RP106 We' re Animals Too, After All
Animals symbolize many different things. In proverbs, they can represent people, our characteristics, or other elements of our lives.
“Don't count your chickens before they' re hatched.” uses chickens to represent opportunities. It reminds us not to be too sure of something that we don't have yet. The hen may have laid ten eggs, but until they hatch she doesn't know how many chickens there are. “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush” means what we have is more valuable than what we desire. It tells people who always want more out of life to be satisfied with what is already theirs. On the other hand,“ The early bird catches the worm.” This proverb warns us that good things will pass us by if we' re too lazy to go after them.
Sometimes, however, we just have to give up on people. “A leopard can't change his spots” means that although a person's behavior may change, his character won't. We all know someone like that, don't we?
Sayings about animals can also include people, or compare us with other creatures. If you “hear it from the horse's mouth,” you get information from someone directly involved in a situation. To “have a tiger by the tail” means you have done something bad to someone who can do something worse to you! And if you are “drawn like a moth to a flame,” you' re hopelessly attracted to something— or someone— dangerous. Anyone who's fallen in love should appreciate that!
By using animals, proverbs can teach us lessons in a subtle, indirect way. Animal proverbs also remind us that people are part of the natural world. We may think we' re special, but these sayings show us that we often behave in the same ways as other beings.
proverb
回复删除It tells people：这句话意指前文提到的某种事物或观点向人们传达了一种信息。
回复删除who always want more out of life：这是一个定语从句，修饰people，指那些对现状不满足、总是渴望从生活中获取更多利益或体验的人。
to be satisfied with what is already theirs：这是不定式短语，作为tell的宾语补足语，意为“对他们已经拥有的东西感到满意”。
整句含义总结：这句话是在劝诫那些总是贪求更多的人，应该学会知足常乐，珍惜并满足于自己当前所拥有的一切。
“out of life”在这里是固定搭配，表示“对生活有更多要求”或“追求更多生活满足”。
删除固定搭配 "go after"，意为“追求、设法获得”。
回复删除整个固定搭配 "go after them" 指的是主动去争取那些好事物。
因此，这句话的含义是：如果我们太懒惰，不去主动争取，美好的事物就会从我们身边溜走。
1. 追求，追逐（近义词：pursue，chase；反义词：give up，abandon）
删除例句：
- He always knew what he wanted and never hesitated to go after his dreams.（他总是清楚自己想要什么，并且从不犹豫追逐自己的梦想。）
- The police went after the suspect in a high-speed chase.（警察进行了一场高速追逐，追捕嫌疑人。）
2. 寻找，搜索（近义词：look for，search for；反义词：give up，abandon）
例句：
- I need to go after my lost keys before I can leave the house.（在离开家之前，我需要找回丢失的钥匙。）
- They launched a search and rescue mission to go after the stranded hikers.（他们启动了一项搜救任务，去寻找被困的徒步旅行者。）
1. go after someone（追求某人）
删除English example: He has always been going after her, hoping to win her heart.（他一直在追求她，希望能赢得她的芳心。）
2. go after a career（追求事业）
English example: She decided to go after a career in journalism after graduating from college.（她大学毕业后决定从事新闻工作。）
3. go after knowledge（追求知识）
English example: Students should always be eager to go after knowledge and expand their minds.（学生应该总是渴望追求知识并拓宽他们的思维。）
4. go after a goal（追求目标）
English example: The team was determined to go after their goal of winning the championship.（球队决心追求赢得冠军的目标。）
5. go after justice（追求正义）
English example: Lawyers are often expected to go after justice for their clients.（律师常常被期望为他们的客户追求正义。）
6. go after wealth（追求财富）
English example: Many people work hard to go after wealth and financial security.（许多人努力工作以追求财富和经济安全。）
7. go after fame（追求名声）
English example: Some actors are willing to do anything to go after fame and become a household name.（有些演员愿意做任何事情来追求名誉，成为家喻户晓的人物。）
8. go after happiness（追求幸福）
English example: Everyone deserves to go after their own happiness, no matter what path it takes.（每个人都应该追求自己的幸福，无论需要走什么样的道路。）
9. go after a degree（追求学位）
English example: She decided to go after a master's degree to enhance her career prospects.（她决定攻读硕士学位以提升职业前景。）
10. go after an opportunity（追求机会）
English example: When the opportunity arose, he didn't hesitate to go after it.（当机会出现时，他毫不犹豫地抓住了它。）