[by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51VOA.COM [00:00.32] [00:05.64]Now, the VOA Learning English program [00:09.52]Words and Their Stories [00:11.64]Thanksgiving. Just as it sounds, [00:15.65]Thanksgiving is a holiday when people give thanks [00:19.40]for all the good in their lives. [00:22.32]Americans celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving [00:25.72]on the fourth Thursday in November. [00:28.76]Family and friends gather around the dinner table, [00:31.96]eat a big meal together and say what they are thankful for. [00:37.08]In other words, they count their blessings. [00:40.64]To count your blessing is to be grateful [00:43.68]for all your good fortune in life. [00:47.12]But sometimes we use it as a warning [00:50.08]to people who may forget to be thankful. [00:53.40]Here's is an example of how to use it that way: [00:56.92]I am so mad at my mother-in-law. [00:59.93]She has invited the whole family on a Mediterranean cruise [01:04.04]even though she knows that I get sea sick. [01:07.36]You know, you should really count your blessings. [01:10.96]You have a great family who loves you and wants to spend money on you! [01:15.80]Be thankful. Some people have it much worse. [01:19.32]Good point. [01:21.16]A blessing is something that helps you or brings you happiness. [01:26.32]The word "blessing" comes from Old English, meaning "blood." [01:31.42]As the word evolved, [01:33.16]it borrowed from the Latin word that means to praise or worship ¨C [01:37.56]literally, "to speak well of." [01:40.08]The verb "bless" is a word you hear often in American English. [01:44.92]This is because "Bless you!" is a common response to someone when they sneeze. [01:50.72]Ah-choo! Bless you. [01:52.52]Speaking in a non-religious way, [01:55.52]"bless" means to make something lucky or happy. [01:59.68]In a religious way, [02:01.60]"bless" means to ask God to care for, [02:05.00]protect, or make something or someone holy. [02:09.80]And if a person talks about a blessed event [02:13.20]they are talking about expecting a child. [02:16.60]This is slightly romantic, a little formal and a lot religious. [02:21.80]So, use accordingly. [02:23.72]And please take note of the difference [02:26.08]between "blessed" and "bles-sed." [02:28.72]"Blessed" is the past tense of the verb "bless," [02:32.88]but "blessed" is the adjective. [02:36.12]The word "bless" definitely has religious roots and meanings. [02:40.84]But we use the word in other expressions as well. [02:45.08]If something is a mixed blessing, [02:48.00]it is both good and bad. [02:51.28]For example, being beautiful can be a mixed blessing. [02:55.84]You may get positive attention for your beauty. [02:59.44]But people may also be too shy to talk to you [03:03.44]or look at you as being not very smart. [03:07.36]We might also express this same meaning [03:10.48]by saying something is a blessing and a curse. [03:14.93]A blessing in disguise is something that seems to be bad [03:19.48]or unlucky at first sight, but actually turns out to be good. [03:25.40]For example, my trip to New York City was canceled. [03:29.72]However, the cancellation was a blessing in disguise. [03:34.16]A big snow storm hit and shut down all the airports. [03:38.60]I would have been stranded at the airport for days. [03:43.08]Now blessing someone may sound like a good thing, [03:46.96]but sometimes it is not. [03:49.66]When someone, often a woman, says bless her heart [03:54.96]about another, it means she feels sorry for that person. [04:00.24]She is usually expressing pity more than concern. [04:05.08]Truth be told, it is often a way of insulting someone [04:10.00]indirectly without making yourself look bad for doing so. [04:16.48]"Bless her heart" is a common expression in the southern U.S. states. [04:21.64]So, it sounds more natural when pronounced with a slight southern accent. [04:27.51]However, when someone says another person is [04:31.32]blessed with a quality or talent, [04:34.36]they really mean it. For example, [04:37.64]"He is blessed with athletic abilities." [04:41.00]Or "She is blessed with a beautiful singing voice." [04:46.56]And we hear at VOA Learning English [04:49.56]are especially blessed with a great audience [04:52.88]who loves learning English! I'm Anna Matteo. [04:57.56]Tell us what you are thankful for in the Comments section.