Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.
大家好，歡迎來到六分鐘英語，我是尼爾。
And hello, I'm Rob.
大家好，我是羅伯。
Now, then, Rob, what do you know about unicorns?
那麼，現在，羅布，你對獨角獸了解多少？
Ah, well, the unicorn is a fantasy creature from history.
啊，好吧，獨角獸是歷史上幻想出的一種生物。
In our tradition it looks like a white horse with a single spiral horn coming out of its head.
在我們的傳統中，它看起來像一匹白馬，腦袋上長出來一個螺旋形獸角。
Why do you ask?
你為什麼要問這？
Well, funnily enough, unicorns are the topic of this programme.
好吧，有趣的是獨角獸是這個節目的主題。
Before we learn more though, a question.
在我們了解更多之前有一個問題。
What do we call the study of legendary creatures like the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot and unicorns?
我們把對像是「尼斯湖水怪」，「大腳怪」和「獨角獸」等傳說中生物的研究叫什麼？
Is it:a) Cryptozoology, b) Protozoology, or c) Paleozoology?
是：a）神秘生物學，b）原生動物學，還是c）古生物學？
Have you got any idea about that, Rob?
羅伯，你有什麼想法嗎？
Ah, well, I know this because it was the topic of a 6 Minute English programme a while back, in 2008, to be exact.
啊，好吧，我知道這個問題的答案，因為它是六分鐘英語不久之前的一個主題，確切地說是在2008年。
So I think I'll keep the answer to myself.
所以我想我會保密自己的答案。
OK, well for everyone else, we'll have the answer later in the programme.
好的，對其他人來說，我們稍後將會在節目中揭曉答案。
Over the last few years unicorns have been popping up all over the place - on T-shirts, in movies, as toys and even in political conversations.
在過去的幾年裡，到處都是獨角獸——在T恤上，電影中，玩具，甚至是政治對話中。
Why is this?
這是為什麼呢？
Natalie Lawrence is a natural historian.
娜塔莉·勞倫斯是一位自然歷史學家。
She appeared on the BBC's Woman's Hour programme to discuss the topic.
她做客在BBC《女性時間》節目來討論這個話題。
Listen out for the answer to this question: Why does she say people used to drink out of unicorn horns?
聽聽這個問題的答案：為什麼她說人們過去常常用獨角獸的獸角喝水？
Those original stories were developed in a time when magic actually existed in the world. The world was still very enchanted …
那些故事是在世界真的存在魔法的時代發展起來的。世界仍像被施了魔法一樣……
the idea that the unicorn is a very strong animal and also that could achieve magical feats, so unicorn horn used to be seen as a panacea for all sorts of ills and a guard against poison.
獨角獸是一種非常強壯的動物，同樣也可以達到神奇功效，因此獨角獸曾被視為各種疾病的靈丹妙藥和防毒藥。
So people used to drink out of unicorn horn cups to prevent themselves getting poisoned, and I think that idea of it being magical and having magical powers has still come through today.
所以人們過去常常用獨角獸的獸角喝水來防止自己中毒，我覺得認為它神奇並具有神奇力量的想法今天仍然存在。
Why did they drink from unicorn horn cups?
為什麼他們要用獨角獸的獸角杯喝水？
Well, they were supposed to have magical powers so people drank from them so they wouldn't get poisoned.
好吧，它們被認為擁有神奇的力量，所以人們用它們喝水，這樣他們就不會中毒。
Yes, she said they could perform magical feats.
是的，她說它們可以展現神奇的功效。
A feat is something that is difficult to do or achieve - like recording this programme without making a mistake, that's a real feat!
「一項功績」是難以做到或者實現的某事——就像不出錯錄製這個節目一樣，這是一項真正的功績！
Well, we usually do it. It must just be unicorn magic.
好吧，通常我們都會做到。那肯定是獨角獸的魔力。
No, just the magic of editing, Rob!
不，那只是編輯校訂的魔力，羅伯！
Now, she also said that unicorn horn was seen as a panacea.
現在，她還說獨角獸的角被視為靈丹妙藥。
What does that mean?
那是什麼意思？
A panacea is another word for a cure - something that can protect you from illness or help you recover if you are sick.
靈丹妙藥是藥劑的另一個詞——可以保護你免受疾病或當你生病時幫助你恢復健康的東西。
But is all this true, about the unicorn horn?
關於獨角獸獸角的一切都是真的嗎？
Well, seeing as how unicorns don't and never have existed, it's unlikely to be true.
好吧，鑑於獨角獸沒有並且從未存在過，它不太可能是真的。
She says these stories come from a time when the world was enchanted.
她說這些故事來自世界好像被施了魔法的時代。
This means it was a time when people believed in magic and the possibility of mysterious creatures from mysterious parts of the world.
這意味著那時候人們相信魔法並且世界神秘地區存在神秘生物的可能性。
It seems as if these days people are looking for a bit of magic, a bit of enchantment in their lives.
似乎現在人們正在他們的生活中尋求一些魔力，一些魔法。
The unicorn has also come to be a term commonly used in politics to refer to unrealistic ideas and plans.
獨角獸也成為政治中常用的術語，指的是不切實際的想法和計劃。
Why is this?
為什麼呢？
Here's Natalie Lawrence again.
這是娜塔莉·勞倫斯再次談到的。
Because it's such a potent cultural symbol at the moment, it's being deployed in one of the most pressing issues of our time, as well, so…
因為它現在是如此強大的文化符號，它也被用於我們這個時代最緊迫的問題之一，所以……
and the idea of the UK trying to be its own special unicorn potentially…
而且英國自己不切實際的想法可能……
So Rob, what is she talking about here?
所以羅伯，她在這裡談的是什麼？
Well, we are in a very complicated time politically in the UK at the moment.
好吧，英國目前在政治上處於一個非常複雜的時期。
She says they are pressing times.
她說他們處於很緊迫的時期。
A term which means something important but difficult has to be done in a very short time.
這個術語指的是某事很重要但在短期很難完成。
A pressing matter is an important one that has to be dealt with urgently.
緊迫的事情是一個必須緊急處理的重要事項。
Now, at the time of recording our parliament can't agree on the current pressing matter of Brexit and each side says the other has unicorns.
現在就在我們錄製節目的時候，我們的議會無法就目前英國脫歐的緊迫事項達成一致，而且雙方都說對方不切實際。
There's nothing special or magical about these unicorns - it's a negative comment - a unicorn is a fantasy idea - a plan that has no chance of working.
這些不切實際的想法或計劃沒有什麼特別或神奇之處——這是一個負面評論——不切實際的想法或計劃是幻想的想法，沒有機會起作用的計劃。
She says unicorns are a potent symbol - which means they are a very strong and recognisable symbol.
她說獨角獸是一個強有力的象徵——這意味著它們是一個非常強大，可識別的象徵。
And this symbol is being used, or as she said being deployed.
這個象徵正在被使用，或正如她所說的那樣被配置部署。
This is the same word that would be used when you send a military force somewhere.
這是你在某個地方派遣軍隊時使用的同一個詞。
You deploy the army in a military conflict, and in the current political conflict they are deploying the word 'unicorn'!
你在軍事衝突中部署軍隊，在當前的政治衝突中他們正在使用「獨角獸」這個詞！
Here’s Natalie Lawrence again.
這是娜塔莉·勞倫斯再次談到的。
Because it's such a potent cultural symbol at the moment, it's being deployed in one of the most pressing icssues of our time, as well, so…
因為它現在是如此強大的文化符號，它也被用於我們這個時代最緊迫的問題之一，所以……
and the idea of the UK trying to be its own special unicorn potentially…
而且英國自己不切實際的想法可能……
Right, our pressing matter now is the vocabulary review.
是的，我們現在的迫切事宜是回顧詞彙。
Before that though, the answer to this week's question:
在此之前是本周問題的答案。
What do we call the study of legendary creatures like the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot and unicorns.
我們把對像是「尼斯湖水怪」，「大腳怪」和「獨角獸」等傳說中生物的研究叫什麼？
Is it: a) Cryptozoology, b) Protozoology, or c) Paleozoology?
是：a）神秘生物學，b）原生動物學，還是c）古生物學？
Rob, you knew the answer to this, didn't you?
羅伯，你知道這個問題的答案，是吧？
I did, yes. If you look back at our archive to September 2008 you will find an episode all about a) Cryptozoology.
我知道，是的。如果你回顧我們2008年9月的存檔，你會發現有一期全是關於a）神秘生物學。
Well done, if you got that right - particularly if you remember that programme!
如果你答對了，那做得很棒——特別是如果你還記得那期節目！
Now, vocabulary from this programme.
現在是這期節目裡的詞彙。
There was enchanted to talk about a time when magic was believed to be real.
魔法被認為是真實的時候那裡就像被施了魔法一樣。
A feat is something that is very difficult to achieve and a panacea is a cure.
一項壯舉是很難實現的，而且靈丹妙藥是一種藥劑。
Something that's potent is strong and powerful and if you deploy something, you use it, you put it into operation.
某事物是強有力的就是強大有力的，如果你部署了一些東西，你就可以使用它，你就可以把它投入使用。
And something pressing is urgent, it needs to be done soon.
緊迫的事情就是迫切的，它需要儘快被完成。
Right, that's it from us for now.
是的，我們現在就非常緊迫。
Hope you can join us again soon.
希望你能再次加入我們。
Bye for now.
再見了。
Bye bye!
拜拜！
英文來源：BBC Learning English
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