Lesson 89 - PUT ON THE DOG / GO TO THE DOGS

to put on the dog

to go to the dogs

美国人总是说：狗是人的最好的朋友。许多美国人对家里的狗就好像对待家里的人一样好。有钱人还往往会出几千美元去买一只稀有品种的狗，我们今天要讲的一个俗语就和这种现象有密切关系的：to put on the dog。

To put on the dog就是摆排场给别人看。大概一百多年以前，一些有钱的人往往化很多钱去买一只稀有品种的小狗来显示自己很有钱。一些阔太太们经常在接待客人的时候把一只小狗抱在腿上来眩耀自己的阔气。当时耶鲁大学的学生就创造了to put on the dog这一说法来嘲笑那些暴发户。我们来举一个例子吧：

例句-1: Joe Doak is sure putting on the dog since¹ his rich aunt died² and left him 10 million³ dollars. He's bought the biggest house in town and a Mercedes 600, and talks about buying some riding horses.

这句话的意思是：乔多克自从他阿姨去世，留给他一千万美元遗产以后，他可真是摆阔气。他买了城里最大的一栋房子，还有一辆奔驰600型号的汽车。他还在说要买几匹马供他骑马玩呢。

看来有钱的人也不都是那样挥霍的。下面就是一个例子：

例句-2: I had⁴ this friend in the army⁵ who was⁶ the son of one of the richest men in the country. But what I like about him was that he never put on the dog to show off⁸ his money.

这句话的中文意思就是：我在部队服役的时候有个朋友，他的爸爸是美国最有钱的人之一。我很喜欢这个朋友，因为他从来也不眩耀自己多么有钱。

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和to put on the dog意思相反的一个俗语是：to go to the dogs。To go to the dogs这个俗语的意思就是：变得很穷，彻底破落。比如说，在十九世纪的时候，美国西部发现金矿的地区出现了一个又一个新的城镇。许多人到那里去淘金，都想发家致富。可是后来怎么样了呢?

例句-3: As⁷ soon as the gold was all gone, these towns went to the dogs almost⁹ overnight¹⁰. Everybody¹¹ moved away, and these places are ghost¹² towns now, with the wind whistling¹³ through the empty houses and shops.

这句话的意思是：等到金子都淘光了，这些城镇一下子就被人遗弃，彻底完蛋了。那里所有的人都走了，剩下的只有风在吹过空房子和商店的时候发出的沙沙声音。

这是社会变迁造成的结局。但是，人为的结局更加悲惨：

例句-4: I always thought¹⁴ my friend Pete had a good future¹⁵. But then he got¹⁶ hooked¹⁷ on heroin¹⁸ and lost his job and his wife--I never saw¹⁹ a man go to the dogs so fast!

这人说：我总以为我的朋友彼徳是很有前途的。但是后来他吸上了毒品，失去了工作，妻子也走了。我从来没有看到过任何人破落得那么快的！

1 since   

adv.后来；conj.既然，因为，自从；prep.自从

参考例句：

• He's been working in a bank since leaving school.自从毕业后，他就一直在一家银行工作。
• I have known him ever since I was a child.我自孩提时代起就已经认识他了。

2 died   

vbl.死亡，消逝v.死亡，枯萎( die的过去式和过去分词 )；死时处于（某种状态）或具有（某种身份）adj.死亡的，消逝的

参考例句：

• He was banished to Australia, where he died five years later. 他被流放到澳大利亚，五年后在那里去世。
• He was utterly bereft when his wife died. 他的妻子去世时，他十分凄凉。

3 million   

num.百万，100万；n.无数，大众

参考例句：

• I've seen it a million times.我在书上看过无数遍了。
• What will you do if you had a million dollars?如果你有一百万美元，你会干什么？

4 had   

vbl.have的过去式和过去分词；conj.有

参考例句：

• I just had a good idea!我有个好主意！
• The boy had a small branch of a tree in his hand.这个男孩手上拿一条小树枝。

5 army   

n.军队，陆军，正规军，野战军

参考例句：

• The army numbered four to five thousand at the start.这支军队开始才有四五千人。
• What is the total strength of the enemy army?敌军人数总共有多少？

6 was   

v.(is,am的过去式)是，在

参考例句：

• He said he was right.他说他是正确的。
• He was cold and hungry.他又冷又饿。

7 as   

conj.按照；如同

参考例句：

• He got work in a hotel as a waiter.他在一家旅馆找到了当服务生的工作。
• In the hotel,the old men were drinking away as usual.在旅馆里，这些老人和往常一样喝个不停。

8 off   

adj.远的；休假的，空闲的；adv.走开，出发，隔断；prep.离开，脱落，在...之外

参考例句：

• You'd better cool off first.你最好先冷静下来。
• I need some time off.我需要一些时间休息。

9 almost   

adv.几乎，差不多

参考例句：

• The band has been on the road for almost a month. 那支乐队进行巡回演出近一个月了。
• We stay in almost every night and watch television.我们几乎每个晚上都在家里看电视。

10 overnight   

ad.前一天晚上，一夜间 a.前一天晚上的

参考例句：

• She stayed overnight in the hotel. 她在旅馆过了一夜。
• Our success is not won overnight. 我们的成功不是一夜之间得来的。

11 everybody   

pron.每人，人人(=everyone)

参考例句：

• Christmas is a holiday for everybody.圣诞节是所有人的节日。
• It is difficult to find a time that suits everybody.很难找到一个对每人都合适的时间。

12 ghost   

n.鬼魂，幽灵

参考例句：

• Have you ever seen a ghost?你看见过鬼魂吗？
• He looked as if he had seen a ghost.他好象见了鬼似的(很惊慌的样子)。

13 whistling   

n.吹笛，吹口哨，啸声v.吹口哨( whistle的现在分词 )；鸣笛；呼啸着前进；空指望

参考例句：

• The bomb exploded, sending shrapnel whistling through the trees. 炸弹爆炸了，弹片呼啸着穿过树林。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He came home for dinner whistling cheerfully. 他欢快地吹着口哨回家吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 thought   

n.想法，思想，思维，思潮，关心，挂念；v.vbl.think的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• It was just a thought.这仅仅是一个想法。
• She thought he had a cold.她认为他感冒了。

15 future   

adj.将来的，未来的；n.将来，未来

参考例句：

• We are still on the way of future.我们还在未来的路上。
• We all work hard in the interests of our future.我们都为我们自己的将来而努力工作。

16 got   

v.(get的过去式)得到，猜到，明白

参考例句：

• I just got some bad news.我刚得到一些坏消息。
• I have got far too much work to do.我要做的事太多了。

17 hooked   

adj.钩状的，弯曲的

参考例句：

• I first got hooked on scuba diving when I was twelve. 12 岁时我开始迷上了带水肺潜水。
• He hooked his arm round her neck and pulled her head down. 他一只胳膊钩在她的脖子上，把她的头拉低。

18 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

19 saw   

vbl.看见(see的过去式)；n.锯；v.用锯子锯

参考例句：

• Would you like to saw a tree for me?你能为我锯棵树吗？
• The moment I saw you,I knew you were angry with me.我一看到你，就知道你在生我的气。