更多文章吧。

Until next time … I'm Anna Matteo.

下期节目再见……安娜·马泰奥为您播报。