WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - Swan Song

Now, the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

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The white swan - with its long, graceful neck - is among the most beautiful of birds. 

白天鹅有长长的漂亮的脖子，是最漂亮的鸟之一。

The swan is mostly silent through its life.

天鹅在其一生中大多是沉默的。 

It floats quietly on the water, unable to sing sweet songs like most other birds.

她安静的漂浮在水面上，不能像大多数其他鸟一样唱优美的歌。

In ancient times, however, people believed that the swan was given a special gift of song at the end of its life.

然而，古时候人们相信天鹅被赋予了在生命最后的时候唱歌的特殊天赋。 

They believed a swan sings a most beautiful song...just before it dies.

他们相信在天鹅死之前会唱出最动听的歌曲。

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates talked of this two thousand three hundred years ago.

古希腊哲学家苏格拉底在两千三百年前谈到了这个。 

Socrates explained that the swan was singing because it was happy.

苏格拉底解释说天鹅唱歌是因为她很高兴。 

The bird was happy because it was going to serve the Greek God Apollo.

这个鸟高兴是因为她将去为希腊神Apollo服务。 

Swans were holy to Apollo, the god of poetry and song.

天鹅对诗歌之神Apollo是虔诚的。

The story of the swan's last song found a place in the works of other writers,

including the early English writers Chaucer and Shakespeare.

天鹅最后之歌的故事也出现在其他作家的作品中，包括早期英国作家乔叟和莎士比亚。

And, the expression swan song has long been a part of the English language.

swan song在很早之前就是英语的一部分。 

At first, swan song meant the last work of a poet, musician or writer.

最初，swan song指诗人、音乐家或作家的最后作品。 

Now, it means the final effort of any person. 

现在指任何人的最后努力。

Someone's swan song usually is also considered that person's finest work.

某些人的swan song通常认为是那个人的最好作品。

A political expression with a similar meaning is the last hurrah（最后的欢呼）.

 

The expression may be used to describe a politician's last campaign, his final attempt to win the cheers and votes of the people.

The last hurrah also can mean the last acts of a politician, before his term in office ends.

Writer Edwin O'Connor made the expression popular in 1956. 

He wrote a book about the final years in the political life of a long-time mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. 

He called his book, The Last Hurrah.

Some language experts say the expression came from a name given to noisy supporters of Andrew Jackson...America's seventh president. 

They cheered hurrah so loudly for Andy Jackson during his presidential campaign that they became known as thehurrah boys.

Jackson's hurrah boys also played a part in the election to choose the next president. 

Jackson's choice was his vice president, Martin VanBuren.

A newspaper of the time reported that VanBuren was elected president, in its words: "...by the hurrah boys, 

and those who knew just enough to shout hurrah for Jackson."  

So, President Jackson really heard his last hurrahs in the campaign of another candidate, 

the man who would replace him in the White House.

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This VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Marilyn Christiano. 

I'm Christopher Cruise.