Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
這里是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目。
 
Last week, I told about the number one. Today, I will tell about expressions using other numbers.
上周我們談到了關(guān)于數(shù)字1的短語，今天，我們將說說其他數(shù)字的短語。
 
Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For example, if we put two and two together, we might come up with the right answer. We know that two heads are better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem.
有些問題難以解決，但是很多數(shù)字短語會有所幫助。例如，如果我們根據(jù)事實(shí)推理（put two and two together）我們就能得出正確答案。我們知道人多智廣（two heads are better than one），通常情況下，與他人合作解決問題比自己單干更好。
 
Sometimes there are no two ways about it. Some problems have only one solution. You cannot be of two minds over this.
有時候一些問題別無選擇（there are no two ways about it），只有一個解決辦法，你就不能對此猶豫不決（of two minds）。
 
But with any luck, we could solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb's tail. We could have our answers quickly and easily.
但幸運(yùn)的話，我們能迅速（two shakes of a lamb's tail）解決問題。
 
Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone. That is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or action. But we must remember that two wrongs don't make a right. If someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him.
有時，我們能一箭雙雕（kill two birds with one stone），也就是說，我們通過一次努力或者行動就能達(dá)成兩個目標(biāo)。但是我們必須要記?。贺?fù)負(fù)不得正（two wrongs don't make a right），如果有人冒犯了你，你不應(yīng)該以牙還牙。
 
If you are going out with your girlfriend, or boyfriend, you do not want another friend to go along on your date. You can just say to your friend: two's company, three's a crowd.
如果你和男（或女）朋友出去約會，不希望另一個朋友攪合你們的約會。你只需對這個朋友說：“倆人結(jié)伴，三人添亂（two's company, three's a crowd）?！?br /> 
When I was a young child in school, I had to learn the three R's. These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter "R." But they have the sound of "R." My teachers used to give three cheers when I did well in math. They gave praise and approval for a job well done.
當(dāng)我還在上學(xué)的時候，我必須學(xué)習(xí)三個“R”，這三個重要技能就是閱讀，寫作和算術(shù)。這三個詞并不都以字母R開頭，但是發(fā)音都含有R。當(dāng)我數(shù)學(xué)表現(xiàn)不錯的時候，我的老師通常會為我歡呼三聲（give three cheers），這是人們對一項(xiàng)做得好的工作給予的表揚(yáng)和肯定。
 
Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their schoolwork. They were at sixes and sevens. In fact, they did not care if they finished high school. They saw little difference between the two choices. Six of one, half a dozen the other – that was their position. But they were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven. They were on cloud nine.
我有一些朋友被弄得暈頭轉(zhuǎn)向，不懂自己的功課，他們簡直就是亂七八糟（at sixes and sevens）。實(shí)際上，他們不在乎是否讀完高中，他們認(rèn)為兩者是半斤八兩（Six of one, half a dozen the other）沒有區(qū)別 -- 這就是他們的觀點(diǎn)。但是，當(dāng)他們完成學(xué)業(yè)高中畢業(yè)時真是欣喜若狂。
注：in seventh heaven / on cloud nine :字面意思是第7個天堂,九霄云外,寓意都是欣喜若狂；喜出望外；興高采烈。
 
Nine times out of ten, students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the same things every day at nine-to-five jobs. You do not have to dress to the nines, or wear your best clothes, for this kind of work.
在學(xué)校表現(xiàn)好的學(xué)生十有八九（Nine times out of ten）都找到了不錯的工作，一些人每天朝九晚五（nine-to-five）的在辦公室做著同樣的工作，做這些工作你不必衣著光鮮（dress to the nines）。
 
Last year, one of my friends applied for a better job at her office. I did not think she would get it. I thought she had a hundred to one shot at the job. Other people at her office thought her chances were a million to one. One reason was that she had been caught catching forty winks at the office. She slept at her desk for short periods during the day. But her supervisor appointed her to the new job at the eleventh hour -- at the very last minute. I guess her lucky number came up.
去年，我一個朋友申請了她辦公室一個更好的工作，我認(rèn)為她得不到這個工作，這種可能性很?。╝ hundred to one shot）。她辦公室的其他人也覺得她的機(jī)會微乎其微（a million to one），其中一個原因是她在辦公室打盹（forty winks）被抓現(xiàn)行，但是她的主管在最后時刻（at the eleventh hour）把這項(xiàng)新工作指派給了她，我猜她是中彩了（lucky number came up）。

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