Jason: Hey, Mike. If you’re free this Saturday afternoon, come over to my house. I’m hosting a BBQ party.
Mike: Oh, I’d love to but I can’t. I’m going to be as busy as a bee.
Jason: Well, that’s too bad. I hope you can join us next time.
Mike: Yeah, I’ll try. Thanks for thinking of me though.

본문에서 Jason이 Mike에게 “Hey, Mike. If you’re free this Saturday afternoon, come over to my house. I’m hosting a BBQ party. 이번 주 토요일 오후에 별일 없으면 우리 집에 놀러 와. 바비큐 파티할 거거든.” 이라고 하자 Mike가 “Oh, I’d love to but I can’t. I’m going to be as busy as a bee. 가고 싶기는 한데 안 되겠다. 토요일에 정신없이 바쁠 거야.”라고 하네요.

Now keep today’s expression ‘Be as busy as a bee’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Jason: Hey, Mike. If you’re free this Saturday afternoon, come over to my house. I’m hosting a BBQ party.
Mike: Oh, I’d love to but I can’t. I’m going to be as busy as a bee.
Jason: Well, that’s too bad. I hope you can join us next time.
Mike: Yeah, I’ll try. Thanks for thinking of me though.

오늘의 표현은 be as busy as a bee입니다. To be as busy as a bee means to be very busy or very active. 여기서 ‘busy’는 ‘바쁘다’를 말하고 ‘bee’는 ‘벌’을 말합니다. Be as busy as a bee를 직역하면 ‘벌만큼 바쁘다.’ 즉 ‘몹시 바쁘다’ ‘눈코 뜰 새 없이 분주하다’라는 뜻입니다.

벌들이 일하는 속도는 아주 빠릅니다. 하루에 10억 송이 이상의 꽃들을 찾으며 꿀을 모은다고 하는데요. 그만큼 바쁘고 열심히 일한다는 뜻이 되겠죠. 오늘 본문에서 Jason이 Mike를 바비큐 파티에 초대하자 Mike가 워낙 바빠서 못 갈 거라고 초대를 정중히 거절했죠.

“Oh, I’d love to but I can’t. I’m going to be as busy as a bee.” 라고요. 이렇게 눈코 뜰 새 없이 바쁠 때 쓸 수 있는 표현이 바로 ‘be as busy as a bee’입니다. Let’s listen to the conversation for the last time.

Jason: Hey, Mike. If you’re free this Saturday afternoon, come over to my house. I’m hosting a BBQ party.
Mike: Oh, I’d love to but I can’t. I’m going to be as busy as a bee.
Jason: Well, that’s too bad. I hope you can join us next time.
Mike: Yeah, I’ll try. Thanks for thinking of me though.

Let’s review what we have learned today. If you are busy as a bee it simply means that you are very busy or very active. BE AS BUSY AS A BEE. Now try using this fun expression on your own.