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When it rains, it pours。

英文原文

Some are very common, for example, I'm sure that most of you have heard the expression "raining cats and dogs." We use it when it is raining very, very hard. In other words, when it is pouring. We have another useful expression about hard rain: "When it rains, it pours." This means that when something bad happens, other bad things usually happen at the same time. We often use this saying after someone describes a lot of bad things, one after the other, like in this example: "Boy, my sister is really having a hard time these days." "Why, what's wrong?" "First, someone stole her car. Then she broke her arm in a biking accident. And a falling tree cut a hole in her house. All in one week." That is one unlucky week. You know what they say, "When it rains, it pours."

有些说法很常见，例如，我确信你们大多数人都听过“倾盆大雨”这个说法。我们在雨下得非常大的时候使用它。换句话说，就是下大雨的时候。关于大雨，我们还有一个有用的说法：“祸不单行”。这意味着当坏事发生时，通常其他坏事也会同时发生。当有人一个接一个地描述了很多坏事之后，我们经常使用这个说法，就像这个例子：“哎，我姐姐这些天真的很倒霉。”“为什么，怎么了？”“首先，有人偷了她的车。然后她在骑自行车时摔断了胳膊。还有一棵树倒下在她房子上砸了个洞。全都在一周之内。”那真是个不幸的一周。你知道他们怎么说，“祸不单行”。

When using this expression, know that it can be helpful in any situation. You can say it to your best friend or to your employer. Also, we often say it in a sing-song way, like, "When it rains, it pours." Now, the Miriam-Webster Dictionary says that English speakers use this idiom for a series of bad things. However, other websites say you can also use it to describe many good things. While I have heard it used to describe many good things, more often than not, the rain in this expression represents bad things. So, even though we mostly use "when it rains, it pours" for bad situations, you can also use it in good ones.

在使用这个说法时，要知道它可以在任何情况下都很有帮助。你可以对最好的朋友或雇主说这句话。而且，我们经常以一种唱歌般的方式说这句话，比如，“祸不单行”。现在，《韦氏词典》说，英语使用者用这个习语来描述一系列坏事。然而，其他网站说，你也可以用它来描述许多好事。虽然我听说过它用来描述许多好事，但大多数情况下，这个说法中的“雨”代表坏事。所以，尽管我们大多在坏情况下使用“祸不单行”，但你也可以在好的情况下使用它。

However, we only use the next one in bad times. If a person is under a cloud, they are thought to have done something bad or dishonorable. A person might even be under a certain type of cloud, such as a cloud of suspicion. If you are living under a cloud of suspicion, other people believe that you have done something wrong. But we use this expression for companies and organizations as well, not just people. For example, currently, many scandals surround some women's gymnastic organizations and some universities in the United States. They are under a cloud of suspicion.

然而，我们只在不好的时候使用下一个说法。如果一个人处于困境中，人们会认为他做了坏事或不光彩的事。一个人甚至可能处于某种困境中，比如被怀疑的阴影笼罩。如果你生活在被怀疑的阴影中，其他人会认为你做了错事。但我们不仅对人使用这个表达，也对公司和组织使用。例如，目前，许多丑闻围绕着一些美国的女子体操组织和大学。他们正处于被怀疑的阴影中。

Now, if you add a few extra words to the phrase, the meaning changes greatly. If I am living under a dark cloud, it means I am depressed and sad all the time. We can make this phrase even more descriptive by saying, "living under the dark cloud of depression" or "living under the dark cloud of poverty." So, you see, there are different types of dark clouds you can live under. But even for people living under a dark cloud, there is hope. There is always hope.

现在，如果你在这个短语中加上几个额外的词，意思就会发生很大的变化。如果我生活在一片阴云之下，那就意味着我一直都很沮丧和悲伤。我们可以说“生活在抑郁的阴云之下”或“生活在贫困的阴云之下”，以使这个短语更具描述性。所以，你看，你可以生活在不同类型的阴云之下。但即使对于生活在阴云之下的人来说，也有希望。总是有希望。

And that brings us to our last one: "Every cloud has a silver lining." This expression means there is always something hopeful in even the most difficult or unhappy situation. A silver lining on a cloud shows that the sun is behind it. Even a really terrible bad event may produce something happy or hopeful. For example, let's say a friend of yours is in a car crash. She is not badly hurt but her car is too damaged to fix. When the tow truck driver comes to take her car off the road, she starts talking to him. They find out they share a love of old cars, so they plan to meet the following weekend at a car show. Soon, they become great friends. When she tells this story to her friends and family, they often say the same thing: "Every cloud has a silver lining."

这就引出了我们最后一个说法：“乌云背后有银边”。这个说法意味着即使在最困难或不愉快的情况下，也总是有希望的事情。乌云上的银边表明太阳在它后面。即使是一个非常糟糕的事件，也可能产生一些令人高兴或充满希望的事情。例如，假设你的一位朋友出了车祸。她伤得不重，但她的车损坏得太严重，无法修复。当拖车司机来把她的车拖走时，她开始和他交谈。他们发现彼此都热爱老式汽车，所以他们计划在下周的汽车展上见面。很快，他们成为了好朋友。当她把这个故事讲给朋友和家人听时，他们经常说同样的话：“乌云背后有银边”。

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