to get a kick out of
to kick the bucket
美國多年來有一首流行歌曲,它的名字叫"I get a kick out of You"Kick就是用腳踢的意思,不管是人的腳,或是馬的腳,被踢的人一般來說是會(huì)感到很痛的。但是,這首歌的名字"I Get A Kick Out of You"卻毫無痛苦之意,相反的,它的意思是:由于你的愛情使我感到快樂和激動(dòng)。下面這個(gè)例子里的年輕人發(fā)現(xiàn)自己對(duì)過去半年里有時(shí)一起出去玩的那個(gè)女孩產(chǎn)生了愛慕之心。他對(duì)這位姑娘說:
例句-1 : Say, Barby, let me tell you something. I really get a kick out of being around you. If you feel the same way about me, maybe we ought to get serious and think about getting engaged to each other.
這個(gè)年輕人說:"咳,芭比,我有些想法要告訴你。和你在一起真使我感到非常愉快。要是你對(duì)我也有同樣的感覺的話,那我們得認(rèn)真對(duì)待我們的關(guān)系,考慮我們是否應(yīng)該訂婚了。"
To get a kick out of這個(gè)俗語并不完全和愛情聯(lián)系在一起。它可以用于任何一個(gè)使你高興的人,或任何一樣令你喜愛和激動(dòng)的東西。例如:一個(gè)成年人在說他自己的愛好:
例句-2: I'm not a kid anymore but I still get a big kick out of going to see a circus. The elephants, the clowns, the acrobats--they make me feel like a kid again.
他說:"我已經(jīng)不是個(gè)孩子了。但是,每次去看馬戲總是使我感到非常高興和激動(dòng),那些大象、小丑和雜技、使我感到我好像又成了一個(gè)小孩子似的。"
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下面我們還要講一個(gè)由kick這個(gè)字組成的俗語,那就是:to kick the bucket。盡管這個(gè)俗語也同樣有kick這個(gè)字,但是它的意思卻全然不同。To kick the bucket,它的意思是:一個(gè)人死了。特別要指出的是,to kick the bucket這個(gè)用法一般是對(duì)死者不太尊重的,所以在有禮貌的談話中不太使用這一俗語。我們來舉個(gè)例子吧:有一個(gè)人騎了馬到一個(gè)農(nóng)場去找他以前的老朋友Charley,到了那兒,農(nóng)場的一個(gè)人對(duì)他說:
例句-3: Your old friend Charley's not working here any more. In fact we heard he kicked the bucket down in Texas last winter; he got kicked in the head by a horse he was trying to saddle up.
這人告訴他:"你的老朋友查理已經(jīng)不在這兒做了。事實(shí)上,我們聽說他去年冬天已經(jīng)在得克薩斯州死了。他在套馬的時(shí)候,那匹馬往他的頭上踢了一腳。"
To kick the bucket這個(gè)俗語也可以用于動(dòng)物。例如:
例句-4: That old dog next door finally kicked the bucket. He was sixteen years old, toothless, blind and could hardly get around. Sixteen years is a long time for a dog, so it was time for him to go.
這句話的意思是:"隔壁的那條狗終于死了。那狗已經(jīng)有十六歲了、牙都沒了、又瞎、行動(dòng)也不方便。十六歲了,對(duì)狗來說也是時(shí)候了。"