'Straight from the Horse's Mouth'

'Straight from the Horse's Mouth'

"直接从马嘴"

【原文听力】

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　　By Anna Matteo

　　04 November 2023

　　And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

　　On today's show, we will be talking about an animal that is as impressive and beautiful as it is useful -- the horse.

　　Today's expression is straight from the horse's mouth. "Straight from the horse's mouth" is about the way we get information and — with this expression — that means directly.

　　When we hear something from the source, we can say we heard it first-hand. It is coming from a primary source.

　　When we use this expression, we can drop the word "straight" if necessary. So, if you hear something from the horse's mouth, you hear it from the person who has direct personal knowledge of the information.

　　For example, a co-worker of mine, Andrew, likes to play the piano. But don't take my word for it, let's hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

　　ANDREW: I really like to play the piano.

　　Thanks, Andrew!

　　The opposite of this expression would be through the grapevine. That is a very indirect way to get information.

　　Now, let's talk about origin. Experts are not sure how this expression started. However, there are two common explanations.

　　One traditional explanation is about buying horses. Before buying a horse, a possible buyer would look into the horse's mouth. This is because you can tell a bit about a horse's health and age from its gums and teeth.

　　Another explanation involves horse racing. At the horse races, people talk about which horses will win and which ones will lose. The most valuable opinions are from the people who know the horses the best – the riders and trainers. Since you can't ask the horse, these people are the next best thing. "Straight from the horse's mouth" suggests the most knowledgeable source of information.

　　So, this expression can also mean from a reliable source. The information is coming from a trustworthy person. It may even be the definitive source, meaning the best authority.

　　Now, let's hear the expression used in another example:

　　A: Hey, guess what? Stella is moving to Toronto! She's so excited.

　　B: Are you sure? She just bought a house a year ago.

　　A: She told me herself last night over dinner.

　　B: I just can't believe it. I mean, she also just got a promotion and a raise at her job. It doesn't make sense.

　　A: Well, whether it makes sense or not, that's what she told me.

　　B: Maybe you misheard her.

　　A: I didn't. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth – Stella's!

　　And that's all the time we have on the show today.

　　If anyone asks you where you learned this expression, tell them you heard it straight from the horse's mouth – from VOA Learning English.

　　Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo.

　　Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English.

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　　安娜·马特奥

　　2023年11月4日

　　现在，单词和它们的故事，来自美国之音英语学习。

　　在今天的节目中，我们将谈论一种既令人印象深刻又美丽实用的动物——马。

　　今天的表达是直接来自马嘴。“直接从马嘴”是关于我们获取信息的方式，这个表达的意思是直接。

　　当我们从源头听到某事时，我们可以说我们听到了直接的。它来自一个主要的来源。

　　当我们使用这个表达时，如果必要的话，我们可以去掉“直”这个词。所以，如果你听到什么直接来自有关人士的，你从直接了解信息的人那里听到的。

　　例如，我的一个同事安德鲁喜欢弹钢琴。但是不要相信我的话，让我们听听可靠的消息。

　　安德鲁:我真的很喜欢弹钢琴。

　　谢谢安德鲁。

　　这个表达的反义词是穿过葡萄藤。那是一种非常间接的获取信息的方式。

　　现在，让我们来谈谈起源。专家不确定这个表达是如何开始的。然而，有两种常见的解释。

　　一个传统的解释是关于买马。在买马之前，一个可能的买主会先看看马的嘴。这是因为你可以从一匹马的年龄看出它的健康状况树胶还有牙齿。

　　另一种解释与赛马有关。在赛马中，人们谈论哪匹马会赢，哪匹会输。最有价值的意见来自最了解马匹的人——骑手和驯马师。既然不能问马，那这些人就是退而求其次了。“直接来自马嘴”暗示最有见识的信息来源。

　　所以，这个表达也可以表示从a可靠的来源。信息来自一个值得信赖的人。它甚至可能是决定性的来源，意思是最好的权威。

　　现在，让我们听听另一个例子中使用的表达:

　　嘿，你猜怎么着？斯特拉要搬到多伦多去了！她太兴奋了。

　　你确定吗？她一年前刚买了房子。

　　她昨晚吃饭时亲口告诉我的。

　　我简直不敢相信。我的意思是，她也只是得到了一个促进她的工作也得到了提升。这说不通。

　　答:嗯，不管有没有道理，她就是这么跟我说的。

　　也许你听错了。

　　答:我没有。我是直接从斯特拉那里听到的！

　　这就是我们今天节目的全部时间。

　　如果有人问你在哪里学的这个表达，告诉他们你听到了直接来自马嘴–来自美国之音英语学习。

　　下次再见，我是安娜·马特奥。

　　安娜·马特奥为美国之音英语学习频道撰写了这篇报道。

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　　这个故事中的词语

　　primary –adj.首先发生或到来的

　　gums –n. (pl.) 口腔内牙齿周围的组织

　　reliable –adj.能够被信任提供所需的东西；可靠的

　　definitive –adj. 被认为是最终的或者被认为是最好的或者最正确的

　　promotion –n.工作级别或职位的提升