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why it's swine, why not pig?

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鲜花(25) 鸡蛋(7)
发表于 2009-4-29 11:56 | 显示全部楼层 |阅读模式
With this customer, he felt himself, as it were, casting pearls before swine. 面对这个客商,他感到好像是在对牛弹琴。
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9 L4 S! x) B$ X# i6 N( tand from the above sentence, it even doesn't mean pig.
鲜花(152) 鸡蛋(1)
发表于 2009-4-29 13:16 | 显示全部楼层
swine    n.) z3 g8 g! }: B+ @4 I$ ?
1 : any of various stout-bodied short-legged omnivorous artiodactyl mammals (family Suidae) with a thick bristly skin and a long flexible snout especially : a domesticated one descended from the wild boar ( P" J$ `2 v" o8 i
2 : a contemptible person  _+ h: g  B  Q) P4 h9 n/ f
swine fever  
1 W* T& J" ?* h% l5 H6 Y. x1 : HOG CHOLERA
; g* m% A5 j. L' P0 l5 i2 : an acute highly contagious usually fatal disease of swine that is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus (species African swine fever virus of the genus Asfivirus, family Asfarviridae), that resembles but is more severe than hog cholera, and that is indigenous to Africa
7 r8 n- j( L" {" V© 2005 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated% e- Q3 ?- X% S3 ?5 h9 y, L4 x$ ]0 L

0 Q; o4 H" ~8 ]* g4 jThe reason to use swine may be that it is more formal a word than pig.
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鲜花(25) 鸡蛋(7)
 楼主| 发表于 2009-4-29 15:23 | 显示全部楼层
got u, tks a lot.
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鲜花(77) 鸡蛋(0)
发表于 2009-4-29 17:56 | 显示全部楼层
Swine Flu but not Pig Flu.
鲜花(5) 鸡蛋(0)
发表于 2009-4-29 21:41 | 显示全部楼层
pig, hog, swine 都含“猪”的意思。5 V  o7 ?9 G( W( T  t$ H. F: k4 c' v
pig 是常用词, 指“猪”、“小猪”、“猪肉”, 如: roast pig 烤猪肉。
; D$ i6 q( F# ?% Y* {. dhog 指“阉过供食用的公猪”, 尤指“重量超过一百二十磅的阉过的供食用的公猪”, 如: raise hogs 养猪。
* I0 U8 S6 A5 p: W8 ^1 S# s, c$ Yswine 是文学用语, 指“猪”, 有时借喻“讨厌的人”, 如: You swine! 你这个猪猡!6 j- C( I7 i  x8 X) x: m5 N( D. M- M7 X
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(转自金山词霸)
鲜花(20) 鸡蛋(0)
发表于 2009-4-30 08:29 | 显示全部楼层
Great! Thank you !
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鲜花(0) 鸡蛋(0)
发表于 2009-4-30 09:51 | 显示全部楼层
原帖由 兰颜知己 于 2009-4-29 12:56 发表
$ D) r6 |3 b! f$ e$ gWith this customer, he felt himself, as it were, casting pearls before swine. 面对这个客商,他感到好像是在对牛弹琴。1 ^' u# R3 B2 D

. c/ O0 u0 @0 l0 jand from the above sentence, it even doesn't mean  ...
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, P/ m. m3 P: X3 G; y1 P1 a% l! Z顺带说一句啊,要想说对牛谈琴的意思不要用这个casting pearls before swine,至少我知在加拿大他们一般不这么说。有时候这些词典真是害人。
鲜花(152) 鸡蛋(1)
发表于 2009-4-30 10:41 | 显示全部楼层
估计casting pearls before swine是个比较书面话的成语吧,大家都认识,但说话一般不那么说,否则被人说使用 big words.
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鲜花(152) 鸡蛋(1)
发表于 2009-4-30 10:48 | 显示全部楼层
对牛弹琴  
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to play the lute to a cow :  offering a treat to a unappreciative audience  |4 b3 G+ q9 M+ _8 D
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to cast pearls before swine: B  Y8 i7 i8 @! ~1 R  V8 t
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caviar to the general
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  \" J, a; \4 `( Vto preach to deaf ears! x, N+ T9 Q; @3 p. u; O

- P& i: d  M; [to talk over sb's head ! c' p3 h/ X2 \# Z
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The whistle jigs to a milestone.4 x; ^; q. X  M3 S- N6 v( r0 A* w: G
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With this customer, he felt himself, as it were, casting pearls before swine.6 K- I; l4 ]- w+ v2 e  h
面对这个客商,他感到好像是在对牛弹琴。& v2 Z; H; E3 u! e
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She read them Shakespeare, but it was casting pearls before swine./ a. `( l: d, J% t
她为他们朗诵莎士比亚著作,但那等于对牛弹琴。
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An nod is as good as a wink to a Blind horse5 q- z* i$ x/ f: w
对牛弹琴% O5 K8 K. g/ C  Z) |4 S1 t. ]

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playing a harp before a Buffalo+ {, _: i" P6 Z& @% p; n, ^  I
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play the lute to a cow; preach to deaf ears
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talk to a Brick wall
2 z; V4 _! C( c# l4 s6 Q) {对牛弹琴+ U2 b; {0 [7 n) u

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Their hints about his behaviour were water off a duck's back.% E( T# p  C6 l% r3 W9 X
他们示意他举止不当, 如同对牛弹琴.  [! T  H) O9 g5 ]* L# L

, H' C; P+ ~& u; j[ 本帖最后由 billzhao 于 2009-4-30 10:49 编辑 ]
鲜花(0) 鸡蛋(0)
发表于 2009-4-30 10:59 | 显示全部楼层
原帖由 billzhao 于 2009-4-30 11:41 发表
" }* ?9 K; a' P) g& z* E  [估计casting pearls before swine是个比较书面话的成语吧,大家都认识,但说话一般不那么说,否则被人说使用 big words.

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5 Q& w' S/ C! t. ]我找了个老外确认了一下,他们好像完全不知有这个说法。
鲜花(152) 鸡蛋(1)
发表于 2009-4-30 12:56 | 显示全部楼层
可能# l+ W* ^6 z, G- U
可能这种说法太书面语了,也可能out of date了。3 `" }" W1 W. V+ q7 |
也有可能外国人不爱学习,学问高的不多。7 R, J! b4 \+ l1 K/ u" F8 v
还有可能是人们的知识水平参差不齐,你问的那几个人在正态分布的尾端。
9 \# A" ?3 t2 r6 Q* h不管怎么说,既然字典上有了,就是有这种说法,而且是相当的人知道这种说法,否则就不会遍到字典上去了
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