例句-1:My daughter is a very smart young woman. But love does strange things to people. She married this worthless bird-brain who has trouble adding up two and two and getting four.
其实,说句公道话,鸟儿并不蠢,只要看它每年秋天能南飞数千里去温暖地带过冬;春天又能千里迢迢地重返老家,就知道它认路的能力比人强多了。我们再来学第二个带有bird这个词的习惯用语:early bird。Early是早的意思。这个习惯用法来自一个谚语: the early bird catches the worm, 早起的鸟儿抓得到虫子,含义相当于中国成语“捷足先登。”
Early bird也可以是在商店大减价的时候开门前两小时就等在店门外、以便第一个进店去挑选中意商品的顾客。然而如今最常有的一个说法是early bird special。
Early bird special指早来的顾客可享有的特价。例如饭店会给早于通常时间来临的顾客特价。比方说在下午四点到六点之间来饭店用餐的顾客可享受优惠价格。一般都是退休的领养老金的老人才有空也需要去享受这样的优惠。我们听这个人在说他的父母。
例句-2:Mom and dad are over 70 and living on pensions. When they eat out, they always go to this seafood place before six when they can have early bird special dinner for eight dollars. That's too early for me: I don't even get home from work until seven.
再学个由bird这个词组成的习惯用语: for the birds。For the birds这个习惯用语的意思是毫无价值的、荒唐可笑的、令人生厌的。它的出典可能是这样一个事实: 鸟类吃的往往是人所不欲的东西。例如高速路边上被汽车压得血肉模糊的小动物尸体。有些人见了甚至想吐,但是鸟儿却争着把它啃个精光,所以人们就开始用 for the birds来表示“讨厌的,” “令人作呕的。”
有时人们为了加强语气还这样说: strictly for the birds。Strictly for the birds意思是实在叫人讨厌。我们听个例子。说话的人有一次带女朋友Betty去看一场电影,但是没等看完就中途退场了。我们听听那是为什么。请注意里面用了两次习惯用语for the birds,第二次加上了strictly。
例句-3:Ten minutes after the film started, Betty whispered, "Honey, this is for the birds." I agreed. So we got up and walked out. Believe me, it was awful - strictly for the birds!