If the birds have not flown for three years, they will soar into the clouds. If they have not sung for three years, their songs will take everyone by surprise.

三年不蜚，蜚将冲天；三年不鸣，鸣将惊人。

《新英汉大辞典》

They reduced the odds that a predator would take us by surprise or that we'd overlook a nearby source of food.

这样一来，我们被对手突袭的机会减小了，也不会错过触手可及的食物。

youdao

How it happens will take you completely by surprise.

这件事情的发生会让你呆若木鸡。

youdao

Well, the reason for thinking otherwise, the reason for not being utterly dismissive of this suggestion, is that when people get ill, terminally ill, it often seems to take them by surprise.

其他的想法产生的原因，人们没有完全摒弃这个假设的原因，是当人们得病，病入膏肓时，这通常让人措手不及。

耶鲁公开课 - 死亡课程节选

While hotel fees for newspapers are rare, there are a lot of other fees that take travellers by surprise.

BBC: Hidden hotel fees

"The number of sites of disorder was something we hadn't experienced in the city before - and that did take us by surprise, " he said.

BBC: Met police considering more riot training

The meteor event in Russia on Friday is a sobering reminder that space is a busy place, and that space rocks can take us by surprise.

BBC: Science & Environment