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Now, "Words and Their Stories", a VOA Learning English program about American expressions. I’m Anna Matteo with expressions using the word “SUN”.
expressions: expresiones idiomáticas;
The first expression is about everything, everything under the sun. If you own a store that sold many different items, your advertisements could say you sell everything under the sun. This would not be exactly true, of course. But what would advertising be without some creative descriptions?
everything under the sun: todo lo que necesita (o se le ocurra comprar); if you own a store: si eres propietario de una tienda (negocio); items: artículos; advertisements: avisos comerciales, publicidad; exactly true: exactamente cierto; what would advertising be: qué sería de la publicidad; without some creative descriptions: sin algunas descripciones creativas;
Here is another example: Let’s say you are talking with a friend you have not seen for a long time. The two of you could have a lot of catching up to do. So, you talk about everything under the sun.
for a long time: durante mucho tiempo; the two of you: ustedes dos, ambos; could have a lot of catching up to do: podrían tener mucho que decirse para ponerse al día; about everything under the sun: conversar sobre todo lo que se les ocurra;
Under the sun is an old expression – at least 3,000 years old. It means everywhere the sun shines. King Solomon of Israel used it in the Bible. He wrote that nothing under the sun is new. What has been will be again, he said, and what has been done will be done again.
under the sun: bajo el sol, en el mundo, en el mundo entero; at least: por lo menos; everywhere the sun shines: en todas partes donde brille el sol; nothing under the sun is new: no existe nada nuevo bajo el sol; what has been will be again: lo que ha sucedido volverá a suceder;
If there is nothing new under the sun, there is nothing new anywhere. New or old, few things can be hidden in the bright light of the sun.
few things can be hidden: pocas cosas pueden ocultarse [hide / hid / hidden / hiding]; in the bright light of the sun: a la brillante luminosidad del sol;
That leads to another expression: a sunshine law. This law says that all government meetings must be open to the public. In some states, sunshine laws also say the government must permit the public to see government records.
a sunshine law: sin secretos, a la vista de todo el mundo; must be open to the public: deben tener acceso público; records: expedientes, antecedentes;
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution newspaper published a report about the value of sunshine laws. It told about how officials of a local government met secretly with a land developer to discuss using public land for a private entertainment center. The deal was stopped when it finally became publicly known.
it told about: (el diario) comentaba acerca de; officials: los funcionarios; met secretly: se reunían en secreto; with a land developer: con un urbanizador privado; to discuss using public land: para conversar sobre el uso de un terreno del Estado; for a private entertainment center: a fin de construir un centro de entretenimientos privado; the deal was stopped: la negociación fue frenada; when it finally became publicly known: cuando finalmente se hizo pública;
“It often takes a crisis”, the newspaper report said, “to awaken citizens to their rights under the state sunshine laws”. It said the laws are called that because they shine sunlight on dark corners where secret deals can be made.
it often takes a crisis: a menudo es una situación crítica; to awaken citizens: concientizar a los ciudadanos; to their rights: acerca de sus derechos; it said the laws are called that: (el informe) decía que las leyes se denominan así; they shine sunlight: iluminan (literal = exponen a la luz del sol); where secret deals can be made: donde ciertos pactos secretos pueden ocultarse;
Another expression about the sun is Sunbelt. The word describes the warmer states of the American south, from Florida to California. The warmer weather in the Sunbelt causes many people to move there. They move from the Frostbelt, the colder northern states, and the Rustbelt, the older industrial states.
Sunbelt: Cinturón del Sol (franja del sur de los Estados Unidos de clima cálido); warmer: más cálidos; causes ... to move: hace que ... se mude; Frostbelt: Cinturón de las Heladas (franja del norte de los Estados Unidos de clima frío); Rustbelt: Cinturón Industrial (franja de los Estados Unidos caracterizada por los antiguos estados industriales);
In addition, labor costs are lower in the Sunbelt, and labor unions are not as strong as in the north. So many companies moved their factories to the Sunbelt. Workers followed. By 1990, the Sunbelt cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio were among the ten largest cities in the United States.
in addition: asimismo; labor costs: los costos por mano de obra; lower: más bajos; labor unions: sindicatos obreros; as strong as: tan poderosos como; moved their factories: trasladaron sus plantas industriales; workers followed: los obreros las siguieron (se mudaron también); among the ten largest cities: se encontraban entre las 10 ciudades más grandes;
From geographic areas to music, the word “sun” finds its place.
from geographic areas: desde zonas geográficas; finds its place: encuentra su lugar;
Every type of music -- from rock to pop to country -- has songs about the sun. One of the most popular is “You Are My Sunshine”. What began as a sad love song is now a classic children’s song. Many performers have recorded this song. Here is part of it.
every type of: todo tipo de; from rock to pop to country: desde rock a música pop y música country; what began as a sad love song: lo que comenzó como una triste balada de amor; a classic children's song: una clásica canción infantil; performers: músicos, artistas; have recorded: han grabado;
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
Tú eres mi sol, mi única luz
You make me happy when skies are gray
Me haces feliz cuando el cielo está gris
You’ll never know dear how much I love you
Nunca sabrás querida cuánto te amo
Please don’t take my sunshine away
Por favor no me quites la luz del sol
The rock group Beatles sang several songs with “SUN” in the title. A couple are “Here Comes the Sun” and “Good Day Sunshine”.
sang: cantó [sing / sang / sung / singing]; a couple are: un par, dos de ellas son;
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
Aquí viene el sol, aquí viene el sol
And I say it's all right
Y yo digo, todo está bien
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Cariño, ha sido un largo, frío y solitario invierno
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Cariño, parecen años desde que llegó
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
Aquí viene el sol, aquí viene el sol
And I say it's all right
Y yo digo, todo está bien
Elton John sang “Don’t Let Sun Go Down on Me”. And the musical group Fifth Dimension wanted to let the sunshine in on a United States that was heavily involved in the Vietnam War.
don't let the sun go down on me: no dejes que se apague el sol en mí; wanted to let the sunshine in on a United States: quería que la luz del sol entrara a un Estados Unidos; heavily involved: masivamente involucrado; Vietnam War: guerra de Vietnam;
This song was originally in the musical theater performance and movie “Hair”, which criticized the Vietnam War. “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In” became a popular song in the anti-war culture in the 1960s U.S.
originally: originalmente; musical theatre performance: show musical; which criticized: que criticaba; anti-war culture: cultura antibélica (pacifista); in the 1960s U.S.: de los Estados Unidos en los años 60;
I’m Anna Matteo. PEACE!
PEACE!: ¡PAZ!
Let the sun shine in, let the sun shine in, the sun shine in …
Deja entrar el sol, deja entrar el sol, deja entrar el sol ... |
