[ti:Explore from Your 'Armchair']
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM
[00:08.52]And now, Words and Their Stories,
[00:11.76]from VOA Learning English.
[00:15.08]On this program we explore words
[00:21.52]and expressions in the English language.
[00:24.92]We give definitions, examples, and notes on usage.
[00:32.00]Today we talk about a piece of furniture used for sitting.
[00:38.20]As the name suggests,
[00:40.12]an armchair has extensions for resting your arms.
[00:45.96]So, armchairs are more comfortable than other chairs.
[00:51.16]In fact, they are so comfortable
[00:53.88]that people sit in them for hours.
[00:58.76]Besides being a kind of furniture,
[01:01.48]Americans use the word "armchair" in front of other words.
[01:07.84]They do this to describe different sorts of people
[01:11.52]and the experiences they might or might not have.
[01:17.88]For example, some experiences can be called vicarious.
[01:24.88]If you live vicariously,
[01:27.16]you experience things through other people.
[01:31.56]You do not actually do the thing
[01:34.24]you are interested in yourself.
[01:36.60]Rather, you enjoy the activity
[01:39.68]by watching or reading about what others do.
[01:45.00]Armchair detectives are not real detectives investigating crimes.
[01:51.84]An armchair detective enjoys reading detective novels
[01:56.68]or watching true crime shows.
[02:01.32]Armchair detectives may even try to solve a crime.
[02:06.00]But all their efforts
[02:08.00]are done from the safety and comfort of their homes.
[02:13.20]Living vicariously through others
[02:15.76]can be a wonderful chance to escape.
[02:19.68]Let's say you do not have the time or money to travel.
[02:24.20]But you still want to experience the pleasure of traveling.
[02:30.24]You can read about places that you would like to visit.
[02:34.88]You can watch travel documentaries about them too.
[02:39.04]And you can do these things
[02:41.52]from the comfort of your own home.
[02:44.68]So, you could call yourself an armchair traveler.
[02:50.60]If you enjoy watching and reading
[02:53.60]about people who do dangerous activities --
[02:56.96]such as climbing Mount Everest
[03:00.00]or free diving into the depths of the ocean --
[03:04.40]you might be an armchair adventurer.
[03:09.04]However, we also use "armchair"
[03:11.96]to describe another sort of person.
[03:15.72]If someone does not have responsibility for a job
[03:19.48]but talks about it from a distance,
[03:22.64]we can use the word "armchair" to describe them.
[03:28.28]Also, if someone is not an expert in a subject,
[03:32.84]but gives advice anyway,
[03:35.60]we could use the word "armchair."
[03:39.72]For example, an armchair strategist
[03:43.76]gives strategies that are more theoretical than practical.
[03:49.96]This means they are talking about a problem
[03:53.00]but are not actually involved in solving it.
[03:58.68]In the same way, an armchair general
[04:02.24]gives advice on going into battle ... from a safe distance.
[04:08.48]Armchair generals are not involved in a real battle.
[04:14.00]In the U.S., a favorite term comes from American football.
[04:19.52]Armchair quarterbacks comment on a football game
[04:23.32]from the comfort of their own chair.
[04:26.80]They criticize and insult the players who actually play the game
[04:32.64]while they themselves have never played it.
[04:37.16]But the use of the term "armchair quarterback"
[04:40.12]goes far beyond the world of sports.
[04:43.12]So, you could hear the term used to describe anyone
[04:48.00]who does not do an activity or have responsibility
[04:52.68]but still makes sharp comments
[04:55.64]or criticizes others who work at the job every day.
[05:00.76]And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
[05:05.64]Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM