皇嘉 注

Karoake is popular in Canada, but it’s a little different from in China. In Canada, a regular[1] bar often has a karaoke night, where people get up and sing in front of everyone. There are usually no private boxes[2]. Of course, Asian-Canadians have Chinese-style places. This story includes many animal idioms. In English, animals often have different meanings from in Chinese. Many of them are negative[3].

A: Hey, let’s go out to a karaoke club tonight!

B: I can’t. My wife doesn’t like me to go out.

A: She can come along, the more, the merrier!

B: No, it’s not her thing[4]. So, I have to stay home, too.

A: Why don’t you tell her you have to visit your family? She will be okay with that, right?

B: No, you can’t pull the wool over her eyes. Plus, she’s good friends with my sister, and my sister will rat on me and tell her I wasn’t there.

A: I see. In that case, tell her you’re going for a long walk for your health.

B: No, I never do that. She’ll smell a rat. I went to a casino two years ago and she still remembers.

A: She has a memory like an elephant! Can you sneak out when she’s busy?

B: She watches me like a hawk. If I’m not there, she’ll think it’s fishy.

A: Wait until she goes to sleep. Be as quiet as a mouse and she’ll never know.

B: I can’t. She’s a light sleeper[5]. If I move too much, she always wakes up.

A: In that case, it’s time to take the bull by the horns and just tell her you need a night out with the boys. You work like a dog. It’s not healthy to be cooped up at home all the time. Don’t be chicken.

B: No, she’ll say no.

A: Don’t be henpecked. Show her you’re the boss!

B: I can’t. I’m not the boss. In my family, she’s above me in the pecking order. Besides, I don’t have any money. My wife is in charge of[6] that.

A: My wife, too, but I squirreled a little money away for a rainy day[7]. And, this is a good chance. She’s visiting her family tonight. While the cat’s away, the mice will play!

B: I see. You’re afraid of your wife, too!

Vocabulary

1. regular: 照例的，循常例的，这里指“照例营业的酒吧”。

2. private box: （戏院、运动场等处的）私人包厢。

3. negative: 负面的，消极的。

4. thing: 〈口〉家伙，东西（带有怜悯、爱或喜好等感情色彩）。

5. light sleeper: 易惊醒的人，睡得不沉的人。

6. in charge of: 管理，负责。

7. for a rainy day: 为着有朝一日困难时，未雨绸缪。

Exercise

1. the more, the merrier a. seeming bad or dishonest

2. pull the wool over one’s eyes b. guess that something wrong or dishonest is
happening

3. rat on c. silently

4. smell a rat d. work hard

5. a memory like an elephant e. keep looking closely, like police

6. sneak out f. afraid to do. Not strong or brave

7. watch like a hawk g. be stuck inside too long, want to go outside

8. fishy h. When “boss” is not here, it’s time for
fun!

9. quiet as a mouse i. more people here, then more fun!

10. take the bull by the horns j. Not forgetful; remembering everything

11. work like a dog k. tell someone in authority about something
wrong that person has done

12. be cooped up l. quietly leave so they don’t see you

13. chicken m. to bravely or confidently deal with a
difficult or unpleasant problem

14. be henpecked n. hide a little money for the future

15. pecking order o. deceive someone by not telling the truth

16. squirrel away p. in a particular group, each one knows his own place, who is more important or less important

17. While the cat’s away, the mice will play q. a man who is henpecked is always
being told what to do by his wife, and is afraid to disagree with her

Answers: 1–i, 2–o, 3–k, 4–b, 5–j, 6–l, 7–e, 8–a, 9–c, 10–m, 11–d, 12–g, 13–f, 14–q, 15–p, 16–n, 17–h

Usage Tips

1. 有关动物的成语往往会用到这样的结构：verb + like，如：watch him like a hawk；as... as，如as quiet as a mouse；或是直接用一句谚语（proverb），如：While the cat’s away, the mice will play.

本期对话主要集中在like上，我们常会用verb + like + noun这一结构来表达“很，非常”的意思。如：to cry like a baby，意思就是to cry very strongly，这里的like相当于similar to。

再举几个其他较常见的例子：

He eats like a pig (very messy) or like a horse (a lot).

He sleeps like a baby or like the dead (very deeply!).

He drives like a maniac (dangerously crazy).

She ran like crazy (very strong and fast. In a hurry!).

2. 本期对话中出现的the more, the merrier（人越多越热闹）是另一个我们会大量用到的习语结构，其中带better的表达方式较为常见，如：The sooner, the better（越快越好）等。

（来源：英语学习杂志）