A Chip on Your Shoulder詞彙典故

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every week at this time we tell the story of words and expressions used in American English. Some of them are old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people.

Some popular expressions are a mystery. No one is sure how they developed. One of these is the expression, carry a chip on your shoulder. A person with a chip on his shoulder is a problem for anybody who must deal with him. He seems to be expecting trouble. Sometimes he seems to be saying, "I'm not happy about anything, but what are you going to do about it?"

A chip is a small piece of something, like a chip of wood. How did this chip get on a person's shoulder? Well, experts say the expression appears to have been first used in the United States more than one hundred years ago.

One writer believes that the expression might have come from an old saying. The saying warns against striking too high, or a chip might fall into your eye. That could be good advice. If you strike high up on a tree with an axe, the chip of wood that is cut off will fall into your eye. The saying becomes a warning about the dangers of attacking people who are in more important positions than you are.

Later, in the United States, some people would put a real chip on their shoulder as a test. They wanted to start a fight. They would wait for someone to be brave enough to try to hit it off.

The word chip appears in a number of special American expressions. Another is chip off the old block. This means that a child is exactly like a parent.

This expression goes back at least to the early sixteen hundreds. The British writer of plays, George Colman, wrote these lines in seventeen sixty-two. "You'll find him his father's own son, I believe. A chip off the old block, I promise you!"

The word chip can also be used in a threatening way to someone who is suspected of wrongdoing. An investigator may say, "We're going to let the chips fall where they may." This means the investigation is going to be complete and honest. It is also a warning that no one will be protected from being found guilty.

Chips are often used in card games. They represent money. A poker player may, at any time, decide to leave the game. He will turn in his chips in exchange for money or cash.

This lead to another meaning. A person who finished or died was said to have cashed in his chips. Which is a way of saying it is time for me to finish this program.

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You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. I'm Warren Scheer.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

現在是美國之音慢速英語詞彙掌故節目。

Every week at this time we tell the story of words and expressions used in American English. Some of them are old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people.

每週的這個時間，我們都會講述美式英語中的詞彙典故。這些典故中有一些是古老的，有些是新的。它們共同構成了美國人們的生活用語。

Some popular expressions are a mystery. No one is sure how they developed. One of these is the expression, carry a chip on your shoulder. A person with a chip on his shoulder is a problem for anybody who must deal with him. He seems to be expecting trouble. Sometimes he seems to be saying, "I'm not happy about anything, but what are you going to do about it?"

有些常用說法是一個謎，沒人能確定它們是如何產生的。其中一個這樣的說法就是：carry a chip on your shoulder（準備隨時吵嘴、打架的樣子 ）。這種隨時準備幹仗的人對任何必須要和他打交道的人來說都是個問題。他似乎在等着找麻煩。有時他的樣子看上去就像在說，“我就是對什麼都不爽，但你又能怎樣吧？”

A chip is a small piece of something, like a chip of wood. How did this chip get on a person's shoulder? Well, experts say the expression appears to have been first used in the United States more than one hundred years ago.

Chip是指一些東西的碎屑，例如木頭碎屑。碎屑怎麼會跑到人的肩膀上去呢？專家表示，這種說法似乎在100多年前首次在美國應用。

One writer believes that the expression might have come from an old saying. The saying warns against striking too high, or a chip might fall into your eye. That could be good advice. If you strike high up on a tree with an axe, the chip of wood that is cut off will fall into your eye. The saying becomes a warning about the dangers of attacking people who are in more important positions than you are.

一位作家相信這一說法可能來自一句諺語。這個諺語警告人們砍木頭時不要砍的太高，否則碎屑可能會落到眼睛裏。這應該是一個很好的建議。如果你用斧頭砍樹時砍的位置太高，砍掉的木頭碎屑就會落到你的眼睛裏。這個諺語變成了人們襲擊比自己位置更重要的人的危險警告。

Later, in the United States, some people would put a real chip on their shoulder as a test. They wanted to start a fight. They would wait for someone to be brave enough to try to hit it off.

後來在美國，一些人會在肩膀上放上真正的碎屑作爲測試。他們想挑起事端，看誰敢將這些碎屑打落。

The word chip appears in a number of special American expressions. Another is chip off the old block. This means that a child is exactly like a parent.

Chip還出現在很多特殊的美國說法中。另一個說法是chip off the old block，意思是酷像父母的`小孩子。

This expression goes back at least to the early sixteen hundreds. The British writer of plays, George Colman, wrote these lines in seventeen sixty-two. "You'll find him his father's own son, I believe. A chip off the old block, I promise you!"

這個說法至少要追溯到17世紀初。英國劇作家喬治·科爾曼（George Colman）在1762年這樣寫道：“我相信，你會發現他就是他父親的親生兒子。我向你保證，他們就像一個模子裏刻出來的。”

The word chip can also be used in a threatening way to someone who is suspected of wrongdoing. An investigator may say, "We're going to let the chips fall where they may." This means the investigation is going to be complete and honest. It is also a warning that no one will be protected from being found guilty.

Chip還可以用來威脅涉嫌不法行爲的人。調查人員可能會說，“We're going to let the chips fall where they may.(我們將採取行動不計後果)。”意思是，調查過程將是全面和誠實的。這也是一個警告，即任何人都不能逃脫法律的制裁。

Chips are often used in card games. They represent money. A poker player may, at any time, decide to leave the game. He will turn in his chips in exchange for money or cash.

Chips（籌碼）還常用於紙牌遊戲中，它們代表的是錢。撲克牌玩家可能隨時會決定離開這個遊戲。他會把自己的籌碼兌換成現金或支票。

This lead to another meaning. A person who finished or died was said to have cashed in his chips. Which is a way of saying it is time for me to finish this program.

這引申出另一個意思。一位完成工作或去世的人會被說成have cashed in his chips（籌碼已兌現，引申意思是工作完成或去世了）。用這個說法也能表示，是時候結束這次節目了。