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：词汇故事lightning。

英文原文

Today we talk about a saying that comes from nature, the weather to be exact. Lightning is a powerful force of nature. In fact, a lightning strike carries millions of volts of electricity. Scientists say a bolt of lightning strikes somewhere on earth every second. That is a lot of energy. Think how wonderful it would be if we could capture lightning and sell it in a bottle. Sadly, that is not something you or I can do, at least not yet.

今天我们来谈谈一句源自自然，确切来说是源自天气的谚语。闪电是自然界中一种强大的力量。事实上，一次雷击能携带数百万伏特的电流。科学家说，地球上每秒都有一次雷击发生。这蕴含着巨大的能量。想象一下，如果我们能捕捉闪电并将其装在瓶子里出售，那该有多美妙。遗憾的是，你或我都无法做到这一点，至少目前还没有办法。

The phrase "to catch lightning in a bottle" means to capture something powerful or difficult, then you are able to control it and perhaps show it to the world. This is where the "bottle" part is important. We can also use "to capture lightning in a bottle" to describe an extremely difficult or unlikely success, or you can simply call something elusive, fleeting, and brilliant: "lightning in a bottle." So, something elusive is difficult to define or to identify. Fleeting means to be here one minute and gone the next. Something fleeting is hard to hold onto; it is hard to catch or even define. It's as if it's too special.

“catch lightning in a bottle”这个短语意味着捕捉某种强大或困难的东西，然后你就能控制它，甚至向全世界展示它。这就是“bottle（瓶子）”部分的重要性所在。我们也可以用“capture lightning in a bottle”来形容一次极其困难或不太可能发生的成功，或者你可以简单地称之为难以捉摸、转瞬即逝且辉煌灿烂的东西：“lightning in a bottle（瓶子里的闪电）”。因此，难以捉摸的东西很难定义或识别。“Fleeting”意味着它只存在很短的时间然后就消失了。转瞬即逝的东西很难抓住，甚至很难定义。它就好像太过特别了。

For example, once I worked on a theater project, and the experience was like lightning in a bottle. The performers all gifted and friendly, became like family. We spent every day together. The material we performed was funny yet difficult, and every night, the people who gathered to watch us perform were wonderful. Experiences like that do not come along every day. So, we often use the term "lightning in a bottle" when talking about something creative, but not always.

例如，有一次我参与了一个剧院项目，在那儿的经历犹如那瓶子里的灿烂的，稍纵即逝的闪电。演员们都很有天赋且友好，他们变得像一家人一样。我们每天都在一起。我们表演的内容既有趣又困难，而每天晚上，聚集起来观看我们表演的人们都非常棒。像这样的经历并不是每天都有。因此，当我们谈论有创意的东西时，我们经常会用到“lightning in a bottle”这个词，但并非总是如此。

In the world of sports, players and teams have also been known for catching lightning in a bottle. Anything physical that is "lightning in a bottle" can be described as a rare feat. Climbing the top of Mount Everest is considered a rare feat of endurance. Sometimes we use this expression to describe something that is difficult to do, and use it as a simile. A simile compares two things and begins with the word "like" or "as." For example, getting all the scientists to agree on a subject for the conference was like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. They all wanted to talk about different issues.

在体育界，运动员和团队也因为做一些难事或者不可能成功的事情而闻名。任何身体方面的难事都能被称为一种罕见的壮举。攀登珠穆朗玛峰顶峰被认为是一项罕见的耐力壮举。有时我们用这个表达来形容一件很难做到的事情，并将其用作明喻。明喻用来比较两件事，并以“像”或“如”开头。例如，让所有科学家在会议上就某一主题达成一致意见，就像试图把闪电装进瓶子里一样难。他们都想谈论不同的话题。

As you may have noticed, we either use the verbs "capture" or "catch" for this expression. "Catch" is less official sounding. Language experts do not know exactly where this expression comes from. Some say it may have started with Benjamin Franklin, the American diplomat, businessman, and inventor. Ben Franklin is known for a scientific experiment involving electricity and lightning. As the story goes, Franklin once flew a kite in a lightning storm. He had hoped that lightning would strike the kite as it flew high in the sky. He thought the electricity would travel down the string to a metal key at the bottom. Then the plan was to catch the electricity in a glass jar, but that didn't happen. However, it did lead to the invention of the lightning rod and the understanding of positive and negative charges.

你可能已经注意到，我们在使用这个表达时，要么用动词“capture（捕捉）”，要么用“catch（抓住）”。“catch”听起来不太正式。语言专家并不确切知道这个表达是从哪里来的。有人说它可能起源于美国外交家、商人和发明家本杰明·富兰克林。本·富兰克林因一项涉及电和雷电的科学实验而闻名。据说，富兰克林曾在雷雨天气放风筝。他希望雷电能击中高高飞翔的风筝。他认为电流会沿着风筝线传到下面的金属钥匙上。然后他的计划是将电流装进玻璃罐里，但这一计划并未实现。然而，这一实验确实导致了避雷针的发明以及对正负电荷的理解。

So, you can't catch real lightning in a bottle.

因此，你无法真正地把闪电装进瓶子里。

以上便是VOA慢速英语听力训练：词汇故事lightning相关内容，希望能帮助你提升听力！