[ti:Autumn Years and Other Phases of Life] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:08.28]And now it's time for Words and Their Stories! [00:15.48]Each week, we tell the story of English language words and expressions. [00:22.16]On our program today, we will talk about seasons. [00:26.29]In some places, there are four: winter, spring, summer and autumn. [00:34.20]Many areas in Earth's northern hemisphere have just experienced a change of seasons [00:41.12]-- from summer to autumn. [00:44.12]Hours of daylight grow shorter, and temperatures drop. [00:49.76]Nature is entering a quiet phase. [00:53.25]Flowering plants stop producing flowers. [00:57.81]Leaves growing on some trees change color, die and fall to the ground. [01:05.20]Some animals become less active and hibernate during the winter months. [01:13.08]Nature has its phases and so do we. [01:18.04]Like seeds shooting signs of life through the soil, spring is a time of rebirth. [01:25.08]If it were likened to a human life, [01:28.32]spring is the time when we enter the world as innocent as a newborn baby. [01:35.56]Then babies become toddlers. [01:38.67]They learn the word "no" and use it a lot. [01:44.44]Bad behavior can be a problem during this period. [01:48.00]No wonder it is often called the "Terrible Twos." [01:53.28]But other than this "terrible" part, childhood is a magical time, [01:58.60]or at least, it should be, when everything seems possible. [02:05.44]However, those feelings of wonder are often dampened during a child's adolescence. [02:12.74]The growing pains and angst of the teenage years can be a dark time, indeed. [02:19.22]But then we become young adults. [02:22.41]We try to make it on our own. [02:26.32]For many people, their 20s and 30s are the prime of life. [02:32.16]This is the time when they are at their personal best. [02:36.29]But the prime of life can happen at any time. [02:40.24]Some people peak really early. [02:43.40]They hit their prime in high school or college. [02:48.04]After that, it may be all downhill. [02:51.48]He or she is filled with memories of the glory days – always reliving an earlier, happier time. [02:59.11]We just sit around talking about the old times, [03:03.16]She says when she feels like crying she starts laughing thinking about ... [03:07.99]Glory days - they pass you by Glory days [03:13.97]- in the wink of a young girl's eye, Glory days, glory days ... [03:20.76]Other people may be late bloomers. [03:23.87]They do not hit their peak until much later in life. [03:29.00]And still others live their lives as if the best is yet to come ... always! [03:36.44]Whenever you peak, we all begin to slow down a bit. [03:42.04]As we age, we hit a phase that some people call midlife. [03:48.09]In this phase we are busy working and possibly raising a family. [03:54.04]Even though we are busy, we may feel that life has become predictable. [04:00.68]So, this is when many people want to change things, a lot! [04:05.36]They have a so-called midlife crisis... or two. [04:11.92]They may buy a really fast motorcycle, get a tattoo [04:17.10]or take up a new and dangerous hobby -- like skydiving. [04:23.80]But this passes and things calm down again as we enter the next phase – the autumn years. [04:33.20]If spring is the season of being born, autumn is the season of dying [04:38.92]-- or at least slowing down for the winter. [04:43.40]Our autumn years is the period after we retire from work and start to slow down. [04:50.53]Many people love this phase and enjoy their time in retirement. [04:57.80]However, we have other terms that describe this latter part of life. [05:03.76]You might hear them called the twilight years. [05:07.04]For many, this could suggest that the "end is near." [05:13.32]So, perhaps a better expression is the golden years. [05:17.95]This describes a time that is carefree and easy. [05:22.50]Golden, you might say. [05:25.44]You finally hit a phase where you don't have to care what other people think anymore. [05:32.84]Perhaps this is why we sometimes call the autumn years, or golden years, a second childhood. [05:40.60]We can live like a child again, hopefully, without a care in the world. [05:48.64]Some people in their autumn years of life may have some regrets. [05:54.00]But seriously, who wouldn't? [05:56.10]Nearly everyone has a few "what-ifs" and "should-haves." [06:01.20]But as we say, you can't change the past. [06:05.10]You can only look to the future ... whatever stage of life you are in. [06:10.93]And that's Words and Their Stories. [06:14.96]Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo. [06:17.68]Golden years, (gold whop whop whop) [06:23.08]Don't let me hear you say life's taking you nowhere, [06:27.28](angel) Look at that sky, life's begun [06:33.96]Nights are warm and the days are young.. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM