英語聽力頻道為大家整理的英語聽力讀物下載：道聽途說，供大家參考:)
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
這里是VOA慢速英語詞語典故節(jié)目。
Some of the most exciting information comes by way of the grapevine .
一些最激動人心的消息是通過小道消息(by way of the grapevine)傳播的。
That is so because reports received through the grapevine are supposed to be secret. The information is all hush hush . It is whispered into your ear with the understanding that you will not pass it on to others.
這樣說是因為，通過葡萄藤一樣巨大的網(wǎng)絡(luò)接收的消息應(yīng)該保密。這條消息是極度秘密的(hush hush)。消息通過悄聲耳語的方式傳播給你，你不應(yīng)該告訴其他人。
You feel honored and excited. You are one of the special few to get this information. You cannot wait. You must quickly find other ears to pour the information into. And so, the information - secret as it is – begins to spread. Nobody knows how far.
你感到非常榮耀和激動。你是了解到這條消息的為數(shù)不多的幾個人之一。你迫不及待。你必須盡快找到其他人來傳播這條消息。這樣，盡管消息非常秘密，也廣泛傳播開來。沒人知道會傳播到多么廣闊的范圍。
The expression by the grapevine is more than one hundred years old.
這個關(guān)于葡萄藤的表達方式來源于100多年前。
The American inventor, Samuel F. Morse, is largely responsible for the birth of the expression. Among others, he experimented with the idea of telegraphy – sending messages over a wire by electricity. When Morse finally completed his telegraphic instrument, he went before Congress to show that it worked. He sent a message over a wire from Washington to Baltimore. The message was: "What hath God wrought?" This was on May twenty-fourth, eighteen forty-four.
美國發(fā)明家薩繆爾·摩爾斯 (Samuel F. Morse)對這句短語的誕生有很大貢獻。他對電報進行了實驗——通過電線來傳播信息。當(dāng)他的電報設(shè)施實驗成功之后，他來到國會展示工作原理。他從華盛頓向巴爾的摩發(fā)送了一條消息。消息的內(nèi)容是圣經(jīng)上的一句話：“上帝創(chuàng)造了什么樣的奇跡呀？”當(dāng)時是1844年5月24日。
Quickly, companies began to build telegraph lines from one place to another. Men everywhere seemed to be putting up poles with strings of wire for carrying telegraphic messages. The workmanship was poor. And the wires were not put up straight.
很快，許多公司開始在各地搭建電報線路。似乎各地的人們都在架構(gòu)四通八達的電報網(wǎng)絡(luò)。由于工程質(zhì)量比較差，這些電報線歪歪曲曲的。
Some of the results looked strange. People said they looked like a grapevine. A large number of the telegraph lines were going in all directions, as crooked as the vines that grapes grow on. So was born the expression, by the grapevine.
有一些線路非常奇怪，人們說看上去像葡萄藤一樣。大量電報線伸展向各個方向，就像葡萄藤生長的那樣彎曲。所以這個表達方式就誕生了，by the grapevine。
Some writers believe that the phrase would soon have disappeared were it not for the American Civil War.
一些作家認為，如果不是美國南北內(nèi)戰(zhàn)，這句短語可能很快就會消失。
Soon after the war began in eighteen sixty-one, military commanders started to send battlefield reports by telegraph. People began hearing the phrase by the grapevine to describe false as well as true reports from the battlefield. It was like a game.Was it true? Who says so?
1861年內(nèi)戰(zhàn)開始不久，軍事指揮員開始通過電報發(fā)送戰(zhàn)報。人們開始聽到用by the grapevine（來自前方電報）這句話描述或真或假的戰(zhàn)報。這就像一個游戲。這是真的嗎？這是誰說的？
Now, as in those far-off Civil War days, getting information by the grapevine remains something of a game. A friend brings you a bit of strange news. "No," you say, "it just can't be true! Who told you?" Comes the answer, "I got it by the grapevine ."
現(xiàn)在，在內(nèi)戰(zhàn)早已遠去的日子里，獲取小道信息仍保留著鬼把戲的味道。一個朋友給你帶來一個奇怪的消息。 “不，”你說，“這不可能是真的！誰告訴你嗎？”他回答道：“這是我得到的小道消息。（I got it by the grapevine.）”
You really cannot know how much – if any – of the information that comes to you by the grapevine is true or false. Still,in the words of an old American saying, the person who keeps pulling the grapevine shakes down at least a few grapes.
你真的不知道通過小道得到的消息有多少，如果有的話，是真的還是假的。還是美國的那句老話，搖晃葡萄藤的人至少晃下幾個葡萄（theperson who keeps pulling the grapevine shakes down at least a few grapes.）（意為大量小道消息中，總有些是真的）。
(MUSIC)
（音樂）
You have been listening to the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm Christopher Cruise.
您收聽的是VOA慢速英語詞語典故節(jié)目。我是Christopher Cruise。
詞匯學(xué)習(xí)：
Grapevine原意為葡萄樹、葡萄藤，現(xiàn)在常用來表示（秘密或謠言等）不脛而走。 例如：
1. They were told to desist from spreading grapevine news.
已告訴他們停止散布小道消息。
2. I heard on the grapevine that you're leaving.
我聽小道消息說你要離開。
hush hush 是形容詞，意思是機密的，秘而不宣的。例如：
They managed to keep the scandal very hush hush but then a newspaper reporter found out about it.
他們試圖使這件丑聞不被外泄，但后來被一位記者發(fā)現(xiàn)了。
by the grapevine通過小道消息得來
You must have heard it by the grapevine.
你一定是道聽途說。
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
這里是VOA慢速英語詞語典故節(jié)目。
Some of the most exciting information comes by way of the grapevine .
一些最激動人心的消息是通過小道消息(by way of the grapevine)傳播的。
That is so because reports received through the grapevine are supposed to be secret. The information is all hush hush . It is whispered into your ear with the understanding that you will not pass it on to others.
這樣說是因為，通過葡萄藤一樣巨大的網(wǎng)絡(luò)接收的消息應(yīng)該保密。這條消息是極度秘密的(hush hush)。消息通過悄聲耳語的方式傳播給你，你不應(yīng)該告訴其他人。
You feel honored and excited. You are one of the special few to get this information. You cannot wait. You must quickly find other ears to pour the information into. And so, the information - secret as it is – begins to spread. Nobody knows how far.
你感到非常榮耀和激動。你是了解到這條消息的為數(shù)不多的幾個人之一。你迫不及待。你必須盡快找到其他人來傳播這條消息。這樣，盡管消息非常秘密，也廣泛傳播開來。沒人知道會傳播到多么廣闊的范圍。
The expression by the grapevine is more than one hundred years old.
這個關(guān)于葡萄藤的表達方式來源于100多年前。
The American inventor, Samuel F. Morse, is largely responsible for the birth of the expression. Among others, he experimented with the idea of telegraphy – sending messages over a wire by electricity. When Morse finally completed his telegraphic instrument, he went before Congress to show that it worked. He sent a message over a wire from Washington to Baltimore. The message was: "What hath God wrought?" This was on May twenty-fourth, eighteen forty-four.
美國發(fā)明家薩繆爾·摩爾斯 (Samuel F. Morse)對這句短語的誕生有很大貢獻。他對電報進行了實驗——通過電線來傳播信息。當(dāng)他的電報設(shè)施實驗成功之后，他來到國會展示工作原理。他從華盛頓向巴爾的摩發(fā)送了一條消息。消息的內(nèi)容是圣經(jīng)上的一句話：“上帝創(chuàng)造了什么樣的奇跡呀？”當(dāng)時是1844年5月24日。
Quickly, companies began to build telegraph lines from one place to another. Men everywhere seemed to be putting up poles with strings of wire for carrying telegraphic messages. The workmanship was poor. And the wires were not put up straight.
很快，許多公司開始在各地搭建電報線路。似乎各地的人們都在架構(gòu)四通八達的電報網(wǎng)絡(luò)。由于工程質(zhì)量比較差，這些電報線歪歪曲曲的。
Some of the results looked strange. People said they looked like a grapevine. A large number of the telegraph lines were going in all directions, as crooked as the vines that grapes grow on. So was born the expression, by the grapevine.
有一些線路非常奇怪，人們說看上去像葡萄藤一樣。大量電報線伸展向各個方向，就像葡萄藤生長的那樣彎曲。所以這個表達方式就誕生了，by the grapevine。
Some writers believe that the phrase would soon have disappeared were it not for the American Civil War.
一些作家認為，如果不是美國南北內(nèi)戰(zhàn)，這句短語可能很快就會消失。
Soon after the war began in eighteen sixty-one, military commanders started to send battlefield reports by telegraph. People began hearing the phrase by the grapevine to describe false as well as true reports from the battlefield. It was like a game.Was it true? Who says so?
1861年內(nèi)戰(zhàn)開始不久，軍事指揮員開始通過電報發(fā)送戰(zhàn)報。人們開始聽到用by the grapevine（來自前方電報）這句話描述或真或假的戰(zhàn)報。這就像一個游戲。這是真的嗎？這是誰說的？
Now, as in those far-off Civil War days, getting information by the grapevine remains something of a game. A friend brings you a bit of strange news. "No," you say, "it just can't be true! Who told you?" Comes the answer, "I got it by the grapevine ."
現(xiàn)在，在內(nèi)戰(zhàn)早已遠去的日子里，獲取小道信息仍保留著鬼把戲的味道。一個朋友給你帶來一個奇怪的消息。 “不，”你說，“這不可能是真的！誰告訴你嗎？”他回答道：“這是我得到的小道消息。（I got it by the grapevine.）”
You really cannot know how much – if any – of the information that comes to you by the grapevine is true or false. Still,in the words of an old American saying, the person who keeps pulling the grapevine shakes down at least a few grapes.
你真的不知道通過小道得到的消息有多少，如果有的話，是真的還是假的。還是美國的那句老話，搖晃葡萄藤的人至少晃下幾個葡萄（theperson who keeps pulling the grapevine shakes down at least a few grapes.）（意為大量小道消息中，總有些是真的）。
(MUSIC)
（音樂）
You have been listening to the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm Christopher Cruise.
您收聽的是VOA慢速英語詞語典故節(jié)目。我是Christopher Cruise。
詞匯學(xué)習(xí)：
Grapevine原意為葡萄樹、葡萄藤，現(xiàn)在常用來表示（秘密或謠言等）不脛而走。 例如：
1. They were told to desist from spreading grapevine news.
已告訴他們停止散布小道消息。
2. I heard on the grapevine that you're leaving.
我聽小道消息說你要離開。
hush hush 是形容詞，意思是機密的，秘而不宣的。例如：
They managed to keep the scandal very hush hush but then a newspaper reporter found out about it.
他們試圖使這件丑聞不被外泄，但后來被一位記者發(fā)現(xiàn)了。
by the grapevine通過小道消息得來
You must have heard it by the grapevine.
你一定是道聽途說。