And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
现在，来自 VOA Learning English 的Words and Their Stories 。
 
Up and down. High and low. These short words describe more than just directions. They also connect to our feelings and experiences. In this episode of Words and Their Stories, we'll start down low and end up high.
上和下。高和低。这些简短的词描述的不仅仅是方向。它们也与我们的感受和经历有关。在这一集中的单词和他们的故事中，我们将从低处开始，并以高处结束。
 
Many cultures around the world connect the words "low" or "down" with something negative. This is because our minds can easily connect low places, like the floor or the ground, with dirt.
世界各地的许多文化都将“低”或“低”这些词与消极的事物联系在一起。这是因为我们的思想很容易将地板或地面等低处与泥土联系起来。
 
So, when someone asks, "How low can you go?" they are expressing their opinion that another person's behavior is bad in a moral or ethical sense.
所以，当有人问，“你能做到多低？ ”时，他们是在表达他们的观点，认为另一个人的行为在道德或伦理意义上是不好的。
 
If you are down and out, that means you are poor, without enough money for the things you need.
如果你穷困潦倒，那意味着你很穷，没有足够的钱买你需要的东西。
 
And if you are down in the dumps, that means you feel unhappy or depressed.
如果你情绪低落，那就意味着你感到不快乐或沮丧。
 
Next, let's look at two "down" expressions that relate to either getting or keeping information. They sound similar but have different meanings. The following exchange uses one of these expressions:
接下来，让我们看一下与获取或保留信息相关的两个“向下”表达。它们听起来相似，但含义不同。以下交换使用这些表达式之一：
 
A: So, did Maria tell you anything?
A：那么，玛丽亚有没有告诉你什么？
 
B: She did! But keep this on the down-low—she's going to quit her job next month.
B：她做到了！但请保持低调——她将在下个月辞去工作。
 
A: Oh my gosh! Wow—that is big news.
答：天啊！哇——这是个大新闻。
 
B: I know, but she doesn't want anyone else to know.
B：我知道，但她不想让别人知道。
 
A: No worries. I'll keep it on the DL.
答：不用担心。我会把它保存在 DL 上。
 
To keep something on the down-low means to keep information secret. Speakers often say the shortened form, "on the DL," when using the expression.
To keep something on down-low意味着对信息保密。说话者在使用该表达时经常说缩写形式“on the DL”。
 
On the other hand, if you want the low-down on a situation, that means you want to get the information. For example:
另一方面，如果你想了解情况，那就意味着你想获取信息。例如：
 
A: Did Jane give you the low-down on the budget?
A：简有没有告诉你预算的内幕？
 
B: Yeah. She said they can't afford to do a summer project this year.
乙：是的。她说他们负担不起今年的暑期项目。
 
So, getting the low-down means you are getting information. Keeping it on the down-low means you are keeping information away from people.
所以，得到低调意味着你得到了信息。保持低调意味着您让信息远离人们。
 
Moving up
向上
Now, let's move up to a few expressions with "high."
现在，让我们来看看几个带有“high”的表达方式。
 
Imagine you are driving in an area with a lot of traffic. You see a car waiting to turn onto your street, so you stop and let that car make the turn. But this makes the car behind you slow down. The driver of this car now honks the horn for a long time, leans out the car window, and shouts at you.
想象一下，您正在一个交通繁忙的地区开车。你看到一辆车等着开到你的街道上，所以你停下来让那辆车转弯。但这会使你身后的汽车减速。这辆车的司机现在按了很久的喇叭，探出车窗，冲你大喊。
 
At this point, you have a choice. You can also shout in return, or you can take the high road and not answer. To take the high road means to behave in a way that is morally correct, even when other people around you are not behaving well.
在这一点上，你有一个选择。也可以大声回敬，也可以走高路不答。走大路意味着以道德上正确的方式行事，即使你周围的其他人表现不佳。
 
Our next expression relates to time. Sometimes there are things that people should do, but they wait longer than necessary to do them. By waiting, they sometimes create problems or make things worse.
我们的下一个表达与时间有关。有时人们应该做一些事情，但他们等待的时间超过了必要的时间。通过等待，他们有时会制造问题或使事情变得更糟。
 
In these situations, we can use the phrase "it's high time" to say that people have delayed doing something for too long.
在这些情况下，我们可以使用短语“ it's high time ”来表示人们已经延迟做某事太久了。
 
For example, someone can say, "It's high time you cleaned up that apartment. It is so dirty!"
例如，有人可以说，“该是你打扫那间公寓的时候了。它太脏了！”
 
Next, we look at the word highfalutin. If you say someone is highfalutin, that means you think the person is overly fancy or pompous. Highfalutin is usually a negative way of referring to ways of speaking and behaving.
接下来，我们看一下highfalutin这个词。如果你说某人highfalutin，那意味着你认为这个人过于花哨或自大。Highfalutin通常是指代说话和行为方式的消极方式。
 
According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of American English, the first known use of this word was in 1839 in the United States.
根据 Merriam-Webster 的美国英语词典，该词的首次已知使用是在 1839 年的美国。
 
Finally, you can end on a high note by connecting to another Words and Their Stories program. There, you can learn more expressions about highs and lows.
最后，您可以通过连接到另一个Words and Their Stories程序以高调结束。在那里，您可以学习更多关于高潮和低潮的表达方式。