范艷

Today we explain some expressions about birds. You see， if something is “for the birds”， it is worthless or not very interesting. Someone who “eats like a bird” eats very little. And “a birds-eye view” is a general look at an area from above.

Do you know that if you tell a young person about “the birds and the bees” you are explaining about sex and birth？ Have you ever observed that “birds of a feather flock together”？ In other words， people who are similar become friends or do things together. Here is some good advice： “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” This means you should not risk losing something you have by trying to get more of something you do not have.

Sometimes I can do two things by performing only one action. This is called “killing two birds with one stone”. But I would never really kill any birds. I love all kinds of animals. This is “a real feather in my cap” - it is something to be proud of.

Most of the people I work with are “early birds”. They believe that “the early bird catches the worm” - they think that a person who gets up early in the morning for work has the best chance of success. Everyone in my office works hard， but some people “have had their wings clipped” - their jobs have been limited. This is because the office is organized “by pecking order” - people with more years of experience are given more responsibility.

（文中所提到的含有“bird”短語有多少個？它們的中文大意你知道嗎？）

答案：9個。eats like a bird吃得很少；a binds-eye view鳥瞰、俯瞰；the birds and the bees可向兒童說明的關于兩性關系的基本常識；birds of a feather flock together物以類聚/一丘之貉；a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush雙鳥在林不如一鳥在手；killing two birds with one stone一石二鳥/一箭雙雕；a real feather in my cap驕傲的成就；the early bird catches the worm早起的鳥兒有蟲吃/捷足者可先得；have had their wings clipped袖手旁觀。