VOA慢速英语，作为国际英语学习者的重要资源，通过清晰缓慢的发音与简洁的词汇，为初学者及中等水平学习者搭建了通往流利英语的桥梁。它不仅帮助提升听力理解能力，还丰富了词汇量，增强了语感，是学习地道英语表达不可或缺的工具，对全球英语学习者的语言提升至关重要。让我们一起进入今天的VOA慢速英语听力训练：词汇典故sink or swim。

英文原文

Today we talk about a great activity to keep healthy and cool in hot weather. There is nothing better than swimming in cool water. Swimming is a great way to beat the heat and get exercise. But swimming is not only for fun. Knowing how to swim can save your life. If you do not know how to swim, you could sink in the water, and it can happen fast. So today we talk about the idiom "to sink or swim".

今天我们来谈谈在炎热天气中保持健康和凉爽的一个绝佳活动。没有什么比泡在凉爽的水里游泳更棒了。游泳是消暑和锻炼的绝佳方式。但游泳不仅仅是为了娱乐。学会游泳可以救你一命。如果你不会游泳，你可能会在水里沉下去，而且这一切可能发生得非常快。所以今天我们来谈谈习语“to sink or swim”。

"To sink or swim" means you either quickly succeed at something or quickly fail. "To sink or swim" suggests that you will either succeed or fail based on your own skills, others may have taught you, or helped you to prepare for something, but the final responsibility is yours. So we use this idiom to describe a high pressure situation where your success or survival depends on your ability to perform.

“To sink or swim”意味着你要么迅速成功，要么迅速失败。“To sink or swim”表明，无论你是基于自己的技能，还是基于他人对你的教导或帮助而准备，但最终的成功或失败取决于你自己。所以我们用这个习语来描述一种高压环境，在这种环境中，你的成功或生存取决于你的表现能力。

We sometimes pair the idiom "sink or swim" with the expression "to be thrown into the deep end", as in the deep part of a pool. A parent, teacher, or coach could throw a child into the deep end to see if the child will sink or swim. Although it is not likely, usually it means to put someone in a situation to see how they do.

我们有时会将习语“sink or swim”与表达“to be thrown into the deep end”配对使用，就像游泳池的深水区一样。父母、老师或教练可能会把孩子扔进深水区，看看孩子是会游泳还是会沉下去。虽然这种情况不太可能发生，但通常意味着把人置于某种情境下来看他们的表现。

For example, let's say you have been preparing for an English test for many weeks. If you pass it, you may be able to get a better position at your job. You had a great teacher who helped you, but on test day, it's sink or swim. Success is up to you.

例如，假设你已经为英语考试准备了好几周。如果你通过了考试，你可能会在工作中得到一个更好的职位。你有一个很棒的老师来帮助你，但在考试当天，就是“sink or swim”的时刻了。成功取决于你自己。

"Sink or swim" can also describe a situation where you must succeed quickly or you will fail fully. There is no middle ground. It is a win or lose situation. In these situations, we can also say "it's now or never". This means the time to prove yourself is now. You will not have another chance. All your preparation has come to this moment. Whatever that moment is, you need to rise to the occasion.

“sink or swim”也可以描述一种你必须迅速成功，否则就会彻底失败的情况。没有中间地带。这是一场非赢即输的局面。在这些情况下，我们也可以说“it's now or never”。这意味着现在是证明自己的时刻。你不会再有另一次机会。所有的准备都到了这一刻。无论这一刻是什么，你都需要勇敢地迎接挑战。

"Sink or swim" situations can also be called "make or break" events. They can either make you better, or they can break you. If the situation is very serious, and the risks are very great, you can also say "do or die". You either take action or you will definitely fail.

“sink or swim”的情况也可以被称为“make or break”事件。它们要么让你变得更好，要么摧毁你。如果情况非常严重，风险非常大，你也可以说“do or die”。你要么采取行动，要么肯定会失败。

以上便是VOA慢速英语听力训练：词汇典故sink or swim相关内容，希望能帮助你提升听力！