VOA慢速英語:Words and Their Stories: Insect Expressions

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

現(xiàn)在是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目。

There are many American expressions about insects -- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They always appear to be busy, moving around in their homes, or hives. So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house.

美式英語中有許多關于昆蟲的表達，例如說蜜蜂。蜜蜂被認為是一種勤勞的昆蟲。它們總是顯得非常忙碌，在蜂箱附近飛來飛去。如果你周末打掃了自己的房子，你可以說，你忙得不可開交(as busy as a bee)。

In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn.

事實上，如果全家在幫助你打掃房子，你可以說，你的房子是一個忙碌的蜂箱(a beehive of activity)。如果你直接會某個地方，你可以說，你徑直(made a beeline)做某事。

Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the nineteen twenties. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee's knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!

以下是一個已經(jīng)不常被用到的關于蜜蜂的表達，但無論如何我們喜歡這個表達。我們認為它的首次應用是在上世紀二十年代。如果某物是同類中最好的，你可以說，它是出類拔萃的(the bee's knees)。我們現(xiàn)在承認自己不知道這個表達如何出現(xiàn)的，事實上我們甚至不知道蜜蜂是否有膝蓋。

If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet. If someone asks you a personal question, you might say "that is none of your beeswax." This means none of your business.

如果你的朋友無法停止談論一些東西，因為她認為它是非常重要的。你可以說，她腦子里有怪念頭(a bee in one's bonnet)。如果有人問你一個私人問題，你可以說，不關你的事(that is none of your beeswax)。

Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression people sometimes use when their children ask, "where do babies come from?" Parents who discuss sex and reproduction say this is talking about the birds and the bees.

談到私人問題，有一個父母有時在孩子提問時用到的表達。孩子問“嬰兒從哪里來的?”討論性和生殖的父母會說，這有關兩性的基本常識(the birds and the bees)。

Hornets are bee-like insects that sometimes attack people. If you are really angry, you might say you are mad as a hornet. And if you stir up a hornet's nest, you create trouble or problems.

黃蜂是一種類似蜜蜂的昆蟲，有時會攻擊人類。如果你真的生氣了，你可以說，你非常憤怒(mad as a hornet)。如果你捅了馬蜂窩(Stir up a hornet's nest)，就是說你惹了麻煩。

Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your pants. That is, to be restless and unable to sit still.

蝴蝶是一種美麗的昆蟲，但你不會希望have butterflies in your stomach，這意味著做某事時非常緊張，像在人群面前發(fā)言。你也不會希望 ants in your pants，它的意思是說坐立不安。

Here are some expressions about plain old bugs, another word for insects. If a friend keeps asking you to do something you do not want to do, you might ask him to leave you alone or "stop bugging me." A friend also might tell you again and again to do something. If so, you might say he put a bug in your ear.

以下有一些關于 plain old bugs的短語。plain old bugs是昆蟲的另一種說法。如果你朋友一直讓你做你不想做的事情，你可能會要求他，讓我一個人呆會，別煩我(stop bugging me)。朋友還可能一再告訴你做某事，如果這樣，你可以說他提醒了我(put a bug in your ear)。

If you were reading a book in your warm bed on a cold winter's day, you might say you were snug as a bug in a rug. And if you wish someone good night, you might say, "sleep tight -- don't let the bed bugs bite."

如果寒冬的一天，你正在溫暖的被窩里看書，你可以說，你非常舒適( snug as a bug in a rug)。如果你祝某人晚安，你可以說，睡個好覺(sleep tight -- don't let the bed bugs bite.)

as busy as a bee：忙得不可開交,像蜜蜂一樣忙碌

a beehive of activity：忙碌的蜂窩

made a beeline： 徑直

the bee's knees：杰出，出類拔萃

a bee in her bonnet：bonnet 指的是古代外國婦女帶的一種寬沿圓形大帽子，有帶子可以系在脖子上，如果有蜜蜂飛進去是很難出來的。a bee in one's bonnet 指的是頭腦中的固執(zhí)的念頭，而且往往是難以擺脫的異乎尋常的怪念頭，經(jīng)常說 have a bee in one's bonnet about sth 。“He has a bee in his bonnet about constructing a yacht of his own design. 他腦中一直有個想法，要自己設計構造一艘游艇。

that is none of your beeswax：不關你的事

the birds and the bees:(對孩子解釋的)有關兩性關系的基本常識，初步的性教育

mad as a hornet:像黃蜂樣憤怒(意指非常生氣、憤怒)

Stir up a hornet's nest：相當于中文的捅了馬蜂窩。惹了麻煩

have butterflies in one's stomach,從字面上來解釋就是,一個人的胃里有蝴蝶.可是,這個說法的真正意思是一種持續(xù)不斷的恐懼、緊張或憂慮的心情,和中文里說的“心里感到七上八下”很相似.

ants in your pants，Ants 就是螞蟻, pants 就是褲子。螞蟻鉆進了褲子,你可以想象是個什么滋味了。你肯定坐不住了。 Ants in your pants 這個俗語的意思就是一個人很緊張,坐立不安。這種坐立不安的心情可能由各種原因造成的,例如緊張,或是不耐煩等。

stop bugging me:別煩我

put a bug in one’s ear 事先給某人暗示,提醒

snug as a bug in a rug 非常舒適地, 極其安逸地

sleep tight -- don't let the bed bugs bite."

tight 作副詞表“緊緊地”，bug指“小蟲”，“Sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite.”面指“睡得緊緊地，別被床上的蟲子咬到。”由于古時候床鋪是用繩子(rope)搭成，須把繩子綁緊才能睡得安穩(wěn)，因此sleep tight指“睡得香甜”。tight也有“安穩(wěn)地(soundly)”、“酣然地”之意，故 sleep tight即指“睡得好”。從前的確有小蟲子會趁人在睡覺時爬到床上去咬人，吸人血，因此這說法即“祝人一夜好眠”，不會被小蟲咬之意。