语言是一种有趣的东西。它看似简单却又蕴含丰富。每个词都包含着丰富的演绎。华尔街英语外教分享三个词语——锦衣玉食者、经验法则、公路暴怒症，让你深入了解它们背后的含义。
Bon Vivant
Many words and phrases in English are derived from the so-called Romance languages: French, Spanish and Italian. Bon Vivant derives from French, and is rooted in European aristocratic and cosmopolitan lifestyles. In French, bon means ‘good’ and vivant means ‘living’, with the word stem viv- deriving from the verb vivre, to live. Bon vivant is a person who lives well and who enjoys the good things in life, especially good food. The word generally has positive connotation, so if you call someone a bon vivant it’s generally taken as a compliment or as a statement of fact, rather than an insult.
“Who is that man over there? I always see him at all of the nicest restaurants in Nanjing.”
“Ah, he is the owner of the restaurant chain Wagas. He really loves eating nice food and living it up.”
“Sounds like a real bon vivant.”
（作者：华尔街英语外教Rand Herz）
锦衣玉食者
许多英语单词和短语来源于所谓的罗曼语：法语，西班牙语和意大利语。锦衣玉食者（Bon Vivant）来源于法语，指的是欧洲贵族化的和大都市化的生活方式。在法语里，bon意思示“好的”，而vivant表示“生活”，vivant的词根是viv－来源于法语动词（vivire）生活。Bon vivant是指一个生活的很好、并且很享受生活中好的事物的人，特别是享受好的食物。该词一般具有正面的含义，因此如果你称呼某个人为锦衣玉食者（bon viviant）。这种称呼方式大多是赞美，而非侮辱。
“那边那个男子是谁？”我总是在南京最好的餐厅看见他。
“啊，他是沃歌斯餐饮连锁店的主人。他真的爱吃好吃的食物并且很享受生活”
“听起来真是个锦衣玉食者（bon viviant）”
（翻译由华尔街英语提供，仅供参考）
Rule of Thumb
A “rule of thumb” is a saying referring to a general rule not based on exact measurements or science. It comes from an English judge who, long ago, decreed that a man could beat his wife with a stick so long as the stick was no wider than the husband’s thumb. Most people don’t know the origin of the saying, and we know its origins are archaic and ridiculous, but the saying is still used today. For example, a good rule of thumb when crossing the street is to look both ways before stepping into the street. A good rule of thumb when eating beef is to avoid pink meat. A good rule of thumb for preparing to compete is to rest the day before.
（作者：华尔街英语外教Samuel Roth）
经验法则
经验法则（rule of thumb）是说一个不基于具体措施或者科学的普遍规则。它来源于很久以前一个英国裁判，裁定一个男子可能用棍子打了他的妻子，只要棍子不宽于他丈夫的拇指。许多人不知道此说的来源，我们知道他的来源是古老和荒谬的，至今都还在使用它。例如，一个好的经验法则（rule of thumb）是，当过马路的时候，穿过马路前要先看马路两边。在吃牛肉时的一个经验法则（rule of thumb）是，避免半生熟的肉。准备竞赛的经验法则（rule of thumb）是，赛前休息。
（翻译由华尔街英语提供，仅供参考）
Road Rage
Do you drive? Do you get angry when you drive? Do you curse and want to hurt others when you drive? If you answered “yes” to all three of the questions above, then you might have road rage. Road rage is very dangerous medical condition because you won’t be able to control your emotion or even your actions. People with road rage will intentionally cause accidents and even get into fights with other drivers. In the U.S., vehicle accidents and deaths are caused by road rage every year. In China, more people are buying cars and the roads are getting more congested. The result of these two conditions will only amount to more road rage. If you do have road rage, it is important to stop driving and start taking public transportation. You can not only save gas money, but also help the environment!
（作者：华尔街英语外教Allen Mak）
公路暴怒症
你开车吗？当你开车的时候你会生气吗？当你开车的时候，你会诅咒而且想要伤害他人吗？如果你以上三个问题的答案都是“yes”，那你可能患有公路暴怒症(road rage)。公路暴怒症是很危险的健康状况（medical condition），因为你不能控制自己的情绪甚至行为。有公路暴怒症的人会有意的引起交通事故，甚至会和其他司机打架。在美国，每年都有由公路暴怒所引起的交通事故和死亡。在中国，越来越多的人在买车，路也因此变得更加堵塞了。这两种情况的发展结果就是公路暴怒症。如果你真的有公路暴怒症，最好停止开车并且开始乘坐公共交通。你不仅省了油费，还帮助保护环境。
（翻译由华尔街英语提供，仅供参考）
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