bird 在美語裏的另一意

無聊時，讀讀報，看點八卦，獵點稀奇，順便學點英語，三管其下，自樂哉！自美哉！自慰哉！這不，一不小心讀到一位名為John的讀者來信，狠哉！趣哉！妙哉！

不忍心一人獨吞，與大家共享哉！

Farmers Have To Be On Roads

Once again, it is harvest time. At times, farmers need to drive our equipment on the county roads. Once again, some people just don't get it. As I drive my tractor, I usually have a close call with motorists. One-finger salutes are also seen on a regular basis.

Here are a few reminders when you are driving behind equipment or see it coming from the opposite direction:

* My tractor weights 20 tons; your car is about 2. Do the math.

* I'm usually on the road less than 2 miles. Be patient, I'll be at the next field soon.

* If you need to pass a tractor so badly because you're so late, buy a better alarm clock and get out of bed on time.

* If you feel the need to give me "the bird", grow up, take an anger management class. I pay road taxes, too, and am allowed to be on the roads just as much as you.

前文中的one-finger salutes不難理解，東西方文化中最共鳴的動作之一。但後文中的give someone the bird就有點吃不準了, google後，thefreedictionary.com告訴我們：

flip/give someone the bird (American & Australian, very informal)

to make a very impolite sign by raising your middle finger towards someone in order to show that you are angry with them.

If he'd shouted at me like that I'd have flipped him the bird.

Cow，此成語實在不雅，原來和前麵的One-finger salutes是一回事兒，我這麽雅的人就不做什麽不雅的解釋和不雅的發揮了，不雅的想像空間留給很雅的大家，反正難得不雅一回，不雅白不雅。