現在是美國之音慢速英語詞彙典故節目。
今天我們談論一種神奇的動物和它帶給我們的表達。鱷魚！
-VOA慢速英語-
Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
現在是美國之音慢速英語詞彙典故節目。
Today we talk about an amazing animal and an expression it has given us-the crocodile!
今天我們談論一種神奇的動物和它帶給我們的表達。鱷魚！
First, why are they amazing?
首先，它們為什麼令人驚異？
Well, crocodiles are experts at survival.
是的，鱷魚是生存專家。
Scientists say they first appeared 200 million years ago and have outlived the dinosaurs by some 65 million years.
科學家說鱷魚最初出現於2億年前，比恐龍多活了6500萬年。
One reason they are such good survivors is that they can go for a very long time without eating.
鱷魚之成能為如此良好的生存者，其中一個原因就是他們可以在很長一段時間內不進食。
And they are expert hunters!
而且他們是專業的獵手！
They use their strong jaws to bite their prey and then they swallow their food whole.
它們用強有力的下顎咬住獵物，然後將食物整個吞下。
Here’s another fun fact about crocodiles: When they lose a tooth they grow one right back.
關於鱷魚還有一個有趣的事實：當它們掉了一顆牙齒，馬上就會長出另一顆牙齒。
A crocodile can go through 8,000 teeth in one lifetime!
一條鱷魚一生可以長出8000顆牙齒！
Okay, while these facts are fascinating, they really do not help to explain today’s expression: crocodile tears.
好吧，雖然這些事實很吸引人，但的確無法幫助解釋今天的表達方式：鱷魚的眼淚。
Simply put, 「crocodile tears」are fake sadness.
簡單來講，「鱷魚的眼淚」是虛假的悲傷。
You pretend to cry and feel badly for something when in fact … you could not care less.
你為某件事感到難過，假裝悲傷，事實上……你根本不在乎。
A great word to describe crocodile tears is insincere.
用一個貼切的詞語來形容鱷魚的眼淚就是不真誠。
But don’t take my word for it.
但是不要盲目相信我的話。
Let’s hear country-western singer Dale Watson sing his song 「Crocodile Tears.」
讓我們聽聽西部鄉村歌手戴爾·沃森演唱的歌曲《鱷魚的眼淚》。
Crocodile tears, they’re tearing me apart.
鱷魚的眼淚，它們將我撕裂。
I know they’re not sincere, still they break my heart.
我知道它們並非真誠，卻仍使我心碎。
But why do tears from an ancient, unfeeling reptile mean false sadness?
但為什麼一隻古老的、無情的爬行動物的眼淚意味著虛假的悲傷呢？
Well, the expression 「crocodile tears」 comes from an old myth that crocodiles would shed tears while eating their prey.
是的，「鱷魚的眼淚」，這個表達源於一個古老的神話，即鱷魚在吃獵物時會流淚。
Writers on the website Crocodilian.com claim that this myth was in use by the 1200s.
crocodilian.com網站上的作者稱這個神話在12世紀時就已經開始流傳了。
A religious worker from that time wrote that if a crocodile found a man by the water, it would kill him if it could.
當時一位宗教工作者寫道，倘若鱷魚在水旁發現一個人，如果可以的話，它會將其殺死。
Then the crocodile would cry tears on the man, but then finally – swallow him.
然後鱷魚會為此人流下眼淚，但最終會將其吞下。
Another myth about crocodile tears suggests the animals are very crafty indeed.
另一個關於鱷魚眼淚的神話表明，這種動物事實上是非常狡猾的。
Crocodiles, the story goes, would cry tears as a false show of guilt or grief to trick their prey.
據說，鱷魚會通過哭泣來偽裝內疚或悲傷，以此欺騙獵物。
The prey would come closer and then become dinner.
這樣獵物會更加靠近，然後成為它的晚餐。
Of course, we know now that these stories are not true.
當然，我們現在知道這些故事不是真的。
Scientists explain that crocodiles DO create tears.
科學家解釋說鱷魚確實會產生淚水。
The fluid helps to clean its eyes.
這種液體有助於其清潔眼睛，
But crocodiles do not cry.
但鱷魚不會哭泣。
Crying is purely emotional and is reserved for us humans.
哭泣是純情感化的，只屬於我們人類。
So, that is the origin of the phrase "crocodile tears.」
所以，這就是「鱷魚的眼淚」這個短語的由來。
Now, let’s talk about how and when to use it.
現在，我們來談談怎樣使用以及什麼時候使用它。
This is a common expression and we use it in any situation.
這是個常見的表達方式，我們在任何情況下都可以使用它。
So, I could say it to my best friend as easily as I could to colleagues at work.
因此，我可以輕鬆地對我最好的朋友和同事說。
But, please note. You do not have to have actual tears flowing down your face to have "crocodile tears.」
但是，請注意：「鱷魚的眼淚」並非要有真正的眼淚從臉頰流下。
If you fake sadness or regret by using only words, others can still accuse you of having "crocodile tears.」
若有人僅用幾個詞假裝悲傷或遺憾，他人仍可指責那個人是「鱷魚的眼淚」（假慈悲）。
One last note about this expression: Sometimes, crocodile tears are worse than insincere.
關於這個表達的最後一點提醒：「鱷魚的眼淚」有時比不真誠更糟糕。
Sometimes they are also hypocritical.
有時它也指虛偽，
Those are the times you are showing sadness but actually in your heart, you are quite happy about the situation.
即當某人表現出悲傷，但實際上心裡卻對某種情況十分開心。
And that’s all the time we have for Words and Their Stories.
以上就是本期詞彙典故節目的全部內容。
Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo!
下期節目再見，安娜·馬迪奧報導。
Those crocodile tears ain’t gonna work this time on me
這一次，那些「鱷魚的眼淚」不再對我有用
I know that a girl’s supposed to cry but not over me…
我知道一個女孩會哭但不是為了我…...
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