翻译研讨：2009/12/27词语典故：纽约的昵称。

Now, the VOA special English programs, words and their stories.

现在， VOA 特别英语，词语典故。

A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname also can be a descriptive name for a person, place or thing. Many American cities have nicknames, these can help establish an identity, spread pride among citizens and build unity.

昵称是一个人名字的简称。昵称也可以是一个人、一个地方或者是一件物品的定义性名称。许多美国城市都有昵称，这样可以帮助确立身份、在市民中传递自豪感并增进团结。

A few years ago, some marketing and advertising experts were asked to name the best nickname for an American city. The winner was the nation's largest city, New York. The top nickname was "the big apple."

几年前，一些市场营销专家受邀提名有最佳昵称的美国城市。获胜者是全国最大的城市：纽约。这一顶级昵称是“大苹果”。

You might wonder how New York got this nickname. In the earlier 1970s, the city had many problems; the number of visitors was falling. So a campaign was launched to give the city a new image. The head of New York conventions and visitors Bureau decided to call the city the big apple.

你也许会纳闷纽约怎么会有这样一个昵称。在二十世纪七十年代，这个城市有许多问题，诸如游客的数量下降。于是发起了一项旨在提升城市形象的活动。纽约文化习俗和旅游管理局的负责人决定把纽约叫作“大苹果”。

There are several explanations for where this name came from. Language expert Barry Popik studied the question and wrote about it on his website. He says, John Fitz Gerald, a writer for a New York newspaper, used the name "the big apple" to mean New York in the 1920s. Mr. Fitz Gerald wrote about horse races. He heard the name used by man who worked at a racetrack in New Orleans, Louisiana.

对纽约从哪里得到这样一个昵称有许多不同的解释。语言专家 Barry Popik 研究了这一问题并大他的网站上发表了他的看法。他说是 Fitz Gerald ，一家纽约报纸的作者在二十世纪二十年代用“大苹果”称呼纽约。 Fitz Gerald 是赛马专栏作家。他在路易斯安那州的新奥尔良听在赛道工作的人使用这个昵称。

Mr. Fitz Gerald wrote: "the big apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There is only one big apple. That’s new York."

Fitz Gerald 写道：“大苹果（纽约）是每一个受过良好教育的年轻人的梦想，也是所有骑手的目标。苹果只有一个，那就是纽约。

In horse racing, the expression means "the big time." the place where large amounts of money could be won. The big apple became the name of a night club in the Harlem area of New York City in 1934. It also was the name of a popular dance and hit song in the 1930s.

在赛马中，这一说法指第一流的，指的是可以大把赢钱的地方。“大苹果”在 1934 年成了纽约黑人住宅区一家夜总会的名称。而二十世纪三十年代，它则是一种流行舞蹈和歌曲的名称。

But it is not the only nickname for America’s largest city. Barry Popik's web site lists almost one hundred nicknames that describe newyork. The best known are the capital of the world, empire city, Gotham. The city so nice they named it twice, and, the city that never sleeps. You can hear the city in the song: "new york, new york." by Frank Sinatra.

但是它不是这个美国最大城市唯一的昵称。 Barry Popik 的网站上罗列了上百个描述纽约的称呼。一些最著名的有：世界之都、帝国之城、愚人村等。这个城市是如此地出色，人们称呼它时都叫两次，还有就是不夜城。你可在 Frank Sinatra 的歌“纽约，纽约”中听到这个城市。

Music.

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Bob Clam, you can find more words and theirs stories at voaspecialenglish.com.

这个节目由 Shelley Gollust 撰写，我是 Bob Clam 。你可以在 VOA 特别网站上找到更多的词语典故。

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 该帖于2009年12月28日被版主推荐为精华帖。