[ti:When You 'Raise the Bar,' Things Get Hard] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:08.08]And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. [00:19.20]On this program we explore words and expressions in American English. [00:27.24]Today we talk about a common idiom from sports: To raise the bar. [00:35.92]To raise the bar means to set a high standard and to raise expectations. [00:45.16]It can also mean to set higher goals. [00:49.80]You can raise the bar for yourself or for others. [00:56.48]But we often use this expression [00:59.80]when someone’s performance is much better than others. [01:05.88]When you raise the bar, you increase the expectations of people [01:11.36]who have settled into a way of doing things. [01:15.96]For example, let’s say a person is really good at playing a video game. [01:23.92]If he joins a team game, his skill level will raise the bar. [01:30.04]The other players will have to play better [01:33.16]to come up to the new level of competition. [01:38.36]When you use the expression, you can sometimes put a word before “bar.” [01:44.56]This will describe the situation better. [01:49.20]For example, when a new intern started [01:52.64]at VOA Learning English for his fall semester, [01:56.60]he would wear a suit during online video meetings. [02:02.68]Most of us who had been working at home for many months, did not dress up. [02:09.96]We looked presentable, but our clothes were not formal. [02:15.68]So, he really raised the clothing bar for our weekly meetings. [02:22.40]Here is another example. [02:25.64]Let’s say you are invited to go to a potluck party. [02:31.12]At a potluck party, everyone is supposed to bring one thing to drink or eat. [02:39.16]You make a very tasty cake with four layers and fancy decorations. [02:46.84]The host might say, “Wow you really raised the potluck bar [02:52.80]for the rest of the people at the party.” [02:56.88]Word experts say people began using the idiom “raise the bar” [03:02.12]around the turn of the twentieth century. [03:06.40]It comes from the sport of track and field, [03:10.12]specifically the high jump and the pole vault events. [03:16.40]These events involve raising a bar incrementally, or a little at a time, [03:24.36]to see how high the athletes can jump or vault over a bar. [03:31.20]Now let’s hear these two friends use the expression together. [03:35.84]A: How’s the new job going? [03:37.72]B: Great! I go into the office an hour early every day [03:41.52]and stay late almost every night. [03:43.88]Plus, I get all my work done days ahead of my deadlines. [03:48.60]A: Aren’t you worried that you might be raising the bar a bit too high? [03:53.20]B: No way! If other people can’t perform as well, that’s good for me, right? [03:59.12]A: Well, you don’t want to raise the bar SO high [04:01.76]that one day YOU have trouble getting over it. [04:04.60]B: You know, that’s a really good point. I never thought of it like that. [04:11.32]A: That’s what friends are for. [04:13.08]B: Maybe I’ll ease up a little bit... [04:15.36]A: Good idea. [04:17.64]And that brings us to the end of this week’s Words and Their Stories. [04:22.60]When it comes to teaching American English, [04:25.52]we hope we raise the bar just a little bit higher for English learners. [04:32.68]Until next time … [04:34.20]I’m Anna Matteo. [04:36.32]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM