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And now Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
The world is filled with buttons!
世界上到处都有按钮（纽扣）！
Some buttons we press -- such as the ones needed to operate a vehicle or machinery.
有些按钮是我们按下的，比如操纵汽车或机器所需的按钮。
Some buttons fasten our clothes.
有些纽扣是扣在我们衣服上的。
They keep are shirts closed and our pants from falling down.
它们让衬衫紧闭，不让我们的裤子掉下来。
In English, the word “button” is found in many useful and common expressions.
在英语中，“button”一词出现在许多有用和常见的短语中。
Let’s talk about the kinds of buttons you press or push.
让我们来谈谈你按下的按钮的种类。
Young children like to push buttons – even if nothing happens.
小孩子喜欢按按钮——即使什么也没发生。
There is something very satisfying about pushing a button.
按按钮会让人感到非常满足。
Well, did you know that people have buttons too?
你知道人也有按钮吗？
However, these buttons are not physical things.
然而，这些按钮并不是有形的东西。
Our buttons activate or trigger our feelings.
我们的按钮激活或触发我们的感觉。
They are things to which we feel sensitive.
它们是我们敏感的东西。
So, some unkind people may find it satisfying to push people’s buttons.
因此，一些不友善的人可能会觉得激怒别人很满足。
If you push someone’s buttons, you do something or talk about something that upsets them.
如果你惹某人生气，意思是你做的使或谈论的事会使他们生气。
Button-pushers like to upset people by bringing up sore subjects.
Button-pusher指的是喜欢通过提起令人不快的话题来惹恼人们的人。
For example, a woman I used to know always tried to push my buttons by bringing up an old boyfriend.
例如，我以前认识的一个女人总是通过提起前男友来惹我生气。
But then finally, I told her I did not not care.
但最后，我告诉她我不在乎。
After that, she stopped trying to push the old boyfriend button.
从那以后，她就不再通过提起前男友来惹我生气了。
However, pushing someone’s buttons can also happen accidentally.
然而，惹怒某人也可能是意外发生的。
Sometimes we don’t mean to, but we can bring up an issue that is touchy to someone else.
有时我们不是故意的，但我们可能提起了一个对其他人来说很敏感的问题。
Now, let’s talk about the kind of buttons on clothing.
现在，我们来谈谈衣服上的纽扣吧。
As you know already, buttons are fasteners on our clothes.
如你所知，纽扣是我们衣服上的扣件。
They keep them shut.
它们让衣服关闭。
Well, imagine if our mouths had buttons.
想象一下，如果我们的嘴有纽扣。
We could fasten them shut to keep silent.
我们就可以把它们关上，以保持沉默。
And that gives us some impolite expressions.
这就引出了一些不礼貌的短语。
They all mean to be quiet.
他们都表示保持安静。
If I tell someone to button their mouth, button their lip or to simply button it, I am telling them to shut up.
如果我让某人button their mouth，button their lip或者button it，我是在让他们闭嘴。
Like I said, the expressions are rude.
就像我说的，这些短语很粗鲁。
But there is another way we use “button” in our conversations.
但我们在对话中还有另一种使用“button”的方式。
For a button on our clothing to work, it needs a buttonhole.
要使我们衣服上的纽扣起作用，它需要一个扣眼。
Otherwise, you can’t fasten them.
否则，你就无法扣纽扣。
A buttonhole traps the button.
扣眼夹住了纽扣。
So, if you buttonhole someone in a conversation, you trap them.
因此，如果你在对话中“buttonhole”某人，意思是你拦住了某人。
Like a button that has slipped into a buttonhole, they cannot escape.
就像滑进扣眼里的纽扣一样，他们无法逃脱。
Now, you can buttonhole someone with a fun topic.
你可以用一个有趣的话题来吸引某人。
But usually, we use this term when someone talks to you for a long time about something you don’t want to hear.
但通常情况下，当某人对你说了很长时间你不想听的事情时，我们会用这个词。
If you are buttonholed over an unpleasant topic, you can also say that someone had you cornered.
如果你被一个令人不快的话题困住了，你也可以说某人把你逼入绝境。
Now, let’s hear some of these terms used between two friends.
我们来听听两个朋友是如何使用其中一些短语的。
Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you. Have you tried the cake? It is SO good.
你去哪儿了？我一直在到处找你。你尝过蛋糕了吗？太好吃了。
I haven’t had anything to eat or drink yet! Jen had me buttonholed for an hour about her work project.
我还没吃东西呢！珍拦住我跟我说了一个小时她的工作项目。
Not cool. A party is NOT the place to corner someone about work.
不是。派对不是逼人去谈论工作的地方。
And she knows I wanted to work on that project.
她知道我想参与那个项目。
Really not cool! She just wants to push your buttons. And you’re too nice to tell her to button it. Are you still upset about the project?
不是的！她只是想惹你生气。你人太好了，居然没让她闭嘴。你还在为那个项目烦恼吗？
No, I’m over it. And I told her. I also told her that I don’t want to talk about work anymore at a party.
不，我已经不在乎了。我告诉她。我还告诉她，我再也不想在派对上谈论工作了。
Good. Not caring is the best way to deal with a button-pusher. Uh-oh. Look over there. Now she’s got David buttonholed.
很好。对付惹怒别人的人的最佳方式是不在乎。啊哦。看那边。现在她拦住了大卫。
Poor guy. But he can take care of himself. Now, where is that cake you were talking about?
可怜的家伙。但他能照顾好自己。你说的那个蛋糕在哪里呢？
And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见…… 我是安娜·马特奥。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
