Words and Their Stories: Chickenfeed (second half)
My version:
Original VOA version:
Spy expert Henry S. A. Becket writes that some German spies working in London during the war also worked for the British. The British government had to make the Germans believe their spies were working. So, British officials gave them mostly false information. It was called chickenfeed.
The same person who protests that he is working for chickenfeed may also say, "I am working for peanuts." She means she is working for a small amount of money.
It is a very different meaning from the main one in the dictionary. That meaning is small nuts that grow on a plant.
No one knows for sure how a word for something to eat also came to mean something very small. But, a peanut is a very small food.
The expression is an old one. Word expert Mitford Mathews says that as early as eighteen fifty-four, an American publication used the words peanut agitators. That meant political troublemakers who did not have a lot of support.
Another reason for the saying about working for peanuts may be linked to elephants. Think of how elephants are paid for their work in the circus. They receive food, not money. One of the foods they like best is peanuts.
When you add the word gallery to the word peanut you have the name of an area in an American theater. A gallery is a high seating area or balcony above the main floor.
The peanut gallery got its name because it is the part of the theater most distant from where the show takes place. So, peanut gallery tickets usually cost less than other tickets. People pay a small amount of money for them.
一点BT小总结
本人现在是本谭马同学鹦鹉教的，可能是大加拿“爱的忙蹲”Edmonton总舵的加州小分舵成员，目前小分舵仅俺一人，且处于自学自扣状态 :)
那个啥，不管什么教，什么招，要是人讲他/她的亲身实践，有理有据的俺都爱看。俺个人非常不喜欢乱七八糟，东贴西转，自相矛盾的理论经验。如果俺要向大家推荐一个东西，电影也罢，学习方法也罢，首先它要打动俺，俺也踹过了，有感觉了，俺把自己的想法和收益拿出来和大家分享，俺总嚼的这样才有点说服力不是。俺总不能一脸大麻子的站街吆喝卖"去斑霜"不是？当然俺自己被自己感动的鼻涕眼泪一把抓，围观的人民群众岿然不动的情况也是屡见不鲜。那是俺道行不够，还要加强修炼力度的说, 可诚意俺总奉上了不是？
马同学早先给俺传鹦鹉教 - 一句一句跟读的时候，俺把他当街头卖大力丸的无异。俺觉的那样太磨人，太慢，太初级。单词的发音俺也凑合，音标俺也清楚，不想十天半月或更多时间的耗在一篇短文上。
可俺琢磨着但为什么俺读来读去，还是老腔老调，或者说在大量的朗读练习后，俺发现俺的错误没改什么，只是犯的更流利了。 阅读大家都知道有精读和泛读，朗读中也有精读和泛读。俺这么哈哈镜一照的，发现自己的精读作的太差了，几乎没有，所以很早就瓶颈了。
这段时间，俺别的什么都没读，就在扣一篇VOA的chickenfeed，上次读了一小半，这次把后一半完成了。俺隔几天，就跟读上大半个小时，时间不能太长，真的很想吐，俺真的不是一个有耐性的人。听听读读录录，再比较比较，最后正式录的时候，俺是凭记忆整个念下来了。归根到底你还是先要死记住这些调调的，否则用处不大。等模仿多的，就能摆脱这些条条框框，做到心中无剑胜手中有剑，挥洒自如了。
当然俺现在这点水平，把老虎模仿成老猫是不可避免的，但总比以前把老虎读的象老鼠要强一点不是。所以俺对这个方法还是蛮推崇的。当然语音语调只是学习英语的一部分，但好的英语是绝对离不开好的语音语调的。就学习语音语调来说，老老实实的跟读真的是不可忽略的训练。
俺在模范学习中，最明显的感受是单词在句中的那个拐调呀，是完全不同于单个单词的发音，这就是为什么你为什么发的也是音标的音，读出来的句子却不是老美的那个味。
俺举个上文中的例子:
It is a very different meaning from the main one in the dictionary. That meaning is small nuts that grow on a plant.
Demo: (click play button, please)
- 要拖长的单词，俺会给它们上面标个“—”，比如上面的“main” “grow”这是俺自几编的code，意思是“拖长符”
- 要重读的音节，俺会标上“`”
- 要升的地方，标个上箭头
- 要读成一堆的词组，把它们圈起来
- 特别拐的单词，俺会写上汉字，这点相当BT，俺并不是要发那个汉字的音，它只是给俺提个醒，比如说上面的“meaning”，俺会上它上面注上“米宁”。当然俺是笨人锉招，您要是记性好悟性高，您可以不必这么下三滥。这招对俺来说倒是最管用的，嘿嘿
以上都是俺的小抄抄。俺这人最大的毛病就是还没自个还整出个什么门道来，就抒发起来了。
俺娃说俺读的象spanish, 估计是对俺给他的圣诞礼物不满的发泄，就不跟小人计较了；老公考虑到吃饭问题，死扣着一个“好”字，后来在俺的严刑拷打和威逼利诱下，吐出一句“很有美国中部大农村的风味”。NND，俺容易吗，大过年，家里被埋汰不说，还出来丢人现眼的。。。
祝大家新年工作顺利，英语学习更上一层楼 :))
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