论文部分内容阅读
在英语教学中，经常会碰到这样的问题：学生读了多年的英语，却依旧读不懂英文报纸、看不懂原版电影。究其原因，主要是因为其中有大量的非正式表达法，也就是我们所说的俚语等，这些表达法经常出现在报刊杂志和人们的日常口语中，构成了学生理解上的困难。因此，在我们平时的教学中，不妨经常穿插讲解一些英语非正式表达法，既可以提高他们的阅读和听力理解能力，也可以增加他们的学习兴趣。如以下所列，就是一些和动物有关的非正式表达法。
在大量的俚语中，有很多是和动物有关的，如大家熟悉的the straw that broke the camel’s back（压垮骆驼背的稻草），意为（一系列重压、打击中）终于使人不能忍受的最后一击。如：One of the employees makes many mistakes but the boss is very patient with him.But yesterday，he made a very big mistake in the budget and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The boss fired him.（有位雇员犯了很多错，但老板对他还是很耐心，但昨天他在预算中犯了一个大错，老板最终忍无可忍，解雇了他。）
I killed two birds with one stone.（一石二鸟），意为做一件事情达到二个目的，相当于汉语中的“一箭双雕”，如：I must go to Beijing for business and I also must visit my sister who lives in Beijing.If I go to Beijing next week，I can kill two birds with one stone.（我要去北京出差，我也要去看望我在北京的姐姐，如果我下周去北京的话，我就可以一箭双雕了。）而如果你从某人那里得到一个消息，你又不想告诉其他人是谁告诉你的，你就可以巧妙地说：“A little bird told me！”如，A：How did you find out that the boss was going to resign？B：Oh，I don’t want to tell you how I found out.Let’s just say that a little bird told me.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.这里的goose和gander 分指雌鹅和雄鹅，意为适用于甲者，也适用于乙，对别人怎样，对自己也应怎样。如，A：The managers have decided that in future，if staff are late to work，their pay will be docked accordingly.B：Well，what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.The same policy should also apply to any manager who arrives at work late.（A：经理们决定，以后职工上班迟到的话要被扣薪。B：好吧，你对别人怎样，对自己也应怎样，同样的政策也应适用于上班迟到的经理。）而“My goose is cooked.”却不是一件好事，形容我有麻烦了。如：When the boss finds out that I have accidentally deleted all his computer files，my goose will be cooked.当老板发现我无意中删掉了他所有的电脑文件时，我就要有麻烦了。
I’m a chicken.意为我很胆小。而“I’m no spring chicken.”意为我不再年轻。如：My husband is worried about finding another job at his age. After all，he is no spring chicken. （我丈夫担心在他这个年龄能否再找到一份工作，毕竟，他不再是个年轻人了。）I chickened out.表示我因为害怕而放弃做某事，临阵退缩。如：I planned to ask the boss for a pay increase today，but I chickened out at the last moment.（我计划好了今天去向老板要求加薪，但最后还是胆怯不敢去了。）count one’s chickens（蛋尚未孵，先数小鸡），意为指望得过早，乐观过早，如：Do you really think you’ll be made chairman of the board？You are counting your chickens！（你真以为你能当上董事长？你的如意算盘打得太早了！）
如果你是从当事人那里直接得知某事，所以你确信这个消息是正确的，你可以说：“I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.”而如果你想说不要对别人的礼物或帮助吹毛求疵，不领情时，你可以说：“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”如，A：My colleague offered to help me write the annual report，but I said no.B：Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth，your colleague will be a lot of help to you.（A：我的同事主动提出帮我写年度报告，但我拒绝了。B：别不领情啦，你的同事会对你有很大帮助的。）
此外，like a bear with a sore head形容脾气暴躁。如：When I’m tired，I’m like a bear with a sore head.（当我很累的时候，我的脾气会很暴躁。）the rat race用来形容繁忙的、竞争激烈的都市生活。如：When I retire，I want to get out of the rat race.形容某事激怒了某人，我们可以说“It’s like waving a red rag at a bull.”而donkey’s years 意为很久，多年，如：I went to Shanghai last week，I haven’t been there for donkey’s years.（我上周去了上海，我已经多年没去那里了。）
形容在新的环境里不舒服，不自在，可以说to feel like a fish out of water.（像离开水的鱼）。形容某地空间太小，可以说“There was no room to swing a cat.”如：I don’t like my new office.There’s no room to swing a cat.（我不喜欢我的新办公室，它太小了。）
在大量的俚语中，有很多是和动物有关的，如大家熟悉的the straw that broke the camel’s back（压垮骆驼背的稻草），意为（一系列重压、打击中）终于使人不能忍受的最后一击。如：One of the employees makes many mistakes but the boss is very patient with him.But yesterday，he made a very big mistake in the budget and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The boss fired him.（有位雇员犯了很多错，但老板对他还是很耐心，但昨天他在预算中犯了一个大错，老板最终忍无可忍，解雇了他。）
I killed two birds with one stone.（一石二鸟），意为做一件事情达到二个目的，相当于汉语中的“一箭双雕”，如：I must go to Beijing for business and I also must visit my sister who lives in Beijing.If I go to Beijing next week，I can kill two birds with one stone.（我要去北京出差，我也要去看望我在北京的姐姐，如果我下周去北京的话，我就可以一箭双雕了。）而如果你从某人那里得到一个消息，你又不想告诉其他人是谁告诉你的，你就可以巧妙地说：“A little bird told me！”如，A：How did you find out that the boss was going to resign？B：Oh，I don’t want to tell you how I found out.Let’s just say that a little bird told me.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.这里的goose和gander 分指雌鹅和雄鹅，意为适用于甲者，也适用于乙，对别人怎样，对自己也应怎样。如，A：The managers have decided that in future，if staff are late to work，their pay will be docked accordingly.B：Well，what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.The same policy should also apply to any manager who arrives at work late.（A：经理们决定，以后职工上班迟到的话要被扣薪。B：好吧，你对别人怎样，对自己也应怎样，同样的政策也应适用于上班迟到的经理。）而“My goose is cooked.”却不是一件好事，形容我有麻烦了。如：When the boss finds out that I have accidentally deleted all his computer files，my goose will be cooked.当老板发现我无意中删掉了他所有的电脑文件时，我就要有麻烦了。
I’m a chicken.意为我很胆小。而“I’m no spring chicken.”意为我不再年轻。如：My husband is worried about finding another job at his age. After all，he is no spring chicken. （我丈夫担心在他这个年龄能否再找到一份工作，毕竟，他不再是个年轻人了。）I chickened out.表示我因为害怕而放弃做某事，临阵退缩。如：I planned to ask the boss for a pay increase today，but I chickened out at the last moment.（我计划好了今天去向老板要求加薪，但最后还是胆怯不敢去了。）count one’s chickens（蛋尚未孵，先数小鸡），意为指望得过早，乐观过早，如：Do you really think you’ll be made chairman of the board？You are counting your chickens！（你真以为你能当上董事长？你的如意算盘打得太早了！）
如果你是从当事人那里直接得知某事，所以你确信这个消息是正确的，你可以说：“I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.”而如果你想说不要对别人的礼物或帮助吹毛求疵，不领情时，你可以说：“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”如，A：My colleague offered to help me write the annual report，but I said no.B：Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth，your colleague will be a lot of help to you.（A：我的同事主动提出帮我写年度报告，但我拒绝了。B：别不领情啦，你的同事会对你有很大帮助的。）
此外，like a bear with a sore head形容脾气暴躁。如：When I’m tired，I’m like a bear with a sore head.（当我很累的时候，我的脾气会很暴躁。）the rat race用来形容繁忙的、竞争激烈的都市生活。如：When I retire，I want to get out of the rat race.形容某事激怒了某人，我们可以说“It’s like waving a red rag at a bull.”而donkey’s years 意为很久，多年，如：I went to Shanghai last week，I haven’t been there for donkey’s years.（我上周去了上海，我已经多年没去那里了。）
形容在新的环境里不舒服，不自在，可以说to feel like a fish out of water.（像离开水的鱼）。形容某地空间太小，可以说“There was no room to swing a cat.”如：I don’t like my new office.There’s no room to swing a cat.（我不喜欢我的新办公室，它太小了。）