whatsthis
走馬觀花
正文
豬流感－－swine flu，在墨西哥正以迅雷不及掩耳盜鈴之勢傳播，而且如野山火般蔓延到友好鄰邦美利堅了。
為什麽不叫pig flu呢？我琢磨了一番，古狗一通網絡，胡亂掰一掰。
請看swine的定義便知一二了。
swine－－Any of various omnivorous（雜食的）, even-toed ungulates （偶蹄）of the family Suidae（豬科）, including pigs, hogs, and boars, having a stout（肥胖的） body with thick skin, a short neck, and a movable snout（鼻子）.
豬：任何豬科雜食性偶蹄目的哺乳動物，包括豬、大豬和野豬，具有肥胖身體，厚實皮膚，粗短脖頸和蠕動鼻子的特征。
The difference between a pig and a hog: In the United States, the term "pig" refers to a younger domesticated swine weighing less than 120 pounds (50 kilograms), and the term "hog" refers to older swine weighing more than 120 lbs. In Great Britain all domesticated swine are referred to as pigs.
pig和hog的區別：在美國，pig指家養的不到120磅（50公斤）的小豬，而hog指上了120磅的大豬。在英國，家養的豬都叫作pig。
因為swine總指豬科動物，pig隻是其中的一種，所以，豬流感，不僅僅是120磅以下的小豬會得，豬科動物都會傳染，因而就叫作swine flu，人類也難逃了。
平時pig長pig短的，很少用到swine，這次的豬流感讓swine在非英語社會‘重見天日’、‘一鳴驚人’。我們乘此機會學一個與swine有關的成語：cast pearls before swine＝對牛彈琴
cast pearls before swine 來源於《聖經》（ from the Biblical injunction not to "cast your pearls before swine."）珍珠，自然是價值連城，而豬往往被認為很愚蠢（ Pearls, of course, are considered to be things of great value, and swine (pigs) are often considered to be lowly animals. ）。在愚蠢的豬麵前扔價值連城的珍珠，簡直是對牛彈琴，豈不是瞎子點燈－－白費蠟？
於是，cast pearls before swine用於表示：不要把有價值的東西，如言語、思想、勸告、智慧以及其他物質給那些根本不識貨或不欣賞的人。
（Thus, the phrase translates as "Don't waste something valuable by giving it to someone who doesn't/can't appreciate it." This can apply to words/thoughts/wisdom as well as physical objects, and the expression is frequently used in a condescending fashion. ）
請看例句（e.g.）：
1、"I read that beautiful Shakespearean sonnet to her, but it was pearls before swine to such an illiterate person."
我給她讀莎士比亞優美的十四行詩，但在這樣沒文化的人麵前，簡直是對牛彈琴。
2、 Giving him advice is just casting pearls before swine. He doesn't listen.
給他提建議等於對牛彈琴，白費勁。他不會聽的。
3、To sing for them is to cast pearls before swine.
給那些人唱歌，真正是對牛彈琴。
英語資料、圖片來源網絡，中文由whatsthis編寫
Have a nice weekend.