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Hello! Welcome to Ask a Teacher.
你好！欢迎收听《名师答疑》。
This week we answer a question from Shinji in Japan.
本周，我们回答来自日本的信治的一个问题。
Here's the question: I think I once learned the expression "How come", which I hear is to explain reasons.
问题是这样的：我想我曾经学过How come这个表达，听说是用来解释原因的。
For example, "How come the schools are cancelled?"
例如，“为什么学校停课了？”
But I rarely come across this construction, recently, both in writing and speaking.
但我最近很少看到这种结构，无论是在写作上还是在口语上。
I am not quite sure about the distinction between this and "why."
我不太确定这个表达和why之间的区别。
If it would be all right with you, I would appreciate your lesson on it.
如果您不介意的话，我将非常感谢您的解答。
Sincerely Yours, Shinji, Japan.
您真诚的朋友，信治，日本。
And here's the answer: Dear Shinji, When I started to look into this question, I found that, as you experienced, the expression is not as common now as it was in the past.
以下是回答：亲爱的信治，当我开始研究这个问题时，我发现，正如你所经历的，这个表达现在不像过去那么常见了。
The first use in American English is recorded around 1848.
它在美式英语中最早的用法是1848年左右。
The highest point for its use was in the 1940s and 1950s.
它的使用最高峰是在20世纪40年代和50年代。
Its use has dropped since 2012.
自2012年以来，它的使用频率有所下降。
The Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary says "how come" is "used to ask why something has happened or is true."
《韦氏初学者词典》说，How Come是用来问为什么某事已经发生或者是真的。
It is a short form of "how did it come about that."
它是how did it come about that（这是怎么发生的）的缩写。
The dictionary also says the expression is usually found in the United States and is used in casual speech.
词典还说，这个短语通常出现在美国，用于日常口语中。
When it appears in news headlines, Merriam-Webster says the purpose is to create a more relaxed quality to the writing.
韦氏词典表示，当它出现在新闻头条上时，目的是为文章增添一种轻松的语气。
For example, books that have "how come" in the title seem to be aimed at children.
例如，书名中有how come的书似乎是针对儿童的。
Even presidents sometimes want to sound more casual, as President Barack Obama did in a 2017 campaign speech for the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia:
就连总统有时也想听起来更随意，就像巴拉克·奥巴马总统在2017年作为弗吉尼亚州州长民主党候选人发表的竞选演讲中所说的那样：
"How come we can't get things through Congress?
“为什么我们不能在国会通过法案呢？
How come we can't get things through the state house?
为什么我们不能在州议会通过法案呢？
Because you slept through the election," Obama said.
因为你在选举过程中一直打瞌睡了。”奥巴马说。
When we use "why" to ask a question, we must change the usual English word order.
当我们用why来问问题时，我们必须改变通常的英语词序。
Let us begin with the statement, You are cooking lunch.
让我们从陈述句开始：You are cooking lunch.（你在做午餐。）
To ask a question with "why," you would change the order of the subject "you" and the verb "are", as in this question: Why are you cooking lunch?
要问一个带有why的问题，你需要改变主语You和动词are的顺序，就像这个问题：Why are you cooking lunch?（你为什么要做午餐？）
But when we use "how come," the word order of the statement does not change: How come you are cooking lunch?
但当我们使用how Come时，陈述句的语序没有改变：How come you are cooking lunch?（为什么你在做午餐？）
It could be that the simplicity of this question form makes it easier for children to use and gives it a more casual feel.
可能是因为这种问句很简单，所以孩子们更容易使用，也给人一种更随意的感觉。
I hope this helps you understand the expression, Shinji.
我希望这能帮助你理解这个表达，信治。
And that's Ask a Teacher. I'm Jill Robbins.
这就是本期的《名师答疑》。吉尔·罗宾斯为您播报。
