2022年11月20日 VOA慢速英語：你有沒有感覺到“墻壁正在向你靠近”？

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
現(xiàn)在，來自美國之音慢速英語的單詞和他們的故事。
 
On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give you examples and notes on usage.
在這個節(jié)目中，我們探索單詞和英語中的表達(dá)。我們會為您提供示例和使用注意事項。
 
Today we go inside a building and talk about a feature of every building – walls.
今天我們走進(jìn)一棟建筑物，討論每棟建筑物的一個特征 - 墻壁。
 
Walls protect us from the outside world. They can help us stay safe and give us comfort.
墻壁保護(hù)我們免受外界的影響。它們可以幫助我們保持安全并給我們帶來舒適感。
 
But what if we are inside a room too long? Those same walls can start to feel like a prison. We can feel trapped by them. When that happens, we can say the walls are closing in on us.
但是如果我們在房間里待的時間太長怎么辦？那些相同的墻可能開始感覺像一座監(jiān)獄。我們會感到被他們困住了。當(dāng)這種情況發(fā)生時，我們可以說墻壁正在逼近我們。
 
This means you are feeling confined, or stuck, in an area.
這意味著您感覺被限制或困在某個區(qū)域。
 
For example, after a year of living with the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt like the walls of my house were closing in on me. When that feeling came over me, I knew I needed to go outside for a walk!
例如，在與 COVID-19 大流行病共存一年后，我感覺房子的墻壁正在向我逼近.當(dāng)那種感覺襲上心頭時，我知道我需要出去走走！
 
When you feel trapped or confined indoors, a walk outside usually helps. Not only are you in the fresh air, but you are also looking at different things. A change of scenery can help when you feel like the walls are closing in.
當(dāng)您感覺被困在室內(nèi)或被限制在室內(nèi)時，到外面走走通常會有幫助。你不僅在新鮮空氣中，而且你也在看不同的東西。當(dāng)您感覺墻壁正在關(guān)閉時，換個環(huán)境會有幫助。
 
Sometimes the "walls" in this idiom are not actual walls in a building. Instead, they are walls in our minds or in a certain situation. We can use the expression the walls are closing in when we are sick and tired of something.
有時這個成語中的“墻”并不是建筑物中的實際墻壁。相反，它們是我們心中或某種情況下的墻。當(dāng)我們厭倦了某事時，我們可以使用墻壁正在關(guān)閉的表達(dá)方式。
 
For example, if you unable to make advances in your job, you could feel like the walls have closed in on your career. You may feel like you don't have the chance to advance or try new things.
例如，如果您無法在工作中取得進(jìn)步，您可能會覺得墻壁已經(jīng)關(guān)閉了你的職業(yè)。您可能會覺得自己沒有機(jī)會取得進(jìn)步或嘗試新事物。
 
It can feel like the "walls" are closing in on a relationship too. When people find themselves in very restricted relationships with someone who is trying to control them, it may feel like the walls are closing in on them.
感覺“墻”也在關(guān)閉一段關(guān)系。當(dāng)人們發(fā)現(xiàn)自己與試圖控制他們的人的關(guān)系非常受限時，他們可能會覺得高墻正在向他們逼近。
 
In these cases, a change of scenery is not found outside in the woods. The change of scenery is a new job or a new relationship.
在這些情況下，外面的樹林里并沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)風(fēng)景的變化。風(fēng)景的變化是一份新的工作或一段新的關(guān)系。
 
When the walls feel like they are closing in, we can also use another word to describe what we are feeling: claustrophobic.
當(dāng)墻壁感覺像在關(guān)閉時，我們也可以用另一個詞來形容我們的感受：幽閉恐懼癥。
 
Claustrophobia is defined as an abnormal fear of being in closed or confined spaces. Sometimes, we use the term "claustrophobic" to mean we feel uneasy by a situation that is limiting or restricting. This feeling of unease could be from physical or non-physical reasons. A job and a relationship can also feel claustrophobic.
幽閉恐懼癥被定義為對處于封閉或受限空間內(nèi)的異?？謶?。有時，我們使用“幽閉恐懼癥”一詞來表示我們對受限制或限制的情況感到不安。這種不安的感覺可能來自身體或非身體原因。一份工作和一段感情也會讓人感到幽閉恐懼。
 
Now let's listen to two people use the words and expressions you heard in this story.
現(xiàn)在讓我們聽聽兩個人使用您在這個故事中聽到的詞語和表達(dá)方式。
 
A: Hey, what happened to Chad? I haven't seen him around DC lately.
A：嘿，Chad 怎么了？我最近沒在華盛頓附近見過他。
 
B: During the pandemic, he moved out west…somewhere in the desert.
B：在大流行期間，他搬到西部……在沙漠的某個地方。
 
A: The desert? What made him do that!?
A：沙漠？是什么讓他這么做的??？
 
B: He said he felt too claustrophobic in the city and was sick and tired of being around so many people. He needed more space and open skies!
B：他說他覺得在城市里太幽閉了，和這么多人在一起感到厭倦。他需要更多的空間和開闊的天空！
 
A: I can understand that. Sometimes the walls of my apartment feel like they are closing in on me. But moving to the desert is a pretty extreme decision.
答：我能理解。有時我公寓的墻壁感覺它們正在向我靠近。但是搬到沙漠是一個非常極端的決定。
 
B: He'll be back. He texted me last night complaining that it takes him 30 minutes to drive to the nearest store.
B：他會回來的。他昨晚給我發(fā)短信抱怨說他開車到最近的商店需要 30 分鐘。
 
A: Well … he wanted more space. Now he's got it!
答：嗯……他想要更多空間。現(xiàn)在他明白了！
 
B: Yep.
B：是的。
 
And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories.
這讓我們到了這個詞和他們的故事的結(jié)尾。