Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目。

The world of boxing gave us famous competitors like Muhammad Ali.
拳击运动给我们带来了穆罕默德·阿里（Muhammad Ali）等著名拳手。

It also gave us many expressions that we use in our everyday lives.
它还给我们带来了许多日常生活中用到的许多表达方式。

Years ago, a boxing match would begin when a boxer threw his hat into the boxing ring – the place where the fight was fought. That does not happen these days. But if you throw your hat into the ring it does mean that you are signing up or agreeing to do something. You will often hear this expression in the world of politics.
很多年前，当拳手把帽子扔进擂台时，拳击比赛就要开始了。现在不这么干了。但如果你 throw your hat into the ring ，意思就是你报名或同意做某事。在政坛中你就能经常听到这种表达。

"Is she running for mayor?"
“她要竞选市长？”

"She is. She threw her hat in the ring last week."
“是的，上周她已经宣布要竞选了。”

A boxing ring is surrounded on all four sides by ropes. A boxer trapped along the ropes gets hit a lot. So, to have someone on the ropes means to have them in a dangerous position.
拳击擂台四周用绳子围了起来。拳手沿绳子被困住意味他挨了很多打。所以，to have someone on the ropes 意思就是使其处于危险位置上。

During a fight, there are three people in the ring – two boxers and a referee. The referee makes sure the boxers obey the rules of the sport. He or she can cancel, or call off, a fight if things get too unsafe or risky for one of the boxers. And if a fighter is hit so hard that they fall down, the referee gives the person a count of 10 to get up.
在拳击比赛中，擂台上有三个人，其中两名拳手和一名裁判员。裁判员要确保拳手遵守比赛规则。如果情况对其中一名拳手来说过于危险，他（她）可以取消比赛。如果一名拳手被打到在地倒主裁判就会倒数十下（读秒）让他站起来。

If the fighter gets up, the boxing match continues. If the fighter does not, the match is over. So when you are down for the count you are not able to compete or not able to join in something. Here is an example:
如果这名拳手站了起来，那么拳击比赛继续进行。如果这名拳手站不起来，比赛就宣告结束。所以当你被击倒读秒（down for the count），就是说你无力竞争或参加活动。举个例子：

"Is George coming out tonight for drinks?"
“乔治今天晚上能出来喝两杯吗？”

"No, he's got a fever of 102. So, for tonight, he's down for the count."
“不，他烧到华氏102度（摄氏38.9度），没法来了。”

To go the distance is the opposite. It means a boxer was able to stay in the ring and not withdraw from the fight. Outside of the boxing ring, it means to see something through to its end.
与此相反的是赛完全局（To go the distance）。它的意思是拳手能够留在擂台上，不撤出拳击比赛。Outside of the boxing ring意思就是从头看到尾。

If you do decide to leave your job, you throw in the towel. This expression comes from the fact that trainers can stop a match for their boxer by throwing a towel into the ring.
如果你决定离职，就是说你放弃了（throw in the towel）。这种表达方式源于教练能够通过把毛巾扔到擂台来中断自己拳手的比赛。

So it is good to have someone in your corner, a person looking out for you. That is where a boxer's team stands during the end of each round – in his or her corner. And yes, women's boxing is becoming more and more popular in the United States.
所以最好 to have someone in your corner，这个人会为你着想。在每个回合结束时，拳手的团队就站在他（她）的角落。是的，女性拳击在美国也愈发流行。

A professional boxing match is made up of 12 periods, called rounds. At the end of each round a bell sounds. To be saved by the bell means you were saved from a bad situation by something – not necessarily a bell.
专业拳击比赛有12个回合。每个回合结束铃声都会响起。To be saved by the bell意思是你被什么救出困境，不一定是铃声。

But let us imagine that you are a student in class. The teacher starts passing out a test. You get nervous because you forgot to study. Suddenly the bell rings, ending the class period. In this case, you were, quite literally, saved by the bell.
让我们假设你是一名在课堂上的学生。老师开始分发测试题。你感到紧张，因为你忘了学习。突然铃声响起，下课了。在这种情况下，照字面意义来说，你被铃声救了。

And that's the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目的全部内容。