羊年说“羊” “sheep”在英语里指“绵羊”,“a grass-eating farm animal that is kept for its wool and its meat”;英文的sheep具有汉语“羊”的“善”与“羞”, 如:She had a rather sheepish smile. 她笑起来很害羞的样子。 “goat”是指“山羊”,“an animal a little like a sheep that can climb steep hills and rocks”。goat富含贬义:act the goat(行为愚蠢)、old goat(老色鬼)。 所以,生肖“羊”应该选择“sheep”译名。英语中颇有一些与“羊”有关的典故,十分有趣。 1. Separate the sheep from the goats 区分绵羊和山羊→辨别好人坏人(Divide things in two groups, those things that have value and those things that are less valuable / worthless) 2. I had rather be a tick in a sheep than such a valiant ignorance. 我宁愿做羊身上的虱子,不愿做这种没有头脑的勇士。人们也可以此讽喻那些没有头脑、没有主见的鲁莽的人。 3. Return to one's sheep/muttons 回到本题 这则习语的来源有两种:一种说法认为,它是直译法国田园诗中的一句:多情的牧羊男女在牧场上谈恋爱,海阔天空,但最终还是要回到现实,回到自己的羊群中来。这个成语就是“回到实际问题,言归正传”的意思。另一种说法:“Let us come back to our sheep.(回过头来谈我们的羊吧。)”仿自法语“Revenons à nos moutons”,即Return to one's muttons。 在英语中,mutton只指“羊肉”而不指“羊”,因为当时在英国的法国人是贵族,有钱吃得起“羊肉mutton”,而牧羊的盎格鲁撒克逊穷人就把“羊”称做sheep。久而久之,英语中就把“羊”称作sheep,而将“羊肉”叫做mutton。 4. A lost sheep 迷途的羔羊 5. One might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. 偷一只大羊和偷一只小羊都会被吊死——不做二不休 6. Set the wolf to keep the sheep 请狼来看羊,引狼入室 7. A wolf in sheep's clothing 披着羊皮的狼 8. A scapegoat 替罪羊 英语中与“羊”有关的习语则更多,如: to be as mild as a lamb 温顺如羔羊; play the goat 举止轻浮; follow like sheep 盲从; sheep without a shepherd 乌合之众; make sheep's eyes at somebody 愚笨地向某人献殷勤; a sheep in a tiger's skin 羊质虎皮(outwardly strong); cast sheep's eyes at sb. 对某人抛媚眼; stand out like a camel in a flock of sheep 鹤立鸡群。 微信搜索:爽哥英语 微信号:shuanggeen 关注微信,获得更多好玩又实用的英语小讯息~ |
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