Jason: My old computer finally bit the dust. It’s not working anymore.
Mike: Oh no! How long have you had it for?
Jason: About seven years.

Mike: You should go buy a new one at the computer store near our house. They’re having a sale.
Jason: Oh awesome. I’m sure the new computer won’t fail on me and bite the dust.
Mike: I’m sure it won’t.

Jason이 Mike에게 “My old computer finally bit the dust. It’s not working anymore. 내 컴퓨터가 결국 망가졌어. 작동이 전혀 안 돼”라고 하자 Mike가 “Oh no. How long have you had it for? 얼마나 썼는데?”라고 묻네요.

Jason이 “About seven years. 한 7년 썼지”라고 하자 Mike가 “You should go buy a new one at the computer store near our house. They’re having a sale. 그냥 새로 한 대 사라. 마침 우리 집 근처 컴퓨터 판매장에서 할인하고 있거든.” 이라고 하더라고요.

이어 Jason이 “Oh awesome. I’m sure the new computer won’t fail on me and bite the dust. 아, 그래? 그럼 가서 사야지. 새 것이라면 당분간은 고장 안 나겠지.” 라고 대답하네요. Keep today’s phrase ‘Bite the dust’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Jason: My old computer finally bit the dust. It’s not working anymore.
Mike: Oh no! How long have you had it for?
Jason: About seven years.

Mike: You should go buy a new one at the computer store near our house. They’re having a sale.
Jason: Oh awesome. I’m sure the new computer won’t fail on me and bite the dust.
Mike: I’m sure it won’t.

오늘의 영어표현은 bite the dust입니다. Bite the dust means to give out, break or fail usually after a long life or after something is used for a long time. It can also mean informally that someone has died. In addition, it can literally mean that someone falls face down in the dirt.

본문에서 Bite the dust라는 표현이 나왔죠? 여기서 Bite는 이로 물다, 깨물다 라는 뜻이고 dust는 흙, 먼지를 말하는 거죠. Bite the dust는 죽다, 전사하다, 실패하다, 패배하다, 굴욕을 당하다, 부상으로 쓰러지다(fall wounded) 라는 뜻이 있습니다. 쓰던 기계가 고장나서 못쓰게 되거나 작동을 멈춘 경우에도 쓸 수 있고요. 물론 말 그대로 흙먼지를 뒤집어쓰다 라는 뜻도 있습니다.

예를 들어볼까요? “My refrigerator bit the bust. It’s probably because I have had it for a very long time.”이라고 하면 “우리 집 냉장고가 망가졌어. 솔직히 오래 쓰긴 오래 썼지.” 라는 뜻이 됩니다. 마지막 예문입니다. “Nathan bit the dust in the second lap of the race.” 라고 하면 “Nathan은 경주에서 탈락하고 말았다.”라는 뜻이 됩니다. Now you know what it means to bite the dust right? Then let’s listen to the conversation for the last time.

Jason: My old computer finally bit the dust. It’s not working anymore.
Mike: Oh no! How long have you had it for?
Jason: About seven years.

Mike: You should go buy a new one at the computer store near our house. They’re having a sale.
Jason: Oh awesome. I’m sure the new computer won’t fail on me and bite the dust.
Mike: I’m sure it won’t.

Let’s review. ‘Bite the dust’ means to give out, break, fail, or die. BITE THE DUST. Now try using the phrase on your own.