和“金”有关的表达

龚静

Throughout history， gold has been a sign of purity， beauty and power. Calling something golden means it has great quality and value.

从古至今，“黄金”一直是纯净、美丽和力量的象征。如果把某物比喻为黄金，就意味着它有着很好的质量和极高的价值。

The“golden ratio1” is found in art， architecture and nature. It describes a rectangle with a length2 about one and one-half times its width3. Objects using this ratio in their design seem to please the eye more than others.

“黄金比例”可以用在艺术、建筑以及自然中。它指的是1.5：1的长宽比。具有“黄金比例”的物体通常比其它比例的物体更赏心悦目。

The “golden mean” says moderation4 in all things is the best way to live ones life. It is an idea linked to the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Similar thoughts exist in Buddhism and Confucianism.

“中庸之道（golden mean）”是指做任何事情要讲究“中庸”，这是最佳的生活方式。这个观点不仅与古希腊哲学家亚里士多德的观点相符，同时还存在于佛教和儒家思想之中。

Ancient Greek myths5 told of a time long ago when people lived in peace and happiness. Poets called it “The Golden Age”. A golden age now describes a historical period of great artistic， scientific or economic progress. It can even recall a time of success and popularity for an industry. For example， the 1930s and 40s were called “The Golden Age of Radio.”

古希腊神话讲述了很久以前人们宁静祥和的生活，诗人们称之为“黄金时代”。这个表达现在用来描述在艺术上、科学上或经济上飞速发展的历史阶段，甚至也能用来形容历史上某个产业的辉煌及流行的时期。例如，20世纪三四十年代被称为“收音机的黄金时代”。

You may have heard the proverb6 “silence is golden.” This means silence is of great value—it is sometimes better to say nothing than to speak.

你可能听过这样一句俗语——“沉默是金”。意思是沉默也是很有价值的，有时候“此时无声胜有声”。

You might say your child was “good as gold” when he behaved well at school. British writer Charles Dickens used this expression in 1843. He was describing the child Tiny Tim in the book “A Christmas Carol.”

如果你的孩子在学校表现很好，你可以说他“很乖（good as gold）”。英国作家查尔斯·狄更斯于1843年在《圣诞颂歌》一书中曾用这个表达来描述一个叫小提姆的小孩。

You might tell someone “you are golden” when that person does something very well.

如果一个人把某件事做得很出色，你可以对他说“你真棒（You are golden）！”

“Gold-digger” is another description. But this does not say something nice about a person. A “gold-digger” is someone who seeks to marry a rich person because he or she is only interested in that persons money.

“拜金者（或钓金龟婿的人）”又是另外一种表述。但这可不是什么好词。它是指那些想尽办法与有钱人结婚的人，因为他们的眼里只有钱。

Maybe you like old songs from the 1950s or 60s that are still well known and popular today. These are called “golden oldies.”

也许你会喜欢20世纪五六十年代到现在大家都耳熟能详的一些歌曲。这些歌曲被称为 “怀旧金曲”。

Today， most older people look forward to reaching their “golden years.” This is when hard-working people can retire to a life of ease7 and fulfillment8.

现在，很多年长的人们都盼着进入“退休时期（golden years）”，到了那时，努力工作的人们便可以退休并且安度晚年了。

下面，我们来一起回顾一下带“金”的表达：

golden ratio： 黄金比例

golden mean： 中庸之道

The Golden Age： 黄金时代

silence is golden： 沉默是金

good as gold：（小孩）很乖

you are golden： 你真棒

gold-digger： 拜金者（钓金龟婿的人）

golden oldies： 怀旧金曲

golden years： 退休时期

英语原文摘选自VOA Special

[1] ratio n. 比率，比例 [2] length n. 长度

[3] width n. 宽度；广度 [4] moderation n. 适度

[5] myth n. 神话 [6] proverb n. 谚语，格言

[7] ease n. 轻松，舒适；安逸，悠闲 [8] fulfillment n. 满足