[ti:'All Thumbs']
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM
[00:08.12]And now, Words and Their Stories 
[00:11.56]from VOA Learning English.
[00:19.88]On this show we explore
[00:21.84]words and expressions a little more deeply.
[00:25.44]We give you synonyms 
[00:27.84]– words that mean close to the same thing.
[00:31.36]And we use the expressions in a conversation.
[00:36.92]Today we talk about our hands
[00:40.88]– more specifically our thumbs.
[00:45.04]Most of us have one thumb
[00:47.56]and four fingers on each hand.
[00:51.52]Our thumbs let us perform certain tasks.
[00:55.64]But what if all our fingers were replaced with thumbs?
[01:03.04]Those tasks we normally perform with ease
[01:06.92]would become much more difficult.
[01:10.56]In fact, we would lose the ability
[01:13.44]to do many things with our hands.
[01:16.92]Our movements would become careless and clumsy.
[01:22.40]We would drop things all the time.
[01:26.00]And that is what the saying to be all thumbs means.
[01:32.64]If I am all thumbs,
[01:35.24]I lack grace with my hands.
[01:38.12]I am klutzy.
[01:40.12]So, people might call me a klutz.
[01:44.72]They might also call me butterfingers.
[01:47.96]Imagine your fingers are coated in butter.
[01:52.60]They would be very slippery.
[01:55.60]And it would hard to pick things up.
[01:59.68]Now, let's hear the expression "to be all thumbs"
[02:03.92]in a conversation between two friends.
[02:07.64]A: Hey, I'm planning a surprise party for Nicholas.
[02:12.76]I'm bringing the food and ice.
[02:16.04]And Cassidy is bringing the drinks
[02:19.00]– about 50 bottles of wine and lemonade.
[02:23.12]Can you bring the cake?
[02:25.12]B: I have a better idea. I'll pick up the drinks.
[02:29.64]Why don't you ask Cassidy to bring the cake?
[02:32.20]A: Why?
[02:33.40]B: Cassidy is all thumbs.
[02:35.68]She'll end up dropping everything
[02:37.68]and then we won't have drinks at the party.
[02:39.80]A: Good call. She is pretty clumsy.
[02:44.16]Actually, at the last party she dropped the cake.
[02:48.56]On second thought ... I'll have her bring the ice.
[02:52.72]If she drops the bags of ice,
[02:54.72]it'll only help break it up.
[02:56.76]B: Very smart.
[02:59.24]And that's all the time we have 
[03:02.32]for this Words and Their Stories.
[03:05.20]Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
[03:08.80]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM