To kick the bucket,它的意思是：一个人死了.特别要指出的是,to kick the bucket这个用法一般是对死者不太尊重的,所以在有礼貌的谈话中不太使用这一俗语.我们来举个例子吧,有一个人骑了马到一个农场去找他以前的老朋友Charley,到了那儿,农场的一个人对他说：
例句-3:Your old friend Charley's not working here any more.In fact we heard he kicked the bucket down in Texas last winter; he got kicked in the head by a horse he was trying to saddle up.
这人告诉他："你的老朋友查理已经不在这儿做了.事实上,我们听说他去年冬天已经在得克萨斯州死了.他在套马的时候,那匹马往他的头上踢了一脚."
To kick the bucket这个俗语也可以用于动物.例如：
例句-4:That old dog next door finally kicked the bucket.He was sixteen years old,toothless,blind and could hardly get around.Sixteen years is a long time for a dog,so it was time for him to go
这句话的意思是："隔壁的那条狗终于死了.那狗已经有十六岁了、牙都没了、又瞎、行动也不方便.十六岁了,对狗来说也是时候了."