“狗”的故事

湖北大學附屬中學 何苗 供稿

There are many expressions with the word “dog”.People in the United States love their dogs and treat them very well.They consider the dog as man’s best friend.So today,let’s start with the word“dog”.

語言中有很多表達使用了“狗”這個詞。美國人很喜歡狗，對狗十分友好。他們認為狗是人類最好的朋友。因此，今天我們就來說一說“狗”這個詞。

Dog owners take their dogs for walks,let them play outside and give them good food and medical care.However,dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life.The expression,to leada dog’s life,describes a person who has an unhappy life.

狗的主人會帶他們的狗去散步，讓狗在戶外玩耍，喂他們上好的食物并提供好的醫護。然而，沒有主人照料的狗過的是種完全不同的生活。有一個短語“過著狗一般的生活”就是用來描述生活不盡如人意的人。

Some people say we live in adog-eatdogworld.That means many people are competing for the same things,like good jobs.They say that to be successful,a person hasto work like a dog.This means they have to work very hard.Such hard work can make peopledog-tired.And,the situation would be even worse if theybecame sick as a dog.

有人說，我們生活在一個競爭激烈的世界。也就是說，許多人在為同樣的事情而競爭，比如好的工作機會。他們說，為了成功，人必須像狗一樣工作，意思是說，人必須非常努力地工作。這么努力的工作會把人弄的筋疲力盡。然后，如果他們病得非常嚴重，情況會更糟糕。

Still,people sayevery dog has its day.This meansthatevery person enjoys a successful period during his or her life.To be successful,people often have to learn new skills.Yet,some people say thatyou can never teach an old dog new tricks.They believe that elder people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.

人們還說每只狗都有它的幸運日。意思是說，每個人在他或她的人生中都會有成功的時候。為了成功，人們必須經常學習新的技能。然而，有人說你沒辦法教會老狗新的花樣。他們相信年長的人不喜歡學習新的知識，也不會改變他們做事的方式。

Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways.People who are unkind or uncaring can be described asmeaner thanajunkyard(廢品場)dog.Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want.Mean(吝嗇的；卑鄙的；冷漠的)dogs are often used to guard their property.They bark or attack people who try to enter theproperty(財產).However,sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad.We sayhis bark is worse than his bite.

有些人的劣性被比作狗。不友好或者冷漠的人會被描述成比廢品場的狗還要卑鄙。廢品場的狗生活在人們扔廢品的地方。卑鄙冷漠的狗經常守護著他的財產。如果有人試圖接近他們的財產，他會狂吠或者攻擊人。然而，有時候看上去冷漠或者危險的人并不一定很壞。我們會說他是面惡心善。

A junkyard is not a fun place for a dog.Many dogs in the United States sleep in safe little houses near their owners’home.These doghouses provide shelter.Yet they can be cold and lonely in the winter.

廢品場對狗來說并不是什么好玩的地方。在美國，許多狗住在他的主人屋子旁安全的小房子里。這些狗屋給它們提供了庇護所。但是在冬天，他們會感到很冷很孤單。

Husbands and wives use this doghouse term when they are angry at each other.For example,a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their weddinganniversary(周年紀念日).She might tell him that heis in the doghouse.She may nottreathim nicely untilhe apologizes.However,the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems.He might decideto let sleeping dogs lie.

丈夫或妻子在生對方氣的時候，會使用“狗窩”這個短語。比如，一個妻子由于丈夫回家晚了或者忘記結婚周年紀念日而生氣，她可能會對他說他失寵了。直到他道歉她才會回心轉意。然而，丈夫可能會決定順其自然，以免制造出更多問題。他可能決定不去無端惹事。

Expressions with“dog”are also used to describe the weather.Thedog daysof summer are the hottest days of the year.A rainstorm may cool the weather.But we do not want it to rain too hard.We do not want it torain cats and dogs.

包含“狗”的短語也被用來描述天氣。三伏天是一年中最熱的日子。一場暴雨可能會使天氣涼爽下來。但是我們不希望雨下得太大了。我們可不想來場傾盆大雨。

Now,it’s your turn to guess the meanings of the expressions using the word“dog”!

下面，你來猜一猜文中含有“狗”這個詞的表達方式的意思吧！

Notes：

1.a dog’s life潦倒的生活 2.dog-eat-dog自相殘殺的；競爭激烈的

3.to work like a dog拼命工作 4.be dog-tired筋疲力盡的

5.be/become sick as a dog病得很厲害 6.Every dog has its day.咸魚總有翻身時；凡人皆有出頭日。

7.You can never teach an old dog new tricks.老狗學不會新把戲。

8.be meaner than a junkyard dog卑鄙的；小氣的；冷漠的

9.His bark is worse than his bite.面惡心善；刀子嘴豆腐心

10.be in the doghouse被罵得很慘；丟臉的；被打入冷宮

11.to let sleeping dogs lie不要去惹正在睡覺的狗；不要無端惹事

12.dog days三伏天；大熱天 13.to rain cats and dogs傾盆大雨