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英语拾零: The early bird catches the worm.

(2008-12-22 10:21:13) 下一个
The early bird catches the worm.
直译:早起的鸟儿有虫吃
就是勤能补拙笨鸟先飞的意思

早睡早起身体好,而且早起的鸟儿有虫吃,这句祖先留下的金句,外国人也有类似的话:The early bird catches the worm. 喻意是早些行动便会有成果。如果你有早起的习惯,可以说:I'm an early bird.(我是一只早起的鸟儿)。假如某同事经常迟到而今天又特别准时上班,你可嘲笑他说:You're an early bird today?(你今天来的真早!)

对话
A:How did you meet Launa? Hundred of guys are after her.
B:It's easy. The early bird catches the worm.
A:What did you do then?
B:I woke up at six every morning and drove her to the office.
甲:你如何追到罗拉?她有很多裙下之臣。
乙:这很容易,所谓早起的鸟能吃到虫。
甲:那你如何做?
乙:我每天6时起床,然后载她到办公室。

The early bird catches the worm直译是‘早起的鸟儿会捉到虫’,意思当然是‘捷足先登’,例如:She went to the sale early and got the best bargains. The early bird catches the worm(大特价一开始,她就去买东西,买了些都是物有所值的特价品,可谓捷足先登)。

早睡早起的人,英文就称为early bird,例如:An early bird, he is up at six every morning(他习惯早起,每天早上六点钟就起?了)。和early bird相对的,是night owl(晚间猫头鹰),即迟眠迟起的人,例如:He is a night owl who rarely goes to sleep before two o'clock in the morning(他习惯迟睡,很少凌晨两点之前就寝)。
He is an old bird. 指人老谋深算(不是赞美之词)。

说早起的好处,英文有一句成语:Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy、wealthy, and wise(早睡早起,使你健康、富有、聪明)。有时会略作early to bed and early to rise,例如:"I never watch television after ten at night, I sleep early." "Early to bed and early to rise, huh?"(‘我习惯早睡,晚上十点钟之后从来不看电视。’ ‘早睡早起,是吗?’)

其实,‘早’不一定好。早起的虫只会给鸟儿捉去,只是很多人没想到。在中国,早慧者‘小时了了,大未必佳’;西方也有一句类似成语:Early ripe, early rotten(熟得早,烂得早)。例如:I don't want our son to be an infant prodigy. early ripe, early rotten, you know(我不想儿子做神童,小时了了,大未必佳啊)。


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