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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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and 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.
# e& ]3 ^) Q- ^# P; O1 : 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 5 {% B) Y+ e, m- @6 ?& f
2 : a contemptible person
8 T- d9 `0 h: g; t4 A7 U. [ swine fever  
  v. V7 Q$ o- X& N( k: c, J& y1 : HOG CHOLERA & C7 n& {* J; J$ M2 |- j# G3 J
2 : 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  L( w: q; E) Y5 l& k$ a
© 2005 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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The reason to use swine may be that it is more formal a word than pig.
大型搬家
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.
大型搬家
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 `! z" a& O1 w) @8 q
pig 是常用词, 指“猪”、“小猪”、“猪肉”, 如: roast pig 烤猪肉。3 \8 j! i9 F6 _9 a; z) c; {: P, I
hog 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。* }% Z  ?+ ?4 |) R9 _1 y- P
swine 是文学用语, 指“猪”, 有时借喻“讨厌的人”, 如: You swine! 你这个猪猡!
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. C6 ^' b- @) {( ](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 !
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
; N6 Z  a1 F$ Z6 K5 b$ {+ ZWith 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。* U2 I1 O  `( O4 Q# Z" D
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and from the above sentence, it even doesn't mean  ...
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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.
鲜花(152) 鸡蛋(1)
发表于 2009-4-30 10:48 | 显示全部楼层
对牛弹琴  . k" U. p+ E. d+ t: R
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to play the lute to a cow :  offering a treat to a unappreciative audience
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to cast pearls before swine
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caviar to the general) i- p+ h& e$ A9 p
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to preach to deaf ears
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' d* d7 I% k4 S. j6 ~2 @to talk over sb's head ' Z' U' x1 s( o2 i0 e
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! l/ F6 O$ y3 W0 |- `! x5 |  u' {" b$ E0 OThe whistle jigs to a milestone.
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: ]- q- n5 C: S% x% {With this customer, he felt himself, as it were, casting pearls before swine.
: h8 B: R9 K2 U8 J. o; g; y5 S面对这个客商,他感到好像是在对牛弹琴。5 t! ]( c- e9 }% R% j

) s( w- O% @6 aShe read them Shakespeare, but it was casting pearls before swine.$ F1 ~8 M) o  [6 N, o8 d6 T
她为他们朗诵莎士比亚著作,但那等于对牛弹琴。/ \. J* D/ D3 w& s( j. R. p+ j6 o
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An nod is as good as a wink to a Blind horse5 ]3 V) F" J" O2 q6 N
对牛弹琴
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playing a harp before a Buffalo7 N! L; ~+ {8 \; v* z

/ H* P: l" @1 l6 K! Splay the lute to a cow; preach to deaf ears
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' t/ p0 [5 m$ h/ `7 o5 p& Q2 xtalk to a Brick wall/ W' k% A: p$ C! C
对牛弹琴. j5 v3 p+ y" c. }( g% t
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Their hints about his behaviour were water off a duck's back., d: O5 S% B% [7 R( p7 K) D
他们示意他举止不当, 如同对牛弹琴.  H, b  r) _9 W1 z0 G# s' H" @

' o6 c; r% y' G* ?2 m: V5 a# {[ 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 " f9 u. [( J; w; g
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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' P' v7 }* P0 j  A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
# h! O* }( Y3 g1 z可能这种说法太书面语了,也可能out of date了。
8 _& R! U% |, D也有可能外国人不爱学习,学问高的不多。
% W. X* V; e) M* _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。# K7 r$ C6 V. v" b" }6 y
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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