chicken这个词大家都认识,不过,很多人由于课本的原因,有个误解,会认为chicken指的就是小鸡,公鸡是cock,母鸡是hen。 在讲我们的主题之前,我们先来为chicken“正名”,顺便讲讲chicken家族。chicken的意思就是指“鸡”或“鸡肉”,在牛津字典中解释为:a large bird that is often kept for its eggs or meat; meat from achicken。“小鸡”一般用chick来表示。公鸡除了cock,美国人一般常用的单词是rooster(cock另有他用,想知道的,自己查字典去)。母鸡没错就是hen。 chicken常用的一个表达就是那个著名的“先有鸡还是先有蛋”,引申为一个成语: a chicken-and-egg situation/problem 因果难定的局面/问题 So it’s a chicken-and-egg situation again! 所以,这又是一个因果难明的局面咯! chicken还有两个常用的谚语,一个比较常用: Don’t count your chickens beforethey’re hatched. 蛋没孵化先别数鸡。/不要过早打如意算盘。 另一个听说或会用的人可能不多: (Sb.’s) Chickens come home toroost. (某人)自食恶果。/报应到自己身上。 A: Ada found out that I said she was incompetent, and nowshe won't recommend me for that job. B: The chickens have come home to roost, you know. A:艾达发现了我说她不称职,现在她不会推荐我做那项工作了。 B:你要知道,自食其果啊。 除了这两个本来的意思,chicken还可以表达“胆小鬼;懦夫”的意思: 不要这么胆小! 讲完chicken的名词用法,现在我们要来讲它很常用的另两种词性的用法,都是由前面所说的第三种用法来的。一种是形容词: chicken 胆小的;怯懦的 He’s too chicken to talk to her! 他胆小得不敢跟她讲话! I was terrified, but I didn't want the others to think Iwas chicken. 我害怕了,但我不想其他人觉得我胆小。 另外就是动词的用法,常以短语动词的形式出现: chicken out 因害怕而放弃;临阵退缩 You're not chickening out, are you? 你不是准备临阵退缩吧? I was going to tell her the truth, but I chickened out. 我准备要告诉她真相的,但我害怕了没敢说。 If you chicken out now, you’ll never get another chanceagain. 如果你现在临阵退缩了,以后就不会再有机会啦! 好吧,说了这么久chicken,考虑一下晚上要不要吃chicken呢? 额外奉送: fried chicken 炸鸡 roast chicken 烤鸡 chicken soup 鸡汤 chicken and chips 炸鸡薯条 chicken-fried steak 炸鸡排 chicken leg/chicken drumstick 鸡小腿 chicken thigh 鸡大腿 chicken breast 鸡胸 Which is your favorite? Enjoy! Now it's your time to open your mouth and practice! 张开嘴巴练起来! |
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