四級拓展：VOA慢速

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
現在是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節目。

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.
別名是一個人的名字簡稱。它也可以是人、地點或事物的描述型名稱。

America's fifty states have some of the most historically interesting nicknames.
美國的五十個州都有一些極具歷史意義的別名。

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."
阿拉巴馬州被稱為美國“南部各州的中心”(Heart of Dixie)，因為它地處美國最南部各州的正中心。Dixie本身就是美國南部各州的別名。當路易斯安那州印票據時，將法語表示10的單詞Deece(D-I-X)印到票據上。由Deece或D-I-X演變成了Dixie這個詞。
(注：路易斯安那州曾是法國領地，后由美國購入。)

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，被稱為最后的邊疆（The Last Frontier）。它靠近北極圈，是美國拓疆的最后一塊國土。

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.
亞利桑那州(Arizona)被稱為“大峽谷之州”(Grand Canyon)，這里擁有著名的由科羅拉多河雕刻成的蜿蜒的峽谷。位于南部的阿肯色州被稱為機會之鄉(Land of Opportunity)。該州的立法機關確立了這個別名。阿肯色州自然資源豐富，現已成為老年人退休的最好去處。

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書籍中，一座名為"California"的虛構的島嶼遍布黃金。1848年，現實存在的加利福尼亞州果然發現了大量黃金。從此，“金州”(Golden State)加利福尼亞開始了美國歷史上從未有過的淘金熱。

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.
你可能會認為科羅拉多州的別名是“落基山之州”(Rocky Mountain State)。但是它的別名是“百年之州”(Centennial State)。因為1876年科羅拉多成為美國一州的時候，剛好是美國宣布獨立一百周年。

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.
康乃狄格州因為一種香料被稱為“肉豆蔻州” (Nutmeg State)。身處美國東北部的康涅狄格人被稱為Connecticut Yankees，因其生意方面的精明廣為人知。據說他們如此精明，以至于可以向陌生人成功兜售質量很差的肉豆蔻。
（注：肉豆蔻是一種香料）

Little Delaware is called the First State because it was the first state -- the first to approve the new United States Constitution.
特拉華州被稱為第一州(First State)，因為它是美國第一個通過美國新憲法的州。

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.
位于南部的佛羅里達州喜歡描述它的陽光明媚和金黃沙灘。所以佛羅里達也被稱為“陽光之州”(Sunshine State)。鄰近佛羅里達州北部的佐治亞州種植了一些美國最甜的水果，因此被稱為“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.
遠在太平洋的夏威夷別名是“阿洛哈州” (Aloha State)。在夏威夷土語中，Aloha是一句問候語，具有“你好”和“再見”的雙重意思。那么，我們現在再見（aloha）！下周我們將繼續講述更多美國各州的別名。

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