And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. And we often explain where they come from and how to use them.In the summer months, we often get together with our family members who live far away.If you listen in as people talk with and about their families, you might hear some interesting expressions.Like many idioms, it is often difficult to understand these expressions simply by knowing the meaning of individual words and the grammar of the sentence in which they appear.This week we will explore a few of these expressions, so you will understand them better when you hear them.While watching television with your family in a crowded room, you might hear, "Your father was not a glass blower."Of course, it is impossible for a person to be made of glass. That expression really means you are blocking the view of someone else, and they want you to move.A similar expression is, "You make a better door than a window." It also means, "Please move out of the way."When a child starts to act just like the parent, we say, "He's a chip off the old block."
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》。在本节目中，我们将探索英语词汇和短语。我们通常会解释短语的出处以及如何使用这些短语。在夏季的数月里，我们经常会跟住得很远的家人团聚。如果听别人跟家人谈话或者谈论他们的家庭时，你可能会听到一些有趣的短语。像许多习语一样，只通过单个单词的含义和它们在句中的语法来理解这些短语往往是困难的。本周我们来探索其中的一些短语，下次听到时，你会更准确地理解它们的含义。当和家人在拥挤的房间里看电视时，你可能会听到，“你爸可不是玻璃吹制工。”当然，人不可能是玻璃做的。这个短语实际上是指某人挡住了别人的视线，他们想让对方让开点。还有一个类似的短语是，“相比窗户，你更适合当扇门。”这个短语还可以表示“请让开”。当孩子的行为举止酷似父母时，我们会说：“He's a chip off the old block.”。（相貌或性格酷似父亲或母亲的人）
