牛年話牛 The Year of the Ox 來源：愛思英語
牛年即將到來，祝福每一位網友牛年更牛。英語中“牛”對應的單詞有好幾個，比如大家熟悉的cow, bull, ox, buffalo. “牛年”英語一般翻譯為the year of the ox.
為什麼呢？ Charlie Shifflett這樣解釋：
“Westerners respect the ox for its strength and hardworking spirit.However, bulls are generally viewed negatively, thanks to theiraggressive nature. Cows are considered the “cutest of the three”. Infact, in the US, people often decorate their homes with pictures ofcows. The animal is associated with the comfort and quiet of a countryhome.
“西方人對牛ox是很敬重的，因為它的強健和勤勞！不過，bull這個詞一般就有些否定的意義在裡面，如“盛氣凌人”，但也要“歸功”於它們的“積極進取的”的個性。而奶牛cow被視為三個中最可愛的、最討人喜歡的一個。事實上，在美國，人們常用奶牛圖片來裝飾屋子，她們總是和寧靜舒適的鄉村生活聯繫在一起。
這裡還要與大家分享兩個單詞：bully和coward。這兩個單詞都來自牛，一個來自公牛bull，一個來來自母牛cow.bully做動詞指“持強凌弱”、“欺負他人”的意思，作名詞表示這樣的人，很顯然帶有貶義。而coward表示“懦夫”、“膽小鬼”，派生詞有cowardly形容詞“膽小的”；cowardice名詞“懦弱”。看來公牛bull和母牛cow都有一定的貶義，所以牛年翻譯為the yearof the ox就顯得比較妥當了。
網友提問：“我屬牛,你屬什麼？”英語怎麼說？
I was born in the year of the ox, and how about you?
與“牛”相關的單詞或表達方式：
bull公牛, cow母牛,水牛buffalo, bison野牛,yak犛牛, calf小牛, beef牛肉,veal小牛肉,steak牛排, cowboy牛仔,cowherd牛郎, bullfrog牛蛙, snail蝸牛, milk牛奶, dairy牛奶廠,bull fighting鬥牛, bulldog鬥牛犬, brag吹牛, jeans牛仔褲, mad cow disease瘋牛病,psoriasis牛皮癬, a workhorse老黃牛（埋頭苦幹者), a bull market(股票等）牛市, a big shot牛人
補充閱讀：
十二生肖（the 12 zodiac animals or ChineseZoadic）的英語分別表示為：rat / ox / tiger / rabbit / dragon / snake / horse /sheep / monkey / rooster / dog /pig。這些單詞我想大家都認識，其中需要與大家說明的是“雞”的翻譯，並沒有用大家熟悉的“cock”而用的是大家相對陌生的“rooster”.原因在於，“cock”在英語裡面有“男性生殖器官”的意思。所以一定要慎用這個單詞。
延伸閱讀：必須謹慎使用的另類英語（少兒不宜，謹慎進入）
以下摘自維基百科，看看不同屬相對應的性格特徵吧。準不准沒關係，關鍵是我們可以學到很多描繪性格特徵的形容詞。
InChinese astrology the zodiac of twelve animal signs represents twelvedifferent types of personality. The zodiac traditionally begins withthe sign of the Rat, and there are many stories about the Origins ofthe Chinese Zodiac which explain why this is so.The following are thetwelve zodiac signs in order and their characteristics.
1.
Rat: Forthright, disciplined, systematic, meticulous, charismatic,hardworking, industrious, charming, eloquent, sociable, shrewd. Can bemanipulative, vindictive, mendacious, venal, selfish, obstinate,critical, over-ambitious, ruthless, intolerant, scheming.
2.
Ox: Dependable, calm, methodical, patient, hardworking, ambitious,conventional, steady, modest, logical, resolute, tenacious. Can bestubborn, narrow-minded, materialistic, rigid, demanding.
3.
Tiger: Unpredictable, rebellious, colorful, powerful, passionate,daring, impulsive, vigorous, stimulating, sincere, affectionate,humanitarian, generous. Can be restless, reckless, impatient,quick-tempered, obstinate, selfish.
4.
Rabbit:Gracious, kind, sensitive, soft-spoken, amiable, elegant, reserved,cautious, artistic, thorough, tender, self-assured, astute,compassionate, flexible. Can be moody, detached, superficial,self-indulgent, opportunistic, lazy.
5.
Dragon:Magnanimous, stately, vigorous, strong, self-assured, proud, noble,direct, dignified, zealous, fiery, passionate, decisive, pioneering,ambitious, generous, loyal. Can be arrogant, imperious, tyrannical,demanding, eccentric, grandiloquent and extremely bombastic,prejudiced, dogmatic, over-bearing, violent, impetuous, brash, horny.
6.
Snake: Deep thinker, wise, mystic, graceful, soft-spoken, sensual,creative, prudent, shrewd, ambitious, elegant, cautious, responsible,calm, strong, constant, purposeful. Can be loner, bad communicator,possessive, hedonistic, self-doubting, distrustful, mendacious.
7.
Horse: Cheerful, popular, quick-witted, changeable, earthy,perceptive, talkative, agile mentally and physically, magnetic,intelligent, astute, flexible, open-minded. Can be fickle, arrogant,anxious, rude, gullible, stubborn.
8.
Ram: Righteous,sincere, sympathetic, mild-mannered, shy, artistic, creative, gentle,compassionate, understanding, mothering, determined, peaceful,generous, seeks security. Can be moody, indecisive, over-passive,worrier, pessimistic, over-sensitive, complainer, wise.
9.
Monkey: Inventor, motivator, improviser, quick-witted, inquisitive,flexible, innovative, problem solver, self-assured, sociable, polite,dignified, competitive, objective, factual, intellectual. Can beegotistical, vain, selfish, reckless, snobbish, deceptive,manipulative, cunning, jealous, suspicious.
10.
Rooster: Acute, neat, meticulous, organized, self-assured, decisive,conservative, critical, perfectionist, alert, zealous, practical,scientific, responsible. Can be over zealous and critical, puritanical,egotistical, abrasive, opinionated.
11.
Dog: Honest,intelligent, straightforward, loyal, sense of justice and fair play,attractive, amicable, unpretentious, sociable, open-minded, idealistic,moralistic, practical, affectionate, dogged. Can be cynical, lazy,cold, judgmental, pessimistic, worrier, stubborn, quarrelsome.
12.
Pig: Honest, simple, gallant, sturdy, sociable, peace-loving,patient, loyal, hard-working, trusting, sincere, calm, understanding,thoughtful, scrupulous, passionate, intelligent. Can be naive,over-reliant, self-indulgent, gullible, fatalistic, materialistic.
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