VOA Special English -  WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - 2007/09/30

Now the VOA special English program words and their story.
Every people has their own way saying things. it’s own special expression. These are the living speech of the people. And story can be told about each of them. The white Swan with its long graceful neck. It among the most beautiful birds. the swan is the most of silent through its life. It floats quietly on the water. Unable to sing sweat songs like most of other birds. In ancient time however. People believe that the swan was given a special gift of song at end of its life. They believe the swan sings the most beautiful song just before their dies. The ancient Greek philosopher Scotty talk of this 2300 years ago. Scotty explain that swan was singing because of happy. The birds was happy because it was going to serve the Greek God Apollo. Swan was holly Apollo the got poetry and song?The story of swan last song sound plays and works other writers. Including the earlier English writer Caoser and Shakespeare. And their expression swan song has along apart of English languages. At first swan song meant the last work of poet、musician or writer. Now it means the final effort of any person. Someone’s swan song usually also considered that person finals work. A political expression with similar meaning is the last hurrah the expression maybe used to describe the politician last campaign his finally attempt to win the cheers and votes of the people. The last hurrah also can mean the last act of politician before his team in offices end. Writer Edwin ? made the expression popular in 1956. he wrote a book about final year in the political life of long time Mayer of Boston Massachusetts. He called his book the last hurrah. Some language experts say the expression came from the name given to noise supporter of Andrew Jackson American seventh president. They cheer hurrah so loudly for Andy Jackson during his presidential campaign. That they became known as hurrah boys. Jackson hurrah boys also play a part of election to choose next president. Jackson choice was his vice president Martin ? a newspaper of a time reported ? was elected president in his words by the hurrah boys and those who knew just enough to shout hurrah for Jackson. So president Jackson really heard his last hurrahs in the campaign of another candidate. The man who was replace him in the white house.

(Revised version based upon the above material)

Now the VOA special English program words and their stories.

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. These are the living speech of a people, and a story can be told about each of them.
The white swan with its long graceful neck is among the most beautiful of birds. The swan is mostly silent through its life. It floats quietly on the water, unable to sing sweat 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 Greek philosopher Socrates talked of this 2300 years ago. Socrates explained that the swan was singing because it was happy. The bird was happy because it was going to serve the Greek God Apollo. Swans were holy to Apollo, the God of poetry and song. The story of the swan's last song found a place in the works of other writers, including the early English writers Chaucer and Shakespeare, and the expression swan song has long been 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 as also considered that person's finest work.
A political expression with the similar meaning is the last hurrah. The expression maybe used to describe a politician's last campaign, his final attempt to win the cheers and votes of the people. The last hurrah also can mean the last acts of a politician before his term in office ends. Writer Edwin O'Connor made the expression popular in 1956. He wrote a book about the final years in the political life of a long time mayor of Boston Massachusetts. He called his book the last hurrah. Some language experts say the expression came from a name given to noisy supporters of Andrew Jackson, American seventh president. They cheered hurrah so loudly for Andy Jackson during his presidential campaign that they became known as the hurrah boys. Jackson's hurrah boys also played a part in the election to choose the next president. Jackson's choice was his vice president Martin Van Buren. A newspaper of the time reported that Van Buren was elected president, in his words, by the hurrah boys and those who knew just enough to shout hurrah for Jackson. So President Jackson really heard his last hurrahs in the campaign of another candidate, the man who will replace him in the White House.