单词本：牛的

11 August 2016

不久前不是刚过七夕节么，那天看到 China Daily 有介绍中国情人节牛郎织女的故事，其中有提到神牛的来历：

The cow, however, was a former god who had violated imperial rules and was sent to earth in bovine form.¹

前世大神违反天条贬为牛形。

在文中见到一个新单词 bovine。

1 Bovine

of, relating to, or resembling bovines and especially the ox or cow

having qualities (as placidity or dullness) characteristic of oxen or cows

1）和牛相关的；2）和牛一样蠢笨迟钝的。

California declared free of bovine tuberculosis. 加州宣称没有牛肺结核病。²
But is there something vaguely bovine, dull, about the state of being unstressed? Is there something slow, unfruitful, stagnant or dense about calm?³ 摘自 ft.com 关于如何享受压力的一篇文章：“但是，是不是会在没有压力的时候感觉依稀有些像牛一样笨拙，迟钝？是不是会在平静的时候觉得有些慢悠悠，没成果，停顿不前，又愚钝呢？”很明显作者是个驱动（Driver）型的人。（关于社交风格类型的讨论详见前几天的文章：August 3, 2016 » 管理技能：溝通中的迎合能力）
Mr Mad Eyebrows said: “What worries me is the impression given by the 40% who say they won’t. At best it suggests closed minds, a certain bigotry. At worst it conveys an image of bovine stupidity.” ⁴疯眉毛先生说：“让我担心的是 40% 说不会的人对我的印象。好的方面表示心灵闭塞，某种程度的顽固不化。坏的方面传递了一个如牛一般蠢笨迟钝的形象。”

牛科动物

Bovidae is the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes bison, African buffalo, water buffalo, antelopes, gazelles, sheep, goats, muskoxen, and domestic cattle. A member of this family is called a bovid.⁵
Neanderthals just wore cape-like clothing mainly from bovids and animals of the deer family.⁶ 尼安得特尔人穿牛科动物或者鹿类皮毛做的斗篷。