分享一个知识点: Reader question: In this sentence – Having succumbed to the ‘China bug’ during his first visit in 1984 Phillip Dobbs has spent the majority of his working life in China – what does “China bug” mean? My comments: It means he fell in love with China. With the “China bug”, Dobbs became obsessed with China-related activities, couldn’t help coming to and staying in this country, etc. If someone succumbs to, or to use simpler words catches, hits or gets bitten by a certain bug, they develop a strong desire and enthusiasm for something. The bug originally of course refers to one of many of the world’s small insects. If you get bitten by a bug on the arm, for instance, you have a little swollen sore spot as a result. Though bug bites may not be extremely painful or harmful, they tend to be itchy, annoying and nagging – because they won’t go away. Perhaps it is from this sense that the metaphorical meaning derives. People who develop the travel bug, for instance, can’t settle in one place and have to roam. Americans in Florida who are bitten by the ski bug may sell their house and move to live in Colorado instead. Those who get caught by the theater bug watch plays all the time. And those who develop the bungee bug can’t resist the thrills of hurtling themselves off the sky…. Anyways, here are a few media examples: |