英语动物名称的两种妙用
在英语中存在大量与动物相关的词语，动物名称可以与其他词性的词构成一些固定词组，动物名称也可以单独使用做名词和动词，这是英语的一个特点。动物名称做名词通常用来指人和物，从而使得语言生动活泼，趣味横生。
一、动物名称做名词的用法
1．ass
Look what you're doing， you silly ass；you're spilling your tea！ 瞧你干的，笨蛋；你把茶泼出来了。
2．bear
The old man is a bear； he is always grumbling．那个老头是个鲁莽汉，总在发牢骚。
Tom was a bear for punishment． 汤姆是一个极能忍受处罚的人。
3．beast
Just look at the way he treats his wife！ He is a beast．看他对待他妻子的样子吧！他是一个凶狠的人。
That was a beast of a day，bleak， cold and rainy．那是一个可恶的日子，凄凉阴冷而且下着雨。
4．bird
Bill is taking his bird to the pictures tonight．比尔今晚带他的女朋友去看电影。
5．bitch
She can be a bitch when she is being treated unfairly． 当她认为自己在受到不公平待遇时她会撒泼。
We'll have a bitchof a time．我们将吃大苦头。
6．cat
Dont't listen to her gossip；she is a cat．别听她搬弄是非，她是个心地恶毒的女人。
7．chicken
I am not a chicken．I just don't want to offend anybody．我并不是胆小鬼，我只是不想得罪人。
8．dog
She likes to stay at home，but her husband is a bit of a gay dog．她喜欢呆在家里，可是她的丈夫有点好玩。
9．donkey
Why did you put your finger in the fire， you silly donkey！ 你为什么自讨苦吃，小傻瓜？
10． duck
She is a perfect duck．她是一个非常好的人。
11．fish
In the city I was nothing， but there in the countryside I was considered a bigfish．在城里，我不是什么大人物，可现在在乡下，我被认为是了不起的人物。
12．hawk
The hawks won the election and war was declared． 主战派竞选获胜，从而宣战。
13． lamb
Heaven tempers the wind to the shorn lamb．老天保护弱者。
14．fox
Don't trust him，he's an old fox．别相信他，他是一个狡猾的老家伙。
15． lark
He did it only for a lark．他只是为玩乐而做。
16． lion
The lions at her party included two famous authors and a musician．他宴请的社会名流包括两位名作家和一位音乐家。
17． monkey
Come here， you little monkey．What have you done？ 过来，你这个调皮鬼。你干什么来着？
18． mouse
In public affairs he remained a mouse．在公事上，他依然胆小如鼠。
19．pig
Don't be a pig， Jimmy；leave some cake for your brother．别嘴馋，吉米，留些蛋糕给你兄弟。
20． rat
“He's a dirty rat，” she said，“He's working for the enemy．”“他是个叛徒。”她说，“他在为敌人工作。”
The rat took his shame of the money and then left me alone to face the police．这个自私的人一拿到他的那份钱就撒手不管，竟让我一个人去对付警察。
21．shark
She entrusted all her savings to a shark who had promised to double her money．她把全部储蓄交给一个答应给她加倍偿付本利的骗子。
22．wolf
He has face like an angle， but he's really a terrible wolf．他有貌似天使般的面孔，实际上是个大色鬼。
23．rabbit
Our opponents were complete rabbits and we beat them 6－0，6－0．我们的对手完全是蹩脚的运动员，我们以两个六比零的比分赢了他们。
24．worm
The worms of care give her no rest．忧心忡忡使得她不得安宁。
Even a worm will turn．忍耐超过限度，小人物亦将反抗。
从以上的例子可看出，动物名称做名词用来指人和物有以下特点：（1）动物名词的含义和其动物本身形象、品性、特点有关系，如chicken（懦夫、胆小鬼），lamb（弱者），pig（贪婪、肮脏或无礼貌的人），fox（狡猾的人）等。（2）动物名称指人其含义主要受其前面的形容词所制约。如 a dull fish（笨蛋）， a queer bird（性情古怪的人）等。（3）由于受传统文化的民俗风情的影响，动物名称在指人时其含义和汉语有很大的区别，如dog在汉语中指人是骂人，在英语中却没有骂人的意思，其含义主要由前面的形容词所决定，lion（社会名流）和bear（能力、耐力和兴趣胜过他人者）在喻义上和汉语也有很大的区别。除此之外，动物名称还可以指事和物，如lark（乐趣，欢乐），beast（令人厌恶的事），这也是动物名称作名词的一个特点。
二、动物名称做动词的用法
动物名称做动词用，既形象又生动，而且易于理解。一般说，动物名称做动词其含义和动物本身的性格、形象、特点有一定的联系，这是动物名称在英语中的另一妙用。请看下面的例子：
1．cow
He cowed them with his hard eyes like a tamer among beasts．他以严厉的目光恐吓他们，活像兽群中的驯兽师。
2．badger
Tom has been badgering his brother to buy him a camera．汤姆一直闹着他的哥哥给他买一架照相机。
3．fish
He fished the map from the back of the drawer．他从抽屉的后面找出地图。
Tom likes to go fishing on Sunday． 汤姆喜欢星期天去钓鱼。
4．duck
They ducked him in the swimming pool．他们将他投入游泳池中。
He ducks so well that we can't hit him．他闪避得很妙，我们不能击中他。
5．dog
A policeman is dogging a suspected thief．警察正在追踪一个有嫌疑的小偷。
He was dogged by financial worries．他为经济的忧虑所困扰。
6．fox
You never know he may be foxing．你决不会知道，他也许在施行诡计。
7．swallow
She swallowed her displeasure and smiled．她抑制不快强作笑容。
Such stories are rather hard to swallow．这种故事很难令人相信。
8． horse
They like to horse around when the work is slow．工作进展缓慢时他们喜欢闲逛。
Oh，that noise？It is just some kids horsing around．哦，吵闹声吗？那是一些孩子闹着玩。
9．monkey
Stop monkeying with（about，around）these tools！You little monkeys！不要乱动那些工具！调皮的小孩！
The naughty boy is monkeying the stranger's grotesque manner．那个调皮的男孩正在模仿那个陌生人的模样。
10． mouse
Our cat moused well．我们的猫善抓鼠。
The burglar moused about for valuables．窃贼左寻右找值钱的东西。
11． pig
I really pigged out during Thanksgiving． I may never recover．感恩节我确实吃伤了肚子，也许再也恢复不过来了。
12． bitch
He bitched the job completely．他把事件完全搞糟了。
He bitched about the service， then bitched about the bill．他先是埋怨服务不周，接着又埋怨收费太高。
13．hound
The soldiers hounded the desertes all over the country．士兵在全国各地追捕逃兵。
14． lark
Stop larking about and get on your work．不要贪玩，去做你的工作。
15．wolf
Don't wolf your food， there is no hurry．吃东西别狼吞虎咽，不用着急。
16． rat
His partner ratted on him and left the firm when business began to getdifficult．当生意开始变得不景气时，他的合伙人背弃了他而脱离了商行。
17． mull
She sat mulling over what she had to say．她坐在那里思索她该说什么。
18． peacock
He may have peacocked it a bit．他可能有点炫耀它。
19．hare
He hared off the moment I shouted“stop！” 我一喊“站住”，他就飞快地逃跑。
20．snake
Tom snaked his way through the crowd． 汤姆在人群中曲折地挤过去。
They snaked logs down the hill with a chain hitch．他们用链条将木材拖下山。
21．chicken
I chickened out when I learned that a supply of loaded guns was going alongwith us．当我得知有一批装了子弹的枪支跟我们一起走时，我就吓得离开了。
22． rabbit
Put the phone down！ You have been rabbiting with your sister long enough．把电话放下！你跟你妹妹闲谈够久了。
23． worm
His winter suit has been badly wormed． 他的冬衣被虫蛀得很厉害。
The soldier wormed his way toward the lines．这个士兵向敌人的阵地爬行。
动物名称在英语中做动词较为普遍，大部分动词体现出其动物本身的品性和特点，但在学习和运用动物名称的动词时，有两种现象应加以注意：（1）有些动词有一词多义现象，如duck除了有“投入水中”、“闪避”、“打击”等，还有“逃避”的意思。（2）有些动词与不同的介词和副词组合形成新的含义，如pig表示“过着猪一般的生活”，而pig out则是“贪吃、暴食”的意思。因此遇到动物名称做动词时，一定要查字典根据上下文来判断其动词的含义。
