[00:11.160]Now, the VOA Special English
[00:14.800]program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
[00:17.880]Throughout history,
[00:20.070]gold has been a sign of purity,
[00:22.760]beauty and power.
[00:25.000]Calling something golden means
[00:28.130]it has great quality and value.
[00:30.920]For example, the golden rule
[00:34.060]is possibly the world's
[00:36.360] most widespread moral rule.
[00:39.490]It says people should treat others
[00:42.380]the way they themselves
[00:44.520]would like to be treated.
[00:46.460]Every major religion
[00:48.550]has its own version of this idea.
[00:51.430]The golden ratio is found in art,
[00:56.060]architecture and nature.
[00:59.000]It describes a rectangle
[01:01.490]with a length about one
[01:03.880]and one-half times its width.
[01:06.760]Objects using this ratio
[01:09.050]in their design seem
[01:11.000]to please the eye more than others.
[01:13.890]Philosophers have
[01:16.430]their own golden idea.
[01:18.270]The golden mean says
[01:20.660]moderation in all things
[01:23.790]is the best way to live one's life.
[01:27.030]It is an idea linked
[01:29.330]to the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.
[01:32.860]Similar thoughts exist
[01:34.950]in Buddhism and Confucianism.
[01:37.790]Ancient Greek myths told of
[01:41.220]a time long ago when people lived
[01:44.070]in peace and happiness.
[01:45.760]Poets called it the Golden Age.
[01:49.190]A golden age now describes
[01:51.930]a historical period of great artistic,
[01:55.110]scientific or economic progress.
[01:58.150]It can even recall a time of success
[02:01.240]and popularity for an industry.
[02:04.010]For example, the nineteen thirties
[02:07.300]and forties were called
[02:09.100]the Golden Age of Radio.
[02:11.340]You may have heard the proverb
[02:14.270]silence is golden.
[02:15.970]This means silence is of great value.
[02:19.860]It is sometimes better
[02:22.200]to say nothing than to speak.
[02:25.630]You might say your child was good
[02:30.370]as gold when he behaved well at school.
[02:34.100]British writer Charles Dickens
[02:37.190]used this expression
[02:38.730]in eighteen forty-three.
[02:41.010]He was describing the child Tiny Tim
[02:44.400]in the book "A Christmas Carol."
[02:46.490]In nineteen thirty-seven,
[02:49.680]American playwright Clifford Odets
[02:52.220]wrote a play called "The Golden Boy."
[02:55.200]This expression describes
[02:57.340]a young man who has many
[03:00.020]good qualities and a bright future.
[03:02.870]You might tell someone you are golden
[03:07.340]when that person does something very well.
[03:10.440]Gold digger is another description.
[03:14.670]But this does not say
[03:17.110]something nice about a person.
[03:18.990]A gold digger is someone
[03:21.700]who seeks to marry a rich person
[03:24.630]because he or she is only interested
[03:28.910]in that person's money.
[03:31.000]Maybe you like old songs
[03:34.340]from the nineteen fifties or sixties
[03:37.320]that are still well known and popular today.
[03:41.240]These are called golden oldies.
[03:44.930]In the nineteen eighties and nineties,
[03:49.720]an American television comedy series
[03:52.220]told about four older women
[03:55.010]living in Miami, Florida.
[03:57.200]The Golden Girls often dealt
[04:00.290]with social issues in a funny way.
[04:05.370]Today, most older people look forward
[04:08.940]to reaching their golden years.
[04:11.190]This is when hard-working people
[04:14.680]can retire to a life of ease and fulfillment.
[04:21.160](MUSIC)
[04:31.210]This program was written by Mario Ritter.
[04:35.530]I'm Faith Lapidus.