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发表于 2007-9-30 10:29
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homework
Now, the VOA Special English Words and Their Stories
Every people has its own way of saying things. Its own special expressions. These are the living speech of people, and story can be told about each of them. The white swan with a long graceful neck is among the most beautiful of birds. The swan is mostly silent through its life, if flows quietly on the water, unable to sing sweet songs, like most other birds.
In ancient times, however, people believed that the swan was given a special gift of song at the end of its life. They believed a swan sings a most beautiful song, just before it dies. The ancient great philosopher Socrates talked of this 2,300 years ago. Socrates explained that the swan was singing because it was happy. The bird was happy because it was going to serve the great god Apollo. Swans were holy to Apollo, the god poetry and song. The story of the swan’s last song found place in the works of other writers, including the early English writers Chaucer and Shakespeare.
And the expression swan song has long being a part of the English language. At first, swan song meant the last work of a poet, musician or writer, now it means the final effort of any person. Someone’s swan song usually has also considered that person’s finalist work. A political expression with the similar meaning is the last holler. The expression maybe used to describe a politician last campaign. It’s final attempt to win the cheers and votes of the people. The last holler also can mean the last acts of politician before his term in office*. Writer A*O* mad the expression popular in 1956, he wrote a book about the final years in the political life of a onetime mail of Boston M*, he called his book the last holler.
Some language experts said the expression came from a name given to noesy supporters of Andrew Jackson, American’s seventh president. They cheered holler so loudly for a Jackson during his presidential campaign that they became long as the holler boys. Jackson’s holler boys also played a part in the election to choose the next president. Jackson’s choice was his vise president Martin Van Buren, a newspaper of the Time reported that Van Buren was elected president, in his words, by the holler boys, and those who knew just enough to shout holler for Jackson. So president Jackson really heard his last holler in the campaign of another candidate, the man who was replace him in the White House.
This VOA Special English Program Words and Their Stories, was written by Mario Christiano, Morries Joyce was the narrator, I’m Shirley Geffen, |
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