Watergate is the name of the biggest political scandal in modern American history, in the early 1970s. Here is the short story.

Watergate Watergate is the name of the biggest political scandal in modern American history是美國現代史上最大的政治醜聞的名稱, in the early 1970s發生在1970年代初期. Here is the short story簡單說一下這個故事.

In 1972, some men broke into the offices of the Democratic Party — the party against President Nixon — to look at their election plans and listen to their phones. Those offices were in a building in Washington D.C. called the Watergate. The men were caught.

In 1972 1972年, some men broke into the offices of the Democratic Party幾個人闖入了民主黨的辦公室 — the party against President Nixon也就是尼克森總統的對手政黨 — to look at their election plans and listen to their phones想看他們的選舉計畫，還想竊聽他們的電話. Those offices were in a building in Washington D.C. called the Watergate那些辦公室位於華盛頓特區一棟叫做Watergate的建築物裡. The men were caught那些人被抓到了.

What made it a huge story was not really the break-in itself, but what came after: Nixon and his people tried to hide it, tried to stop the police looking, and lied about it for two years. When tape recordings from his own office proved this, Nixon knew Congress would remove him, so in 1974 he quit first. No other US president has ever quit the job.

What made it a huge story was not really the break-in itself讓這件事變成大新聞的，其實不是闖入這件事本身, but what came after而是後來發生的事: Nixon and his people tried to hide it尼克森和他的手下想隱瞞這件事, tried to stop the police looking想阻止警方調查, and lied about it for two years還說謊說了兩年. When tape recordings from his own office proved this當他自己辦公室裡的錄音帶證實了這一切, Nixon knew Congress would remove him尼克森知道國會會把他趕下台, so in 1974 he quit first所以他在1974年先自己辭職了. No other US president has ever quit the job沒有其他美國總統曾經自己辭職過.

So when someone says 'Watergate', they mean that whole affair, not the building. The word did something unusual afterwards: the ending '-gate' broke off and became a piece you can stick on any scandal.

So when someone says 'Watergate'所以當有人說「Watergate」的時候, they mean that whole affair, not the building指的是整件事，不是那棟建築物. The word did something unusual afterwards這個字後來發生了一件很特別的事: the ending '-gate' broke off and became a piece you can stick on any scandal字尾的「-gate」自己獨立出來，變成一個可以貼在任何醜聞後面的部件.

Journalists now write things like 'Deflategate' or 'Partygate' for any story where someone did something wrong and then tried to hide it. This happens all over the world now, including in Chinese news. If you see '-gate' at the end of a strange word in a news headline, that is where it comes from, and it always suggests both wrongdoing and a cover-up.

Journalists now write things like 'Deflategate' or 'Partygate'現在記者會寫像「Deflategate」或「Partygate」這樣的字 for any story where someone did something wrong and then tried to hide it用來指任何有人做錯事又想隱瞞的新聞事件. This happens all over the world now這種現象現在全世界都有, including in Chinese news包括中文新聞也是. If you see '-gate' at the end of a strange word in a news headline如果你在新聞標題裡看到一個奇怪的字後面接著「-gate」, that is where it comes from那就是這個典故的來源, and it always suggests both wrongdoing and a cover-up而且它總是暗示著做壞事又掩蓋的意思.

One more useful thing this word teaches: from Watergate came the saying 'the cover-up is worse than the crime' — meaning the lying afterwards causes more trouble than the original bad act. That is the real lesson people take from it, and native speakers reach for it often. Always written with a capital W. Spoken as WA-ter-gate.

One more useful thing this word teaches這個字還教會我們另一件有用的事: from Watergate came the saying 'the cover-up is worse than the crime'從Watergate這件事衍生出一句話「the cover-up is worse than the crime」 — meaning the lying afterwards causes more trouble than the original bad act意思是事後說謊造成的麻煩，往往比原本做的壞事還大. That is the real lesson people take from it這才是大家真正從這件事學到的教訓, and native speakers reach for it often母語者也常常會用這句話. Always written with a capital W開頭的W永遠大寫. Spoken as WA-ter-gate唸法是WA-ter-gate.