时间:2019-01-20 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

今天要讲的两个习惯用语里都有一个关键的字。那就是:feather. Feather就是鸟身上的羽毛。既然羽毛跟鸟有关系,那末我们就先来讲一个和鸟有直接关系的习惯用语。Birds of a feather. Bird就是鸟,后面加一个s就是指多数,或者是各种类的鸟。同样种类的鸟一般身上都有相同的羽毛。这就是 birds of a feather的字面含义。在用做俗语的时候,birds of a feather是指人,而不是指鸟了。Birds of a feather的意思是:各种特性很相同的人。这跟中文里说的:物以类聚,人以群分的意思很相似。Birds of a feather这个俗语经常是含贬意的。


下面就是一个例子,这是一个爸爸在担心他儿子经常结交的朋友。


例句1: I wish our boy wouldn't hang around with that crowd! They're birds of a feather - they don't care about getting a job; all they do is drink beer and chase girls.


他说:我希望我儿子不会跟那群孩子经常混在一起。他们都属于一个类型,对于有没有工作根本不在乎;他们所关心的就是喝啤酒和找女孩子。


美国的家长也很担心自己的孩子结交的朋友;生怕孩子受到坏影响,从而走上歧途。在现实生活中,由于朋友的影响而走上犯罪道路的人也不是少见的。


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每个人身处在一个集体当中的时候都会发现跟某些人合得来,跟某些人合不来。下面是一个公司的雇员在跟一个朋友说公司里的事。


例句2: I've worked in this office for a couple of years and I can get along with all my colleagues except two. One is able to lie with a straight face and the other likes to play sneaky tricks. They're really birds of a feather.


这个人说:我已经在这个办公室工作了两年,除了两个人以外我跟所有的同事都相处得很好。那两个人,一个骗起人来脸不变色。另一个人喜欢搞阴谋诡计,他们真是一路货。


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我们再来给大家讲解一个以feather这个字为主的习惯用语。有些鸟用别的鸟脱下来的毛来铺垫自己的鸟巢,使得自己的巢既暖和又舒适。我们要讲的第二个习惯用语就是从这种现象而来的。To feather one's own nest. Feather在这里是用做动词。Nest就是鸟巢,因此从字面来解释,to feather one's own nest就是用羽毛来铺垫自己的巢。在说到人的时候,to feather one's own nest就是先考虑自己个人的利益,而把别人的利害放在次要的地位上。To feather one's own nest一般是用来形容那些假公济私,不顾公众利益的政府官员。下面这个例子是一个电台记者在说一个大城市的市长。


例句3: The newspapers are really after the mayor - they've dug up some evidence he's feathering his own nest by taking money under the table from companies doing work for the city government.


这个记者报导说:各家报纸的报导确实都是针对市长的。它们发现了一些证据,证明他偷偷地从那些为市政府工作的公司那里接受贿赂。


在美国的官员中也有贪污、腐败、违法乱纪的。但是,一旦他们被揭露,不管官职大小他们都会受到法律的制裁。当然,美国的司法过程还是相当复杂和烦琐的。这也是为了避免冤枉好人。


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美国公众对政府官员越来越感到失望,但是这也不能一概而论。下面这个例子是一个选民在表彰他们州的州长。他说:


例句4: Our governor is a very compassionate 1 man. He and his wife even donated their own private money to fund a shelter for homeless people. He's totally different from those politicians who only want to feather their own nests.


这个人说:我们的州长是一个非常有同情心的人。他和他的夫人甚至把自己的钱捐了很多给一个收容无家可归的人的机构。他跟那些只想图自己利益的政客是完全不同的。



adj.有同情心的,表示同情的
  • She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
  • The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。
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active trade
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eosinophilic granuloma of bone
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expanding earth theory
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variable cost dynamics
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