四级拓展：VOA慢速

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目。

A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname can also be a descriptive name for a person, place or thing.
别名是一个人的名字简称。它也可以是人、地点或事物的描述型名称。

America's fifty states have some of the most historically interesting nicknames.
美国的五十个州都有一些极具历史意义的别名。

Alabama is known as the Heart of Dixie because it is in the very middle of a group of states in the Deep South. Dixie itself is a nickname for the American South. It started when Louisiana printed notes with the French word for "ten" on them. "Deece," or D-I-X, led to "Dixie."
阿拉巴马州被称为美国“南部各州的中心”(Heart of Dixie)，因为它地处美国最南部各州的正中心。Dixie本身就是美国南部各州的别名。当路易斯安那州印票据时，将法语表示10的单词Deece(D-I-X)印到票据上。由Deece或D-I-X演变成了Dixie这个词。
(注：路易斯安那州曾是法国领地，后由美国购入。)

Way up north, Alaska is called the Last Frontier for understandable reasons. Near the Arctic Circle, it was the final part of the nation to be explored and settled.
向北看，阿拉斯加州由于可以理解的原因，被称为最后的边疆（The Last Frontier）。它靠近北极圈，是美国拓疆的最后一块国土。

Arizona is the Grand Canyon State because of the famous winding canyon carved by the Colorado River. The southern state of Arkansas is the Land of Opportunity. The state legislature chose this nickname. Arkansas is rich in natural resources and has become a favorite place for older people to retire.
亚利桑那州(Arizona)被称为“大峡谷之州”(Grand Canyon)，这里拥有著名的由科罗拉多河雕刻成的蜿蜒的峡谷。位于南部的阿肯色州被称为机会之乡(Land of Opportunity)。该州的立法机关确立了这个别名。阿肯色州自然资源丰富，现已成为老年人退休的最好去处。

In a popular Spanish book, a fictional island called "California" was filled with gold. Sure enough, plenty of it was discovered in the real California, in eighteen forty-eight. This started a gold rush unlike any other in American history in the Golden State.
在一部流行的西班牙书籍中，一座名为"California"的虚构的岛屿遍布黄金。1848年，现实存在的加利福尼亚州果然发现了大量黄金。从此，“金州”(Golden State)加利福尼亚开始了美国历史上从未有过的淘金热。

You would think Colorado would be known as the Rocky Mountain State. But its nickname is the Centennial State. That is because it became a state in eighteen seventy-six, exactly one hundred years after the nation declared its independence.
你可能会认为科罗拉多州的别名是“落基山之州”(Rocky Mountain State)。但是它的别名是“百年之州”(Centennial State)。因为1876年科罗拉多成为美国一州的时候，刚好是美国宣布独立一百周年。

Connecticut is called the Nutmeg State after a spice. Connecticut Yankees, as people in this northeast state are called, are known to be smart in business. So smart that it was said they could sell wooden, meaning false, nutmegs to strangers.
康乃狄格州因为一种香料被称为“肉豆蔻州” (Nutmeg State)。身处美国东北部的康涅狄格人被称为Connecticut Yankees，因其生意方面的精明广为人知。据说他们如此精明，以至于可以向陌生人成功兜售质量很差的肉豆蔻。
（注：肉豆蔻是一种香料）

Little Delaware is called the First State because it was the first state -- the first to approve the new United States Constitution.
特拉华州被称为第一州(First State)，因为它是美国第一个通过美国新宪法的州。

The southern state of Florida likes to tell about its sunny days and fine beaches. So Florida is the Sunshine State. Florida's neighbor to the north grows some of the sweetest fruit in America. So Georgia is the Peach State.
位于南部的佛罗里达州喜欢描述它的阳光明媚和金黄沙滩。所以佛罗里达也被称为“阳光之州”(Sunshine State)。邻近佛罗里达州北部的佐治亚州种植了一些美国最甜的水果，因此被称为“桃州”(Peach State)。

Hawaii, far out in the Pacific Ocean, is the Aloha State. That is the friendly greeting that means both "hello" and "goodbye" in the native Hawaiian language. So, aloha for now. Next week we will tell you about the nicknames of more American states.
远在太平洋的夏威夷别名是“阿洛哈州” (Aloha State)。在夏威夷土语中，Aloha是一句问候语，具有“你好”和“再见”的双重意思。那么，我们现在再见（aloha）！下周我们将继续讲述更多美国各州的别名。

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