恒星口语讲堂:"未雨绸缪"用英语怎么说?

经济危机愈演愈烈，很多公司纷纷裁员，这个时候你该怎么办呢？首先一定要做好心理准备，多学知识多长本事，其次要建立良好的人际关系网，最后一点就是一定要准备好一些钱，免得万一被裁员而束手无策。这些就叫做“未雨绸缪”。这个成语在英语中可以用a nest egg来表示。

在农业机械化大量生产之前的时代，一般农夫除种田之外，也兼管养猪、养牛羊、养鸡鸭等副业。这句成语是根据养鸡人家的经验而来的：为了使母鸡留在窝中多下点蛋，多卖点钱，农家多半会在巢中放一个陶瓷制的假蛋，母鸡看到了就会坐下孵蛋，因此也会“刺激”多生些蛋，而不至于到处乱跑。我们来看下面这段对话：

LL: Saving is important, Li Hua. I am trying to build a nest egg so that I can buy a house some day.

LH: 你要建一个窝里的蛋？(开玩笑地说)那你什么时候变成小鸟啊？

LL: (Laughs) No, no, Li Hua. A "Nest Egg" is a term for money put away in reserve for some special purpose - like getting married, buying a house, or retiring.

LH: 窝里的蛋怎么会指为结婚买房子存的钱呢？

LL: Well, as I understand it, a "nest egg" was originally a fake egg placed in a nest to attract birds to lay more eggs. By putting aside money as a nest egg, you hope it will grow and make more money.

LH: 噢，我明白了，窝里的蛋原来指的是假蛋，放在那里骗家禽多生蛋的，用来指钱，就好像是中文里说的钱生钱的意思，放在银行定期存款里就是个办法。

LL: Yes, my parents have done this. But, they have also invested some of their nest egg in the stock market.

LH: 投资股市可有风险，我就听说过很多老年人投资股市，结果赔得一干二净。

LL: It can be, but my parents aren't investing in the stock market on their own. They have an investment company that is helping them manage their nest egg.

LH: 那就好，等我开始在百货商店打工了，I hope I'll have a nest egg, too.

LL: Well, I am building a nest egg to someday buy a house. What about you, Li Hua? What is your nest egg for?

LH: 我先得存点钱应急，万一哪天车坏了或是生一场大病，手里有钱心里就踏实多了。

LL: That's a good plan. My older brother wants to build a nest egg for his children.

LH: Wait a minute, Larry. 你哥哥不是没孩子吗？

LL: You are right, Li Hua, but he has recently gotten married, and he and his wife want to have children. They will need to have a big nest egg for that!

LH: 是啊，养孩子真的需要很多钱，特别是大学学费，做父母的确实需要提前做好准备。

LL: Yes, they won't just need a chicken-sized nest egg - they'll need an ostrich-sized nest egg!