BAT

The expression “as blind as a bat” comes from the belief that bats are blind. In fact, bats can see about as well as humans in daylight. It is at night that they cannot see with their eyes. But then, they can “see” with the help of sound waves. They use sound waves so well that can catch flying insects at night.

It goes without saying that “as blind as a bat” means having very poor eyesight. “That man is as blind as a bat. How can he do reading?” The idiom can be a figure of speech: “The manager is as blind as a bat ---all those obvious drawbacks have escaped him.” Here the idiom refers not to the manager’s eyesight, but to his poor judgment.

BUTTERFLY

You must notice that a butterfly has four broad, often brightly coloured wings. You may often see butterflies fluttering from flower to flower. But you have never seen them fly at night, have you? They fly only in the daytime.

The butterfly, or the butterfly stroke, is one of the five basic strokes in swimming. It is not easy to learn, but it is smooth and graceful if performed correctly. Can you do it?

When may a person get butterflies in his stomach? It may be before a job interview if he is applying for a job; it may be before a major operation if he is a patient.

CHESTNUT

Chestnuts, or chestnut trees, bear nuts that are also called chestnuts. It is not very easy to get the nuts because they grow inside a large prickly shell.

“To pull somebody’s chestnuts out of the fire” is also to take a risk to help somebody in a difficulty. “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” When it is necessary, you will pull your friend’s chestnuts out of the fire, surely.

Suppose a friend of yours tells you a story or joke which you have heard many times already. You will probably cut him short, saying: “No more of that old chestnut.”

栗所結出堅果也叫做栗子。堅果很不容易取出，因為它長在多刺的厚殼內。

「替某人火中取栗」就是為幫助處於困境的人冒風險。「患難見真情」。必要的時候，你肯定也會為自己的朋友火中取栗的。

假設你的一個朋友跟你講述你早已多次聽過的故事或笑話，你很可能會打斷他，同時會說：「別再說這種陳舊的故事(或笑話了)。」

BEAR

The teddy bear is one of the most favorite toys with children. Do you have a teddy bear or two in your room, too?

It is bad if you are compared to a bear with a sore head---you are thought to be a bad-tempered person.

“Taking the bear by the tooth” is equivalent to “putting one’s head into lion’s mouth”. Both idioms mean running into danger needlessly. When a boy walks along the back of a high and narrow wall just to show off, he is taking the bear by the tooth.

WHALE

The whale looks like a fish but is a mammal. The blue whale is the world’s largest animal.

“A whale of a …” is an interesting phrase. A whale of a time is a very good time; a whale of a cold is a bad cold; a whale of a story is a wonderful story; a whale of a magician is an excellent magician.

Some companies sometimes make handsome donations of money to charities. They know it will pay to do so. They will sell more and earn more with a good reputation. They throw a sprat to catch a whale.


鯨魚看起來像魚，但它卻是哺乳類動物。藍鯨則是世界上最大的動物。

a whale of a… 是一個有趣的短語。 a whale of a time 是十分愉快的時光; a whale of a cold 是重感冒; a whale of a story 是美妙的故事; a whale of a magician 是出眾的魔術師。

有時候某些公司捐出大筆金錢去做慈善事業。它們知道，這樣做是有收益的。公司聲譽好，銷售量增大，賺得也就更多。他們是施小惠而獲大利。

GOOSE

A foolish or ignorant person can be called a goose because the goose is thought to be a stupid animal.

Some shopkeepers are greedy. They try to make more profit by cheating the customers. This is actually “Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs”. For the cheating is sure to be found out sooner or later. Then they will lose all their customers just for a little extra profit.

To cook one’s goose is to ruin one’s plans or chances in life. A promising youth may “cook his own goose” by mixing with bad guys.