PETS－2语法讲解(157)

He's got a taste for exotic pets.
　　对话
　　Hughes: I'm always a bit apprehensive about visiting Peter.
　　Jeanie: Why's that? He's such a nice chap.
　　Hughes: He is, but he's got a taste for exotic pets.
　　Jeanie: I didn't know that, such as?
　　Hughes: Well, last week when I was there he had a baby iguana running around the place.
　　Jeanie: A lizard! Ugh, that would give me the creeps.
　　Hughes: It's not my idea of a pet. But that's not the only thing he's got. He's had a three-foot python for quite a while now as well.
　　Jeanie: He ought to get a job in a zoo.
　　休兹：我去彼得家里时，心里总是毛毛的。
　　珍妮：为什么？他这个人很好啊。
　　休兹：没错，但他喜欢养些外地的奇异宠物。
　　珍妮：这一点我可不知道。是什么宠物呢？
　　休兹：上星期我去他家里，有一只出生不久的鬣蜥蜴走来走去。
　　珍妮：蜥蜴！哎呀，这会让我毛骨悚然。
　　休兹：我心目中的宠物，可不是这些东西。而彼得并不是只养了一只蜥蜴；他还有一条三英尺长的蟒蛇，养到今天已有好一段时间。
　　珍妮：他该在动物园里找份工作。
　　休兹说，彼得有个奇怪嗜好：He's got a taste for exotic pets。英文前缀(prefix) exo-有‘外’的意思，例如exobiology是‘外层空间生物学’，exodus是‘（大批人）前往外地’。Exotic即‘外地的’或‘有异国风情的’，一般带‘奇异、有趣’含义，而所谓‘外地’往往是指热带地方，例如：The coconut palms gave his house an exotic appearance（那些椰子树，使他的房子看来有些异国风情）。珍妮不喜欢以蜥蜴作宠物，说That would give me the creeps。Creep是‘爬行’，例如：The baby crept along happily（那婴儿高高兴兴的向前爬）。有些事物，会使我们因厌恶、害怕等而毛骨悚然，那感觉颇似有毛虫之类在身上爬行，英文叫做to make one's flesh（肉）creep或to give one the creeps，例如：The ghost story gave me the creeps/made my flesh creep（那鬼故事令我毛骨悚然）。形容词creepy即‘令人毛骨悚然的’，例如：That night I heard some creepy noises（那天晚上，我听到一些令人毛骨悚然的声音）。最后得谈谈That's not my idea of a pet这说法。Somebody's idea of something是说‘某人认为某事应该如此’，常用于否定句，例如：(1) Taking unnecessary risks is not my idea of bravery（我认为，不必要的冒险，不等于勇敢）。(2) Her idea of a good husband is a man with a lot of money（对她来说，男人要很有钱才可以是个好丈夫）。