VOA慢速英語(yǔ):Rx: Why It Means Take Your Medicine

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

現(xiàn)在是美國(guó)之音慢速英語(yǔ)詞匯掌故節(jié)目。

Every week at this time, the Voice of America tells about popular words and expressions used in the United States. Some of these words and expressions are old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people.

每周這個(gè)時(shí)候，美國(guó)之音都會(huì)講述美國(guó)常用的詞句。這些詞句有些很古老，有些比較新。它們共同構(gòu)成了美國(guó)人們的日常生活用語(yǔ)。

Our story today is very old. It goes back about five-thousand years. It is about a sign that is used to represent some words.

今天我們講述的故事就非常古老。它可以追溯到大約5000年前，和代表某些單詞的一個(gè)標(biāo)志有關(guān)。

We see this sign on drug stores and whenever we visit a doctor to get an order for medicine. It also appears on bottles of pills and other medicines.

我們?cè)谒幍辏蛘裔t(yī)生開處方單都會(huì)看到這個(gè)標(biāo)志。它也會(huì)出現(xiàn)在藥瓶底部。

The sign is formed by a line across the right foot of the letter "R." It represents the word "prescription." It has come to mean "take this medicine."

這個(gè)標(biāo)志是由右下角被一條直線貫穿的字母R組成。它代表“處方”這個(gè)單詞，也意味著“服用此藥”。

The sign has its beginnings five thousand years ago in Egypt. At that time, people prayed to Horus, the god of the Sun. It was said that when Horus was a child, he was attacked by Seth, the demon of evil.

這個(gè)標(biāo)志起始于5000年前的埃及。當(dāng)時(shí)，人們向太陽(yáng)神荷魯斯禱告。據(jù)說，當(dāng)荷魯斯年幼時(shí)，受到了邪惡之魔賽特的襲擊。

The evil Seth put out the eye of the young Horus. The mother of Horus called for help. Her cry was answered by Thoth, the god of learning and magic. Thoth, with his wisdom and special powers, healed the eye of Horus. And the child was able to see again.

惡魔賽特挖出了年輕的荷魯斯的眼睛。荷魯斯的母親尋求幫助。她的哭訴得到了學(xué)問和魔法之神托特的回應(yīng)。托特用他的智慧和神力，治好了荷魯斯的眼睛。荷魯斯得以重見光明。

The ancient Egyptians used a drawing of the eye of Horus as a magic sign to protect themselves from disease, suffering and evil. They cut this sign in the stones they used for buildings. And it was painted on the papyrus rolls used for writing about medicine and doctors.

古埃及人使用荷魯斯之眼圖案作為一個(gè)神奇的標(biāo)志，來保護(hù)自己遠(yuǎn)離疾病、痛苦和邪惡。他們把這個(gè)標(biāo)志刻在建房子的石頭上。也畫到用于記述藥物和醫(yī)生的莎草紙花名冊(cè)上。

For thousands of years, the eye of Horus remained as a sign of the god’s help to the suffering and sick.

千百年來，荷魯斯之眼一直是神佑護(hù)痛苦和疾病的標(biāo)志。

Long after the fall of the ancient Egyptian civilization, doctors and alchemists in Europe continued the custom of showing a sign of the gods’ help and protection. But over the years, the sign changed from the eye of Horus to the sign for Jupiter, the chief god of the Romans. Jupiter’s sign looked much like the printed number "four."

隨著古埃及文明的衰落，歐洲的醫(yī)生和煉丹術(shù)士傳承了展示神之佑護(hù)標(biāo)志的這一傳統(tǒng)。但多年來，這個(gè)標(biāo)志從荷魯斯之眼變成了羅馬主神朱庇特。朱庇特的標(biāo)志看上去很像印刷體數(shù)字“four”。

That sign changed, also. Today, it is the easily-recognized capital "R" with a line across its foot.

這個(gè)標(biāo)志也發(fā)生了變化。今天，它變成了更容易辨識(shí)的，被一條直線貫穿右下角的大寫字母R。

The sign no longer offers heavenly assistance to the sick. It now means "take this medicine."

這個(gè)標(biāo)志不再是為疾病提供神之佑護(hù)，它的意思就是“服用此藥”。