独角兽
Unicorns
Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.
大家好，欢迎来到六分钟英语，我是尼尔。
And hello, I'm Rob.
大家好，我是罗伯。
Now, then, Rob, what do you know about unicorns?
那么，现在，罗布，你对独角兽了解多少？
Ah, well, the unicorn is a fantasy creature from history.
啊，好吧，独角兽是历史上幻想出的一种生物。
In our tradition it looks like a white horse with a single spiral horn coming out of its head.
在我们的传统中，它看起来像一匹白马，脑袋上长出来一个螺旋形兽角。
Why do you ask?
你为什么要问这？
Well, funnily enough, unicorns are the topic of this programme.
好吧，有趣的是独角兽是这个节目的主题。
Before we learn more though, a question.
在我们了解更多之前有一个问题。
What do we call the study of legendary creatures like the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot and unicorns?
我们把对像是“尼斯湖水怪”，“大脚怪”和“独角兽”等传说中生物的研究叫什么？
Is it:a) Cryptozoology, b) Protozoology, or c) Paleozoology?
是：a）神秘生物学，b）原生动物学，还是c）古生物学？
Have you got any idea about that, Rob?
罗伯，你有什么想法吗？
Ah, well, I know this because it was the topic of a 6 Minute English programme a while back, in 2008, to be exact.
啊，好吧，我知道这个问题的答案，因为它是六分钟英语不久之前的一个主题，确切地说是在2008年。
So I think I'll keep the answer to myself.
所以我想我会保密自己的答案。
OK, well for everyone else, we'll have the answer later in the programme.
好的，对其他人来说，我们稍后将会在节目中揭晓答案。
Over the last few years unicorns have been popping up all over the place - on T-shirts, in movies, as toys and even in political conversations.
在过去的几年里，到处都是独角兽——在T恤上，电影中，玩具，甚至是政治对话中。
Why is this?
这是为什么呢？
Natalie Lawrence is a natural historian.
娜塔莉·劳伦斯是一位自然历史学家。
She appeared on the BBC's Woman's Hour programme to discuss the topic.
她做客在BBC《女性时间》节目来讨论这个话题。
Listen out for the answer to this question: Why does she say people used to drink out of unicorn horns?
听听这个问题的答案：为什么她说人们过去常常用独角兽的兽角喝水？
Those original stories were developed in a time when magic actually existed in the world. The world was still very enchanted …
那些故事是在世界真的存在魔法的时代发展起来的。世界仍像被施了魔法一样……
the idea that the unicorn is a very strong animal and also that could achieve magical feats, so unicorn horn used to be seen as a panacea for all sorts of ills and a guard against poison.
独角兽是一种非常强壮的动物，同样也可以达到神奇功效，因此独角兽曾被视为各种疾病的灵丹妙药和防毒药。
So people used to drink out of unicorn horn cups to prevent themselves getting poisoned,
所以人们过去常常用独角兽的兽角喝水来防止自己中毒，
and I think that idea of it being magical and having magical powers has still come through today.
我觉得认为它神奇并具有神奇力量的想法今天仍然存在。
Why did they drink from unicorn horn cups?
为什么他们要用独角兽的兽角杯喝水？
Well, they were supposed to have magical powers so people drank from them so they wouldn't get poisoned.
好吧，它们被认为拥有神奇的力量，所以人们用它们喝水，这样他们就不会中毒。
Yes, she said they could perform magical feats.
是的，她说它们可以展现神奇的功效。
A feat is something that is difficult to do or achieve - like recording this programme without making a mistake, that's a real feat!
“一项功绩”是难以做到或者实现的某事——就像不出错录制这个节目一样，这是一项真正的功绩！
Well, we usually do it. It must just be unicorn magic.
好吧，通常我们都会做到。那肯定是独角兽的魔力。
No, just the magic of editing, Rob!
不，那只是编辑校订的魔力，罗伯！
Now, she also said that unicorn horn was seen as a panacea.
现在，她还说独角兽的角被视为灵丹妙药。
What does that mean?
那是什么意思？
A panacea is another word for a cure - something that can protect you from illness or help you recover if you are sick.
灵丹妙药是药剂的另一个词——可以保护你免受疾病或当你生病时帮助你恢复健康的东西。
But is all this true, about the unicorn horn?
关于独角兽兽角的一切都是真的吗？
Well, seeing as how unicorns don't and never have existed, it's unlikely to be true.
好吧，鉴于独角兽没有并且从未存在过，它不太可能是真的。
She says these stories come from a time when the world was enchanted.
她说这些故事来自世界好像被施了魔法的时代。
This means it was a time when people believed in magic and the possibility of mysterious creatures from mysterious parts of the world.
这意味着那时候人们相信魔法并且世界神秘地区存在神秘生物的可能性。
It seems as if these days people are looking for a bit of magic, a bit of enchantment in their lives.
似乎现在人们正在他们的生活中寻求一些魔力，一些魔法。
The unicorn has also come to be a term commonly used in politics to refer to unrealistic ideas and plans.
独角兽也成为政治中常用的术语，指的是不切实际的想法和计划。
Why is this?
为什么呢？
Here's Natalie Lawrence again.
这是娜塔莉·劳伦斯再次谈到的。
Because it's such a potent cultural symbol at the moment, it's being deployed in one of the most pressing issues of our time, as well, so…
因为它现在是如此强大的文化符号，它也被用于我们这个时代最紧迫的问题之一，所以……
and the idea of the UK trying to be its own special unicorn potentially…
而且英国自己不切实际的想法可能……
So Rob, what is she talking about here?
所以罗伯，她在这里谈的是什么？
Well, we are in a very complicated time politically in the UK at the moment.
好吧，英国目前在政治上处于一个非常复杂的时期。
She says they are pressing times.
她说他们处于很紧迫的时期。
A term which means something important but difficult has to be done in a very short time.
这个术语指的是某事很重要但在短期很难完成。
A pressing matter is an important one that has to be dealt with urgently.
紧迫的事情是一个必须紧急处理的重要事项。
Now, at the time of recording our parliament can't agree on the current pressing matter of Brexit and each side says the other has unicorns.
现在就在我们录制节目的时候，我们的议会无法就目前英国脱欧的紧迫事项达成一致，而且双方都说对方不切实际。
There's nothing special or magical about these unicorns - it's a negative comment - a unicorn is a fantasy idea - a plan that has no chance of working.
这些不切实际的想法或计划没有什么特别或神奇之处——这是一个负面评论——不切实际的想法或计划是幻想的想法，没有机会起作用的计划。
She says unicorns are a potent symbol - which means they are a very strong and recognisable symbol.
她说独角兽是一个强有力的象征——这意味着它们是一个非常强大，可识别的象征。
And this symbol is being used, or as she said being deployed.
这个象征正在被使用，或正如她所说的那样被配置部署。
This is the same word that would be used when you send a military force somewhere.
这是你在某个地方派遣军队时使用的同一个词。
You deploy the army in a military conflict, and in the current political conflict they are deploying the word 'unicorn'!
你在军事冲突中部署军队，在当前的政治冲突中他们正在使用“独角兽”这个词！
Here’s Natalie Lawrence again.
这是娜塔莉·劳伦斯再次谈到的。
Because it's such a potent cultural symbol at the moment, it's being deployed in one of the most pressing issues of our time, as well, so…
因为它现在是如此强大的文化符号，它也被用于我们这个时代最紧迫的问题之一，所以……
and the idea of the UK trying to be its own special unicorn potentially…
而且英国自己不切实际的想法可能……
Right, our pressing matter now is the vocabulary review.
是的，我们现在的迫切事宜是回顾词汇。
Before that though, the answer to this week's question:
在此之前是本周问题的答案。
What do we call the study of legendary creatures like the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot and unicorns.
我们把对像是“尼斯湖水怪”，“大脚怪”和“独角兽”等传说中生物的研究叫什么？
Is it: a) Cryptozoology, b) Protozoology, or c) Paleozoology?
是：a）神秘生物学，b）原生动物学，还是c）古生物学？
Rob, you knew the answer to this, didn't you?
罗伯，你知道这个问题的答案，是吧？
I did, yes. If you look back at our archive to September 2008 you will find an episode all about a) Cryptozoology.
我知道，是的。如果你回顾我们2008年9月的存档，你会发现有一期全是关于a）神秘生物学。
Well done, if you got that right - particularly if you remember that programme!
如果你答对了，那做得很棒——特别是如果你还记得那期节目！
Now, vocabulary from this programme.
现在是这期节目里的词汇。
There was enchanted to talk about a time when magic was believed to be real.
魔法被认为是真实的时候那里就像被施了魔法一样。
A feat is something that is very difficult to achieve and a panacea is a cure.
一项壮举是很难实现的，而且灵丹妙药是一种药剂。
Something that's potent is strong and powerful and if you deploy something, you use it, you put it into operation.
某事物是强有力的就是强大有力的，如果你部署了一些东西，你就可以使用它，你就可以把它投入使用。
And something pressing is urgent, it needs to be done soon.
紧迫的事情就是迫切的，它需要尽快被完成。
Right, that's it from us for now.
是的，我们现在就非常紧迫。
Hope you can join us again soon.
希望你能再次加入我们。
Bye for now.
再见了。
Bye bye!
拜拜！