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.
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 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。
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 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 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。
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 perfume.
这是一种便宜的香水。
They sell inexpensive 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。
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 offered their services free of charge.
演员们都愿意免费出演。
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） “
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