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Now, the VOA Special English |
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program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. |
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Throughout history, |
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gold has been a sign of purity, |
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beauty and power. |
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Calling something golden means |
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it has great quality and value. |
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For example, the golden rule |
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is possibly the world's |
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most widespread moral rule. |
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It says people should treat others |
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the way they themselves |
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would like to be treated. |
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Every major religion |
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has its own version of this idea. |
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The golden ratio is found in art, |
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architecture and nature. |
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It describes a rectangle |
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with a length about one |
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and one-half times its width. |
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Objects using this ratio |
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in their design seem |
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to please the eye more than others. |
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Philosophers have |
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their own golden idea. |
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The golden mean says |
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moderation in all things |
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is the best way to live one's life. |
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It is an idea linked |
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to the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. |
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Similar thoughts exist |
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in Buddhism and Confucianism. |
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Ancient Greek myths told of |
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a time long ago when people lived |
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in peace and happiness. |
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Poets called it the Golden Age. |
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A golden age now describes |
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a historical period of great artistic, |
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scientific or economic progress. |
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It can even recall a time of success |
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and popularity for an industry. |
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For example, the nineteen thirties |
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and forties were called |
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the Golden Age of Radio. |
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You may have heard the proverb |
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silence is golden. |
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This means silence is of great value. |
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It is sometimes better |
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to say nothing than to speak. |
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You might say your child was good |
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as gold when he behaved well at school. |
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British writer Charles Dickens |
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used this expression |
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in eighteen forty-three. |
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He was describing the child Tiny Tim |
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in the book "A Christmas Carol." |
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In nineteen thirty-seven, |
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American playwright Clifford Odets |
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wrote a play called "The Golden Boy." |
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This expression describes |
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a young man who has many |
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good qualities and a bright future. |
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You might tell someone you are golden |
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when that person does something very well. |
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Gold digger is another description. |
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But this does not say |
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something nice about a person. |
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A gold digger is someone |
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who seeks to marry a rich person |
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because he or she is only interested |
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in that person's money. |
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Maybe you like old songs |
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from the nineteen fifties or sixties |
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that are still well known and popular today. |
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These are called golden oldies. |
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In the nineteen eighties and nineties, |
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an American television comedy series |
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told about four older women |
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living in Miami, Florida. |
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The Golden Girls often dealt |
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with social issues in a funny way. |
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Today, most older people look forward |
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to reaching their golden years. |
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This is when hard-working people |
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can retire to a life of ease and fulfillment. |
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(MUSIC) |
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This program was written by Mario Ritter. |
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I'm Faith Lapidus. |