spring是“春”，chicken是“鸡”，spring chicken说的是不是你?

18世纪，农民们要趁着春天卖掉养了一年的鸡，因为一年龄的鸡正值年轻健康，处于“鸡生”巅峰。

如果卖不出去，这些鸡会很快变老，失去了最佳经济价值。

后来人们用spring chicken代表正值青春韶华的“年轻人”，而no spring chicken就说明某人“老大不小;不再年轻”。

I don't know how old Mike is, but obviously he is no spring chicken.

我不知道迈克多大了，但显然他不年轻了。

我们熟悉的spring作名词可表示“春天”，由此衍生出形容词含义“春天的”。

但spring的其他含义，你都知道吗？

比如下面这个曾出现在高考题里的spring，是什么意思？

"Where did she come from?" asked an astonished sprinting world, before concluding that she must be one of those one-hit wonders that spring up from time to time, only to disappear again without signs.

我们先来看spring还有哪些含义。

spring作名词还可表示“泉水；泉”，这个词义来自spring的动词含义“从地下涌出”。

基于此，spring后来有了“弹簧；发条”“弹力；弹性”等含义。

spring使用频率非常高的还有它的动词含义：

① 跳；跃；蹦

② 突然出现；涌现

③ 突如其来的做；冷不防地问；突然说

相关短语有：

spring fever

春日狂热

春季经常爆发的流行病催生了spring fever，后来人们用spring fever指人们在春天普遍出现的躁动不安的心情。

When summer arrives, our spring fever has long worn off.

当夏天到来时，我们对春天的狂热早已消退。

Here are 10 festivals to satisfy spring fever, all in the Birmingham area or within easy driving distance.

以下是满足人们春日狂热的10个节日，在伯明翰地区都很容易开车到达。

be full of the joys of spring

非常高兴

After a long, dreary winter, I'm full of the joys of spring now that the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming.

经过一个漫长而沉闷的冬天，我满怀春日的喜悦，现在阳光灿烂，鲜花盛开。

I was full of the joys of spring when I found out that I'd gotten an A on my hardest exam.

当我发现我在最难的考试中得了A时，我非常高兴。

spring roll

（中餐的）春卷

Spring rolls are my jam, turn it up and let the feast begin.

春卷是我的最爱，上菜，开吃吧。

a spring in your step

步伐轻快;（走路）轻松自信

She's had a spring in her step ever since she got a boyfriend.

自从她有了男朋友之后，她的脚步就变得轻快起来。

Getting straight A's in school will certainly put a spring in your step.

在学校里得到全A肯定会使你步伐轻快。

spring up

突然出现；涌现

Lights spring up in the dusk around her like fireflies, increasing her sense of isolation.

灯光像萤火虫一样在她周围的黄昏中闪烁，增加了她的孤独感。

Only when she burst into tears did he spring up and ask for her hand in marriage.

直到她大哭起来，他才跳起来向她求婚。

spring to mind

跃入脑海

When people think of gold, rich shades of yellow spring to mind.

当人们想到黄金时，脑海中浮现出色调丰富的黄色。

Often, when people think of ocean pollution, images of massive oil spills or large chemical disasters spring to mind.

通常，当人们想到海洋污染时，脑海中会浮现出大量石油泄漏或大型化学灾难的画面。

spring to life

突然活跃（或忙碌）起来

By nine o'clock, the town had sprung to life with shoppers in the streets.

到九点钟时，镇上街道上挤满了购物的人，变得热闹起来。

I'm not one of those people who just springs to life when my alarm goes off—I need to start my day with a lot of coffee.

我不是那种闹钟一响就精神抖擞的人——我需要用大量咖啡开始新的一天。

spring from something

起源于；来自；由…造成

How in her work you can tell that she's an extremely complex person, that her writing sprang from deep within.

你能从她的作品中看出她是一个极其复杂的人，她的作品是发自内心深处的。

The idea sprang from a dream I had.

这个想法源于我做过的一个梦。

spring into action

突然工作（或行动起来）

As soon as we got the go-ahead we sprung into action and started work on the project.

我们一得到批准就立即行动起来，开始了这个项目的工作。

When the alarm clock goes off I spring into action.

闹钟一响，我就马上行动起来。

spring something on someone

突然告诉（某人）；冷不防地问（某人）

I'm sorry to spring this on you, but could you give a talk at tomorrow's meeting?

很抱歉突然问你，你能在明天的会议上做个报告吗?

I hate to spring this on you at the last moment, but I will need some money to travel on.

我不想在最后一刻突然告诉你，但我需要一些钱去旅行。

spring for something

（通常替其他人）支付（或购买）（某物）

She refuses to spring for a new coat.

她拒绝掏钱买一件新外套。

I'll spring for dinner.

我请客吃晚饭。

现在，高考题里的这个spring，知道是什么意思了吗？

"Where did she come from?" asked an astonished sprinting world, before concluding that she must be one of those one-hit wonders that spring up from time to time, only to disappear again without signs.

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