Bird與人類的關係密切,
英語裡有相當多與其有關的常用表達。
下面兩句是最著名的:
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
一鳥在手勝過二鳥在林。
英語中最古老和最著名的諺語之一。始於15世紀。
這句諺語告誡人們不要冒不必要的風險。最好保留你所擁有的(一隻鳥),而不是冒險得到更多,最終可能一無所獲。
The early bird catches the worm.
早起的鳥兒有蟲吃。
也是英語中家喻戶曉的諺語之一。
也說:The early bird gets the worm
意指「誰先到誰就有最好的成功機會,因為她總是佔據先機」。
這句俗語出現於1605年,,常常簡稱為早起鳥(early bird),也就是「早起者」(early riser)的意思。
下面來學習其他一些與bird相關的表達:
As free as a bird
像鳥兒般自由
Now that I've got my divorce, I feel as free as a bird.
現在我離了婚,覺得很自由。
Eat like a bird
飯量少;吃得很少
Girls always eat like a bird in order to keep a slender figure.
女孩子為了保持苗條的身材,總是吃得吃得很少。
Bird's eye view
鳥瞰(圖),(自高處俯視的)全景
The course gives you a bird's eye view of European art history.
這門課讓你可以縱覽歐洲藝術史。
Bird of passage
候鳥,浪人,過客
He was a bird of passage until he married and bought a house.
他結婚買房之前一直浪跡天涯。
Bird brained
頭腦簡單的
You're so bird-brained. I can't believe you got stranded on the highway because you didn't put enough gas in your car!
你太笨了。真不敢你會因為不加夠汽油而被困在高速公路上!
Jail bird
囚徒; 囚犯; 囚鳥
Rare bird
不尋常的人,罕見的人(常指有罕見才智的)
He's that rare bird, a barman who doesn't drink alcohol.
他真是稀有動物,一個不喝酒的酒保。
A little bird told me
有人私下告訴我;有小道消息
大家熱捧的《權利的遊戲》中瓦裡斯,他有一群小小鳥。這個小小鳥不是真的是小鳥,而是泛指瓦裡斯的整個情報網絡。
A little bird told me that you've got engaged.
聽說你訂婚了。
Flip(someone)the bird
[學生用語]做伸出中指的手勢
Max flipped the cop the bird—and that was just the wrong thing to do.
麥克斯對警察豎了中指,他慘了。
The bird has flown
看字面意思是鳥飛了,我們漢語有一句俗語:煮熟的鴨子飛了,the bird has flown就是類似的意思,表示某人或某物離開了、逃了、不在這。
The police raided the house at dawn, but the bird had flown.
警察在黎明時突然搜查了那所房子,但已人去樓空。
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