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Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
For today's program, we go into the kitchen!
There is a good chance you do not go one day without using a knife. It is an important tool when cooking, and without it, you could not make many dishes.
This brings to mind a story – a true story.
Years ago, a friend and I were making dinner together at my place. She had the job of cutting up vegetables for soup. Halfway through cutting the onions, she said that my knife was not sharp and would not cut. I was surprised. I had given her my best knife. But when I looked over at her, I had to smile. Actually, I did more than smile. I laughed out loud. "It might work better if you use the cutting edge of the knife," I joked.
Let's just say, my friend did not spend a lot of time in the kitchen. She ate out a lot!
In this example, the cutting edge is the sharp edge of a knife. But we also use it to mean something much more.
The cutting edge is the newest and most modern part of any industry. Ideas, tools, technology -- whatever you use in your job -- can all be cutting-edge.
Whatever business or industry you work in, it feels good to be a leader in it. When you know the newest tools or ideas to do your job, you can say you are "on the cutting edge" or that you are simply "cutting-edge."
For example, teachers on the cutting edge of education use the latest technology and ideas in the classroom. Cutting-edge architects know the latest materials, tools and designs to use in the structures they build. Some of the best doctors use cutting-edge technology to treat diseases.
All industries have their own cutting edge.
We have other words to help describe this idea of "cutting edge.
For example, people who on the cutting edge of their industry are on the forefront or front line. They are the vanguard. The vanguard is the group of people who are the leaders of a movement in society, politics or in a given industry.
We usually use "vanguard" in the singular form and in a prepositional phrase. So, you can be at the vanguard of a social or political movement. You can also be in the vanguard of a movement.
This expression comes from a military term. In battle, the vanguard are the soldiers, other personnel or equipment that are at the front of a fighting force.
People on the cutting edge, or in the vanguard, are blazing a trail. When you blaze a trail in the woods, you make a trail for others to follow. You do this by cutting down plants that may be in your way. You can also mark trees with a cut, also called a blaze.
Blazing a trail is a difficult job. But it makes it much easier for people walking behind you.
The same can be said for life.
Trail-blazers, people on the cutting edge or in the vanguard are not satisfied with the status quo -- the way things have always been done. They are always looking for a new, better or faster way to do something.
So people on the cutting edge use the latest tools and ideas to be on the forefront of their field. They are the vanguard and blaze trails for others to follow.
We could say that people who use our website are on the cutting edge of learning English -- well, until science makes a magical solution that gives you language ability overnight.
Now, that would be very cutting edge.
And that's all for this Words and Their Stories! Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
重點解析
1.bring to mind 使人想起；想起
I couldn't bring to mind the name of the hotel I'd stayed in.
我無法回想起我曾待過的旅館的名字。
2.on the front line 在前線；在第一線
These dedicated people are on the front line of health care.
這些富有獻身精神的人工作在醫療服務的第一線。
3.look for 尋找；探索
We all need to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
我們都需要尋求降低碳排放量的方法。
參考譯文
歡迎收聽VOA慢速英語《詞彙掌故》。
今天的節目中，我們會走進廚房！
你每天都用刀子的機率很大，它是烹飪時的重要工具。沒有刀，就不能做很多菜餚。
這讓我想起一個故事——一個真實的故事。
幾年前，我和一個朋友在我家一起做飯。她負責切蔬菜做湯。洋蔥切到一半時，她說我的刀不鋒利，切不斷。我很驚訝，我已經把最好的刀給了她。但是當我看她時，我笑了。事實上，我不僅是笑，還笑得很大聲。我開玩笑地說：「如果你用刀鋒切，效果會更好。」。
這麼說吧，我的朋友不常進廚房，她總下館子！
在這個例子中，刀刃是指一把刀的鋒利邊緣，但我們也用它來表達更多的意思。
尖端技術是任何行業中最新、最現代的部分，思想、工具、技術——無論你在工作中使用什麼，都可以是最前沿的。
無論你在哪個行業工作，成為行業領軍人的感覺都很好。當你了解了從事工作的最新工具或想法時，你可以說自己「走在了尖端」或就是你「很潮」。
例如，處於教育前沿的教師在課堂上使用最新的技術和理念，尖端的建築師知道在其構建的結構中使用最新的材料、工具和設計，一些最好的醫生使用尖端技術治療疾病。
所有行業都有自己的前沿技術。
我們有其他詞來幫助描述這種「前沿」的概念。
例如，處於行業前沿的人處於最前沿或最前線，他們是先鋒。先鋒是指在社會、政治或特定行業中領導一場運動的一群人。
我們通常在單數形式和介詞短語中使用「先鋒」。所以，你可以成為社會或政治運動的先鋒，也可以成為某項活動的先鋒。
這個短語來自一個軍事術語。在戰鬥中，先鋒隊是指處於戰鬥部隊前線的士兵、其他人員或裝備。
處於前沿或先鋒隊的人們正在開闢一條道路。當你在樹林裡開闢一條小路時，就為別人留下了跟隨的道路。你可以砍掉可能妨礙前行的植物，也可以在樹上刻上記號，也叫領路。
開闢道路是一項困難的工作，但這會讓後來者更輕鬆。
人生也是如此。
開拓者，處於鋒線或前沿的人都不滿足於現狀，即做事情常用的方式。他們總在尋找一種嶄新的、更好的或更快的方法來做某事。
因此，處於前沿的人們運用最新的工具和理念，站在他們所在領域的前端，他們是跟隨者的先鋒隊和開拓者。
我們可以說，使用我們網站的人都處在學習英語的前沿。好吧，除非科學發明出神奇的解決方案，讓你一夜之間擁有語言能力。
這將是超尖端的事。
今天的節目就到這裡了！下次見，我是安娜·馬特奧。