for a song 跟“歌”没关系，它有其他意思

在英语中很多短语并不全是它们的字面意思，而且往往更多地用于其他寓意，如 white elephant 或 dark horse 等等，虽然它们的字面意思可用，但是在现实生活中更多被当作寓意用，还有如 for a song.

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white elephant    昂贵而不实的东西:

The new office block has become an expensive white elephant.

这座新办公大楼成了昂贵的摆设。

Some people say that monuments are a white elephant and a waste of money.

有些人说那纪念碑实在是华而不实的摆设且浪费钱。

dark horse    黑马，高手、候选人:

You’re a dark horse! I had no idea you could play the piano so well.

你真是一个高手！我不知道你钢琴弹得这么好。

The party is hoping that a dark horse will appear before the election.

该党希望在选举前出现一个能意外获胜的候选人。

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For a song 被用来比喻非常便宜或廉价，相当于at/for a bargain price 或 bargain-priced，at a low price 或 low-priced，cheap，dirty cheap 或 on the cheap 等，常用于搭配 go for a song （相当于 be going cheap）中，例如：

for a song:

She bought those lovely shoes at a flea market for a song.

她在跳蚤市场非常便宜地买了那双可爱的鞋。

We bought our house for a song.

我们用很便宜的价钱买了房子。

She bought the bed for a song at an auction.

她在拍卖会上用很便宜的价钱买了这张床。

In the early nineties their shares went for a song.

在90年代初，他们的股票价格很低。

be going cheap:

You better stock up on these sweaters while they're going cheap.

你最好趁这些毛衣便宜的时候囤积起来。

These shirts were going cheap, so I bought two.

这些衬衫很便宜，所以我买了两件。

at/for a bargain price/bargain-priced:

This area of prime land is for sale at a bargain price.

这块黄金地段正廉价出售。

Western companies are casting covetous eyes on the bargain-priced companies of eastern Europe.

西方公司正虎视眈眈地盯着东欧廉价公司。

at a low price/low-priced:

These shoes are a real bargain at such a low price.

这些鞋价钱这么低，确实便宜。

Toyota is planning to design and build a very low-priced vehicle.

丰田计划设计制造一款超低价汽车。

cheap/dirty cheap/on the cheap:

I got a cheap flight at the last minute.

我在最后一刻搭上了便宜的飞机。

They're always selling off stuff like that dirt cheap.

他们总是以非常便宜的价格把类似那样的东西处理掉。

This site will help you to eat well on the cheap.

这个网站将帮助你吃便宜的好东西。

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Inexpensvie 用于正式的场合，有的时候可以用 cheap 代替，因为 inexpensive 表示只要价格合算就可以了，但是 cheap 可有质量低劣的含义，它们跟 cheap 的另外一个短语 cheap on the price 所表达的意思又不尽相同。

inexpensive/cheap:

It's an inexpensive perfume.

这是一种便宜的香水。

They sell inexpensive children's clothes.

他们卖便宜的童装。

She bought a bottle of cheap perfume yesterday.

她昨天买了一瓶劣质香水。

Cheap 本身就是便宜的意思，主要体现在价钱上，那么 cheap on the price，cheap at twice the price 或 cheap at half the price 是不是多此一举呢？其实不然，它们表示价格虽高但是还合算。

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在学了 for a song 之后，你又多了一种表达便宜的方法，这就是积累的效应，不然千篇一律的 cheap 何以能显示出一个人的功力呢？

比 cheap 或 inexpensive 更低的现是 rock bottom price，然后就是免费的 free of charge 等，例如：

This is our rock bottom price.

这是最低价了。

The performers have all offered their services free of charge.

演员们都愿意免费出演。

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词或词组辨析：

covetous [ˈkʌvətəs] 意为”贪婪的，垂涎的“

stock up (on/with sth) 意为”贮备，备足（某物） “