很多短语的字面意思让人费解或是几乎不合常理，那么它肯定是用来作比喻的，如 heads will roll 或 face the music 等； 很多短语并不只有它字面的意思，还有其他的寓意，如 white elephant 等。 习语 heads will roll，用来比喻人会被解雇，我们不要把它理解为”头会滚动“，例如：The group's problems have led to speculation that heads will roll.已经有人猜测，该集团的问题会导致一些人被解雇。Heads will roll if there are any errors in the pamphlets we printed for this networking event.如果我们为这次网络活动印制的小册子中有任何错误，我们将会被解雇。习语 face the music，用来比喻接受惩罚或面对事实，我们不要把它理解为“面对音乐”，例如：If we do nothing to curb this pollution, I guarantee we will face the music in the future.如果我们不采取任何措施来控制这种污染，我保证我们将会受到惩罚。After failing a math test, Tom had to go home and face the music.数学考试不及格，汤姆不得不回家接受惩罚。White elephant 有字面意思”白象“，还被用来比喻昂贵而没用的事物，也即华而不实的东西，例如：The car is a white elephant for me.这辆小汽车对我来说是无用之物。Bob's father-in-law has given him an old Rolls Royce, but it's a real white elephant. He has no place to park it and can't afford the gas for it.鲍勃的岳父给了他一辆旧劳斯莱斯，但那真是华而不实的东西。他没有地方停车，也买不起汽油。The new office block has become an expensive white elephant.这座新办公大楼成了昂贵的摆设。That new shopping centre has turned into a white elephant now as they can’t rent out any of the shop spaces.那家新的购物中心现在已成了一个摆设，因为他们不能租出任何一个商铺。
跟 white elephant 有点不一样的是 dark horse，我们不要把它理解为”黑马“，它用来比喻最近刚取得或将要取得成功的新人；”黑马“用英语表达是 black horse，例如：Don't think you'll beat him easily, he may be a dark horse.不要以为你会轻而易举地胜过他，他可能是出人意料的黑马。Anna's such a dark horse - I had no idea she'd published a novel.安娜真是一匹黑马，我不知道她出版了一本小说。其实，涉及动物的短语有很多都是用作其他寓意的，常见的还有 eat like a horse （食量大如牛）和 beat a dead horse（白费力气） 等等，因此在实际的阅读中要根据具体的上下文做出准确的判断。eat like a horse: No wonder he's so fat. He eats like a horse.怪不得他这么胖。他食量大如牛。Kim is staying for dinner, and she eats like a horse, so you’d better make some extra food.金姆要留下来吃晚饭，她食量大如牛，所以你最好多做些食物。beat a dead horse: He keeps trying to get it published but I think he's beating a dead horse.他一直想把它出版，但我认为他是在白费力气。We've all moved on from that problem, so there's no use beating a dead horse.我们都摆脱了那个问题，所以徒劳无益是没有用的。只有积累了很多类似这样的习惯用语，阅读才会左右逢源，才不至于望文生义，提高语感和阅读效率。 词或词组辨析：1. speculation [ˌspekjuˈleɪʃn] 意为”推测，推断“等2. pamphlet [ˈpæmflət] 意为”小册子，手册“
