和track有关的英语表达.docxVIP

Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.Each week, we tell about American expressions and where they come from.Today we talk about railroads. Railroads were important to the development of the United States. The first U.S. railroads were built in eastern states. Trains later connected the East Coast with the West Coast.Train and railway expressions worked their way into American English over a century ago. Many of those terms are still being used today.Railroads changed the look of the United States. They cut through mountains, crossed through wide open prairies and joined together in cities. The railroads made transporting goods easier. They also gave many Americans the chance to move around the country.Sometimes railroad tracks would not join up in a town but divide it in two. One side of the tracks might be good, while the other side was ‘not-so-good. If you say someone is from the wrong side of the tracks, it means they are from the bad side of town.For the train running down the track there is no right or wrong side. The track is simply the metal structure on which the train runs.To go off track means to move away from ones intended purpose or goal.For example, you could say your career went way off track if you wanted to be a lawyer but became an actor instead. But if you go to law school and complete your studies, your career is back on track. Lets say you finished law school very quickly because you took double the course load. You then could say you fast-tracked your way to becoming a lawyer. In the world of business, it is common to say a project has been fast-tracked or is on a fast track.To stay on track means to pay attention to your goal or purpose. But getting sidetracked is just the opposite. A train that is sidetracked gets sent to a different station or down a different line.Talking about train tracks, a rail is a single piece of steel that is part of the larger railway. Some rails are dangerous to touch. In some cities, a thi