Which Finger?
Daily Life
扩展学习音频 2
Marco: Hello everyone! Welcome back to EnglishPod! My name is Marco.
Erica: And I’m Erica.
Marco: And today we are at a wedding ceremony.
Erica: Alright, nice.
Marco: Another nice wedding.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: But, of course, it wouldn’t be EnglishPod, unless we have something unexpected happening at this wedding. Okay, so we’re gonna be talking about hands.
Erica: Oh… but, Marco, what is there to say about a hand?
Marco: Well, as you may or may not know each finger has a name on your hand.
Erica: Okay.
Marco: So, we’re gonna learn how… w… so, we’re gonna learn what those names are in English.
Erica: Perfect. And also we’re gonna learn about some common phrases, that you might hear in an English wedding.
Marco: Exactly, because, I think… Exactly, because usually it’s old English…
Erica: Yes.
Marco: Maybe English that’s not used anymore.
Erica: Alright, well, I’m excited to find out what this unexpected event is, so let’s listen to our dialogue for the first time.
Voice: DIALOGUE, FIRST TIME
Marco: Alright, embarrassing moment for the groom, right?
Erica: Yes.
Marco: Confusing the fingers in front of all his friends and family, not good. So, I mentioned before that we’re gonna learn the names of each finger in your hand, so let’s get started, let’s take a look at these in “language takeaway”.
Voice: Language takeaway.
Erica: Alright, well, why don’t we start with the smallest finger…
Marco: Okay.
Erica: On your hand.
Marco: The smallest finger on your hand. That’s called the…
Erica: Pinkie.
Marco: Pinkie.
Erica: Pinkie.
Marco: Sometimes people call it the little finger.
Erica: Yes.
Marco: Right?
Erica: Yep.
Marco: So, a pinkie. And the next finger.
Erica: Is the one the groom couldn’t find.
Marco: Okay, the ring finger.
Erica: The ring finger.
Marco: So, this is, of course, like the name says, where the wedding ring is usually placed…
Erica: Exactly.
Marco: On this finger.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: Now, the next one is a controversial finger.
Erica: That must be the middle finger.
Marco: Okay, easy, middle finger. So, why is it controversial?
Erica: Well, you know, if you put your middle finger up… And you put all…
Marco: Hehe. Like you’re doing right now to me?
Erica: Hehe. Yes. I’m sorry, Marco, I’ll do it this way.
Marco: Hehe.
Erica: And all other fingers down…
Marco: Aha.
Erica: You are making a very rude gesture.
Marco: It’s a rude…
Erica: Rude sign.
Marco: So, ho… what would you call that?
Erica: I would call that giving the middle finger.
Marco: Giving the middle finger or…
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: I’ve also heard the phrase - flip someone off.
Erica: Yes, or also flip the bird.
Marco: Flip the bird…
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: Exactly.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: Or give him the bird.
Erica: Yes.
Marco: Hehe.
Erica: So, all phrases that you can use, when you are showing only your middle finger…
Marco: Right.
Erica: To somebody.
Marco: It’s not very polite.
Erica: No, don’t do it.
Marco: Don’t do it.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: Or unless somebody deserves it, I guess. Hehe.
Erica: Well…
Marco: Alright.
Erica: We won’t talk about that, but what we will talk about is the next finger.
Marco: The index finger.
Erica: The index finger.
Marco: Index finger.
Erica: So, this is the finger you use to point.
Marco: Right.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: The index finger… Any idea why they call it the index finger?
Erica: Cause when you’re looking through the index of a book, you always use this finger.
Marco: Right, I… I think you also use this finger to pass pages on a book, right?
Erica: Yeah. Okay, don’t believe anything I just told here.
Marco: Hehe. Well, we’re not sure maybe you guys know the real answer to this.
Erica: Alright.
Marco: And our last finger, the most important one…
Erica: The thumb.
Marco: Thumb.
Erica: T-H-U-M-B.
Marco: The thumb.
Erica: Thumb.
Marco: Okay, so, that’s the short but fat finger… on your hand.
Erica: That… the very moveable one.
Marco: The moveable one.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: The one that you use to play… Playstation… and all that stuff.
Erica: Video games.
Marco: Yeah.
Erica: Okay, so the pronunciation here. Do you say the B at the end of this word?
Marco: No, I wou.. actually only pronounce the M.
Erica: Yes.
Marco: The thuM.
Erica: The thuM.
Marco: Yeah, I… you wouldn’t say the thumB.
Erica: No.
Marco: Uhu. Okay, so, now that we’re clear on all five fingers, let’s listen to our dialogue again and then we’ll come back and talk about these difficult phrases that the priest used.
Voice: DIALOGUE, SECOND TIME (slow)
Erica: Well, this is really common wedding speak, isn’t it?
Marco: Yeah, it’s really common. That’s what usually the priest or the person, who is marring somebody, would say.
Erica: Why don’t we look it some of these phrases now, because it’s really interesting to talk about their meaning. So, the first one – may this ring be blessed.
Marco: May this ring be blessed.
Erica: May this ring be blessed.
Marco: So, what does it mean when you bless something or someone?
Erica: Well, usually, the… the religious leader does this, right?
Marco: Aha.
Erica: And he’s giving good wishes to that thing.
Marco: Could be for an object or to a person, right?
Erica: Yes.
Marco: You can be blessed as well.
Erica: Yeah, and so these good wishes usually come from God.
Marco: Okay. Great, so, what about our next phrase?
Erica: Abide in peace.
Marco: Abide in peace.
Erica: Abide in peace.
Marco: Wow, so, this verb - abide.
Erica: It means to live.
Marco: To live.
Erica: Yep.
Marco: To…
Erica: To be.
Marco: To be in peace.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: But it’s very fancy and I don’t know if you use it anymore.
Erica: No, I think, you would… you would never use this word in conversation or even very rarely in writing. It’s… it’s quite old.
Marco: Yes, definitely I would agree. So, abide in peace.
Erica: Uhu.
Marco: Okay, what about our next phrase? I like this and it’s the common phrase you’ll hear in all movies and in all marriages.
Erica: Yep.
Marco: With this ring I thee wed.
Erica: With this ring I thee wed.
Marco: With this ring I thee wed.
Erica: Okay, we’ve got two words in here that are also older English words, so… Thee.
Marco: Thee.
Erica: T-H…
Marco: E-E.
Erica: T-H-E-E.
Marco: Thee.
Erica: So, this is an… this is a Middle-English term for “you”.
Marco: You, right?
Erica: Yes.
Marco: So… I would s… can I say “I love thee”?
Erica: You could, that would be very romantic.
Marco: Hehe.
Erica: That also inappropriate for the office.
Marco: Hehe. But… it’s very old and… I guess you would… if you’re reading Shakespeare you would definitely…
Erica: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Marco: Come upon this, right?
Erica: Yes, yes.
Marco: And what about wed?
Erica: This is also an old word for… an old verb for the action of marring someone.
Marco: So, I can say “we will be wed next year”.
Erica: Hm…
Marco: Uhu.
Erica: But… don’t say that now, because you’ll sound quite silly.
Marco: Hehe. Yeah.
Erica: It’s too old-fashioned.
Marco: Yeah, I guess so. But it’s good to know, if… especially if you guys are reading something…
Erica: Yes.
Marco: A little bit more classical.
Erica: Or you plan to get married to an English person.
Marco: Hehe. Alright, and our last phrase – wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.
Erica: Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.
Marco: So, now, he’s referring to the rings, right?
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: Wear the ring…
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: As a symbol.
Erica: A sign.
Marco: A representation…
Erica: Yes.
Marco: Of love and commitment. So, why would you wear a ring as a… as a symbol of something?
Erica: Well, obviously, you know, love, you can’t see it, you can’t touch it…
Marco: Right.
Erica: So… so, you need something to show you that it’s there.
Marco: Uhu.
Erica: So, you need a sign of that love.
Marco: Something that you can see.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: So, that’s what the ring represents.
Erica: Yeah, but how about this word commitment?
Marco: A commitment is a strong promise. So, you promise to love that person, to take care of them…
Erica: Yes.
Marco: Et cetera.
Erica: Yeah, okay, great. So now, we’re a little bit more familiar with some of the language you hear in a wedding ceremony and we also know all of the names of the fingers.
Marco: Exactly.
Erica: So, why don’t we listen to the dialogue one more time to hear these all in context?
Voice: DIALOGUE, THIRD TIME
Marco: Alright, so, now, it’s perfectly clear. And, uh… a romantic dialogue in the end.
Erica: Yeah, very romantic.
Marco: Hehe. Although, a little bit embarrassing.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: So, what about wedding rings? Now, we have different types of rings, right?
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: We have the wedding ring, the one they… that we just heard.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: But we also have an engagement ring.
Erica: Yes, yeah. In most English-speaking countries the women is very, very lucky…
Marco: Hehe.
Erica: Because she gets two rings.
Marco: Right.
Erica: So, when the man asks her to marry him…
Marco: Uhu.
Erica: He gives her a diamond.
Marco: A diamond ring.
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: That is usually… that’s the engagement ring.
Erica: Uh, and it’s really, really important, that he does this.
Marco: Well…
Erica: And it’s also really important, that he spends a lot of money on the di… on the diamond.
Marco: Yeah, I know about this. Diamonds are forever, right?
Erica: An… And the tradition is you must spend at least one month's salary.
Marco: Wow.
Erica: Yep.
Marco: Is that it?
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: So, the girl gets an… a diamond engagement ring…
Erica: Uhu.
Marco: And then on wedding day she gets the… the wedding ring.
Erica: Yes.
Marco: And usually… will she wear both of them?
Erica: Yeah, she’ll always wear both of them. So tha… engagement ring glose… goes closest to you and then the wedding ring on top.
Marco: And the engagement ring, it represents…
Erica: The commitment to marry her…
Marco: So…
Erica: No, wait… the commitment from the man to marry her.
Marco: Okay, so that… it’s a symbol that they will get married.
Erica: Yeah, it’s a symbol of the promise.
Marco: Hm. Now, what happens if they break up and, uh, and they don’t get married? Does he get the ring back?
Erica: I don’t know, um, okay, here’s the rule.
Marco: Hehe.
Erica: If he was a jerk…
Marco: Hehe.
Erica: No.
Marco: And…
Erica: But… but if… if it was sort of like a happy break up, then okay.
Marco: Okay. I guess it’s a big risk, right?
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: Hehe. Alright, so, that’s all for today guys, let us know if you guys have any interesting wedding stories and all that… Sometimes weddings can be embarrassing, people… I don’t know… objecting, maybe… I’ve seen the groom faint.
Erica: Or even fall in a pool.
Marco: Fall in a pool?
Erica: Yeah.
Marco: So, if you have any stories, please share them with us, come to englishpod.com and also if you have any questions or doubts, Erica and I are always there to answer them.
Erica: Well, thanks for listening to this lesson everyone and until next time… Good bye!
Marco: Bye!
