VOA朗读: Words and Their Stories: Insect Expressions

 

There are many American expressions about insects -- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They always appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives. So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house.

In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn.

Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the nineteen twenties. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee's knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!

If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet.  If someone asks you a personal question, you might say "that is none of your beeswax." This means none of your business.

Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression people sometimes use when their children ask, "where do babies come from?" Parents who discuss sex and reproduction say this is talking about the birds and the bees.

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Hornets are bee-like insects that sometimes attack people. If you are really angry, you might say you are mad as a hornet. And if you stir up a hornet's nest, you create trouble or problems.

Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your pants. That is, to be restless and unable to sit still. 

Here are some expressions about plain old bugs, another word for insects. If a friend keeps asking you to do something you do not want to do, you might ask him to leave you alone or "stop bugging me." A friend also might tell you again and again to do something. If so, you might say he put a bug in your ear.

If you were reading a book in your warm bed on a cold winter's day, you might say you were snug as a bug in a rug. And if you wish someone good night, you might say, "sleep tight -- don't let the bed bugs bite."

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词语解释: (ZT)

★as busy as a bee 非常忙碌,忙的团团转, 忙的要命, 像蜜蜂一样忙
★a beehive of activity很多人繁忙工作的地方
 beehive（=hive） 蜂巢
★make a beeline迅速直奔，径自前往
★the bee's knees出类拔萃之人、物
★a bee in her bonnet 1) 想得入了迷，钉住一件事想2) 有某种神秘而不宣的想法3) 有点儿神经不正常
★that is none of your beeswax不关你事

★the birds and the bees基本的性知识

我们每个人小时候都会问妈妈自己是从哪里来的。妈妈会说，你是从垃圾堆里捡出来的、从树上掉下来的、从石头缝里钻出来的等等。当时都会有疑惑，但因为小，很少人会追根究底。
中国人比较保守和传统，给下一代介绍性方面的知识比较尴尬，每每都要“遮遮掩掩”。其实，性启蒙教育不光中国人尴尬，西方人也有“欲说还休”的时候。所以他们来了个“转移视线”的障眼法，拿“蜜蜂和小鸟”来说事。因此The birds and the bees就是“有关那方面的事”、“性事的委婉说法”（the basic facts about sex and reproduction）。据说The birds and the bees起源于1928年Cole Porter的畅销曲Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love)。歌里是这么唱的：
And that’s why birds do it,

bees do it  

Even educated fleas do it 

Let’s do it,

let’s fall in love

这个委婉语到现在仍然非常流行。它的使用率跟have sex差不多，比make love要高。
★mad as a hornet像黄蜂一样愤怒（意指非常生气、愤怒）
★stir up a hornet's nest捅马蜂窝
Hornet 是黄蜂、胡蜂或者马蜂。如果一个人不明智地捅马蜂窝，必然遭到大群马蜂的叮刺围攻。所以stir up a hornet's nest的含义就是“捅了马蜂窝，惹人说辞或者招来批评”的意思。
★have butterflies in your stomach焦虑不安，紧张不安，心里感到七上八下
butterflies是指蝴蝶， stomach是人身体里消化食品的胃。To have butterflies in one's stomach，从字面上来解释就是，一个人的胃里有蝴蝶。肚子里有蝴蝶飞舞，这是形容一个人“心里紧张”的意思。
★ants in your pants，坐立不安
Ants就是蚂蚁，pants 就是裤子。蚂蚁钻进了裤子，你可以想象是个什么滋味了。你肯定坐不住了。 所以Ants in your pants这个俗语的意思就是一个人很紧张，坐立不安。
★stop bugging me别烦我
★put a bug in your ear事先给某人暗示,警告某人
该短语直译为"把虫子放在某人耳朵里",这可是件很可怕的事情,谁会这么恶作剧呢？实际上,这里的bug不是"虫子"的意思,而是"idea, notion或information"的意思。引申理解为"to warn someone"或"give a hint to someone"。
★snug as a bug in a rug灵巧的象地毯里的虫子，意思是“非常舒适”
★sleep tight -- don't let the bed bugs bite好好睡，祝你一夜好眠
tight表“紧紧地”，bug指“小虫”。sleep tight -- don't let the bed bugs bite直译：“睡得紧紧地，別被床上的虫子咬到。”据说古时候床铺是用绳子搭成，须把绳子绑紧才能睡得安稳，因此sleep tight指“睡得香甜”、“睡得好”。从前的确有小虫子会趁人在睡觉时爬到床上去咬人，吸人血，因此这说法即祝人一夜好眠，不会被小虫咬到之意。