书城外语笑死你的英文书
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第16章 Get a Job

One day shortly after I had come home from college,my father was outside doing yard work。He found a baby bird under a tree and assumed it had fallen from its nest。Wanting to return the tiny creature to its home,my dad went to get a ladder。When he got back,he found another baby bird on the ground。

Suddenly he heard a loud chirping from above。Looking up,my father saw the mother bird giving a third baby the boot from its nest。With that,Dad walked into our house,took one look at me watching television and barked,“Get a job!”

找个工作

一天,我刚刚从学院回到家里,我父亲正在院子里面干活。他发现树下有一个雏鸟,猜想可能是从窝里掉下来的。父亲便去搬梯子,他想把这个小东西送回它的家。梯子搬来了,可父亲发现地上又多了一个雏鸟。

突然他听到树上有大声的唧唧声。父亲抬起头,看见母鸟正在把第三只雏鸟往巢外踢。

看到这些,父亲走进屋,看了一眼在看电视的我,大声叫道:“找个工作去!”

assume[sju:m]vt。假设,臆断,猜想;假装

例:We cannot assume anything in this case。在这种情况下我们不可能做出假设。

ladder[ld]n。梯子;阶梯,途径

例:He climbed the social ladder。他爬上了上层社会。

chirp[tp]vi。鸟叫;虫鸣n。(鸟的)啁啾声;(虫的)唧唧声;吱喳声,(无线电的)啁啾声信号

boot[bu:t]n。长统靴,高统鞋;后备箱,行李箱

例:He laced up his boots。他系紧靴子的鞋带。

bark[b?:k]vi。吠叫vt。大声喊出

例:The dog barks at strangers。这只狗对陌生人吠叫。

Give him an inch and he will take a yard/mile。英文解释为If you allow him a little freedom or power,he will try to get a lot more。中文意思为“得寸进尺”,此成语出自西汉?刘向《战国策?秦策三》:“王不如远交而近攻,得寸则王之寸,得尺亦王之尺也。”近义词有:欲壑难填、得陇望蜀、贪得无厌、贪心不足;反义词有:心满意足、如愿以偿、称心如意、知足常乐。

关于bird的习惯用语:

1.be for the birds(not be important or practical)不重要,不实际,毫无价值的,如:Their opinions on art are simply for the birds。(他们对艺术的见解真是荒唐可笑。)

2.eat like a bird吃得很少,如:She eats like a bird to keep herself slim。(为了保持苗条,她吃得很少)。

3.a bird’s eye view鸟瞰,俯视

4.the birds and the bees(幽默语)(尤指跟儿童讲的)性的基本知识,英文的定义是“the basic facts about sex,especially as told to children”。如:It is time for the mother to tell her children about the birds and the bees。(对于这个妈妈来说,是时候告诉她的孩子们一些关于性的基本知识了)。

5.birds of a feather flock together物以类聚,人以群分

6.a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush直译为“一鸟在手胜过二鸟在林”,引申为“把握住现有的要比因过分追求而失去一切好”。

7.killing two birds with one stone一石二鸟