“狗”的故事

湖北大学附属中学 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”.

语言中有很多表达使用了“狗”这个词。美国人很喜欢狗，对狗十分友好。他们认为狗是人类最好的朋友。因此，今天我们就来说一说“狗”这个词。

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.

狗的主人会带他们的狗去散步，让狗在户外玩耍，喂他们上好的食物并提供好的医护。然而，没有主人照料的狗过的是种完全不同的生活。有一个短语“过着狗一般的生活”就是用来描述生活不尽如人意的人。

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.

有人说，我们生活在一个竞争激烈的世界。也就是说，许多人在为同样的事情而竞争，比如好的工作机会。他们说，为了成功，人必须像狗一样工作，意思是说，人必须非常努力地工作。这么努力的工作会把人弄的筋疲力尽。然后，如果他们病得非常严重，情况会更糟糕。

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.

人们还说每只狗都有它的幸运日。意思是说，每个人在他或她的人生中都会有成功的时候。为了成功，人们必须经常学习新的技能。然而，有人说你没办法教会老狗新的花样。他们相信年长的人不喜欢学习新的知识，也不会改变他们做事的方式。

Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways.People who are unkind or uncaring can be described asmeaner thanajunkyard(废品场)dog.Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want.Mean(吝啬的；卑鄙的；冷漠的)dogs are often used to guard their property.They bark or attack people who try to enter theproperty(财产).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会被描述成比废品场的狗还要卑鄙。废品场的狗生活在人们扔废品的地方。卑鄙冷漠的狗经常守护着他的财产。如果有人试图接近他们的财产，他会狂吠或者攻击人。然而，有时候看上去冷漠或者危险的人并不一定很坏。我们会说他是面恶心善。

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.

废品场对狗来说并不是什么好玩的地方。在美国，许多狗住在他的主人屋子旁安全的小房子里。这些狗屋给它们提供了庇护所。但是在冬天，他们会感到很冷很孤单。

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(周年纪念日).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.

丈夫或妻子在生对方气的时候，会使用“狗窝”这个短语。比如，一个妻子由于丈夫回家晚了或者忘记结婚周年纪念日而生气，她可能会对他说他失宠了。直到他道歉她才会回心转意。然而，丈夫可能会决定顺其自然，以免制造出更多问题。他可能决定不去无端惹事。

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”的短语也被用来描述天气。三伏天是一年中最热的日子。一场暴雨可能会使天气凉爽下来。但是我们不希望雨下得太大了。我们可不想来场倾盆大雨。

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

下面，你来猜一猜文中含有“狗”这个词的表达方式的意思吧！

Notes：

1.a dog’s life潦倒的生活 2.dog-eat-dog自相残杀的；竞争激烈的

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

5.be/become sick as a dog病得很厉害 6.Every dog has its day.咸鱼总有翻身时；凡人皆有出头日。

7.You can never teach an old dog new tricks.老狗学不会新把戏。

8.be meaner than a junkyard dog卑鄙的；小气的；冷漠的

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

10.be in the doghouse被骂得很惨；丢脸的；被打入冷宫

11.to let sleeping dogs lie不要去惹正在睡觉的狗；不要无端惹事

12.dog days三伏天；大热天 13.to rain cats and dogs倾盆大雨