SAT TEM8 GRE
外刊例句
- As in Western companies, executives bicker over where to spend money.
像在西方企业里一样，高管们也会为该把钱花在哪里争论不休。
——《经济学人》 - When the children came along, we got caught up in the tallying of efforts, the scorekeeping of who was doing more for the marriage and family and who was being self-serving, unloving and disapproving. We didn’t bicker often, but when we fought, we raged.
孩子出生后，我们对付出变得斤斤计较，计算着谁为婚姻和家庭做得更多，谁表现得自私、没有爱心、总是不以为然的样子。我们不常争吵，但吵架时，我们会大发雷霆。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[verb] argue about petty and trivial matters
[动词] 为琐碎的小事争论
深入解读
Bicker 一词可能源自中古荷兰语 bicken （砍、刺、攻击）+ 中古英语反复后缀 -er 构成，14世纪初进入英语后原指“发生小规模冲突、战斗”，同小站之前讲过的 skirmish 。不过到了15世纪中期， bicker 逐渐发展为现在的基本含义“斗嘴、争吵”，强调为琐碎的小事而持续用尖刻任性的言语发生口角，比如：
- 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。他们很难做好家务活。
The children are always bickering about something or other. They are very hard to domesticate. - 他明确表示，他行医是为了治病救人，而不是浪费时间为预算问题争论不休。
He enunciated that he went into medicine to care for patients, not to waste time bickering over budgets.
可能是出于拟声，到了1748年后， bicker 开始用来表示“发出嘈杂重复的咔哒声”，这个含义现在则多在文学领域形容溪流、雨水等“作潺潺声或嗒嗒声”，再进一步引申则可以用来形容火、光等“闪耀、闪烁、闪光”，比如：
- 湍急的涧水哗啦哗啦地淌下山谷，冲击成一条渠道。
The raging mountain stream bickered down the valley and fretted a channel.
名著用例
Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.
罗恩和赫敏一路争吵着，朝魔法史课的课堂走去。
出自英国作家J.K.罗琳创作的长篇小说《哈利·波特与密室》（Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets）。该小说是《哈利·波特》系列的第二部。
深度学习
bicker (BIK er) Here’s a verb for what people who have spats do—they quarrel, usually over petty matters. Although people who bicker usually hurl words not spears, the word comes from the Middle English word that means “to attack.”
•“Instead of bickering over who gets to sit in the front seat next to me,” said the mother, “why don’t you children walk to school this morning?”
•The couple’s constant bickering drove their landlord crazy, and she finally asked them to move out of the building.
——摘自《Fiske WordPower: The Most Effective System for Building a Vocabulary That Gets Results Fast》
机器翻译，仅供参考
bicker（BIK er）这里有一个动词，用来形容那些发生口角的人，通常是因为小事而吵架。虽然斗嘴的人通常会扔单词而不是矛，但这个单词来自中古英语单词，意思是“攻击”
•“与其为谁能坐在我旁边的前排座位而争吵，”母亲说，“你们这些孩子今天早上为什么不走路去上学呢？”
•这对夫妇不断的争吵让房东发疯，她最终要求他们搬离这栋楼。
常见短语
“bicker”通常用来描述轻微或持续的争吵、争论或口角。
以下是50个包含单词“bicker”的短语，以及它们的中文解释：
- bicker over money: 为钱争吵
- bicker about chores: 围绕家务事争论
- bicker with siblings: 与兄弟姐妹争吵
- bicker over trivial matters: 为琐事争吵
- bicker about politics: 围绕政治问题争论
- bicker over control: 为控制权争吵
- bicker about schedules: 围绕日程安排争论
- bicker with coworkers: 与同事争吵
- bicker over household decisions: 为家庭决策争吵
- bicker about parenting: 围绕育儿问题争论
- bicker over resources: 为资源争吵
- bicker about preferences: 围绕偏好争论
- bicker over responsibilities: 为责任争吵
- bicker with neighbors: 与邻居争吵
- bicker about movie choices: 围绕电影选择争论
- bicker over TV channels: 为电视频道争吵
- bicker about dinner plans: 围绕晚餐计划争论
- bicker with roommates: 与室友争吵
- bicker over holiday plans: 为假日计划争吵
- bicker about spending habits: 围绕消费习惯争论
- bicker over seating arrangements: 为座位安排争吵
- bicker with friends: 与朋友争吵
- bicker over vacation destinations: 为度假目的地争吵
- bicker about restaurant choices: 围绕餐厅选择争论
- bicker with partners: 与伴侣争吵
- bicker over pet care: 为宠物护理争吵
- bicker about bedtime routines: 围绕睡前习惯争论
- bicker with classmates: 与同学争吵
- bicker over social plans: 为社交计划争吵
- bicker about household organization: 围绕家庭组织争论
- bicker with relatives: 与亲戚争吵
- bicker over event arrangements: 为活动安排争吵
- bicker about technology use: 围绕科技使用争论
- bicker over car responsibilities: 为汽车责任争吵
- bicker with teammates: 与队友争吵
- bicker about cleaning duties: 围绕清洁责任争论
- bicker over gift choices: 为礼物选择争吵
- bicker with fellow travelers: 与同行者争吵
- bicker over decorating preferences: 为装饰偏好争吵
- bicker about study habits: 围绕学习习惯争论
- bicker with classmates: 与同学争吵
- bicker over social plans: 为社交计划争吵
- bicker about household organization: 围绕家庭组织争论
- bicker with relatives: 与亲戚争吵
- bicker over event arrangements: 为活动安排争吵
- bicker about technology use: 围绕科技使用争论
- bicker over car responsibilities: 为汽车责任争吵
- bicker with teammates: 与队友争吵
- bicker about cleaning duties: 围绕清洁责任争论
- bicker over gift choices: 为礼物选择争吵
同近义词
- squabble: quarrel noisily over a trivial matter
- quarrel: have a heated argument or disagreement
- wrangle: have a long and complicated dispute
