论文部分内容阅读
古往今来,关于“鱼”的成语何其多,意思又是何其繁杂。其实英文也是如此,fish一词也能引发无穷意思。我们一起来看看。
Americans use many expressions about fish and fishing. For example, if something sounds fishy, it may not be true. Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water when I go to a party and everyone but me is doing the latest dance. When I ask my friend if she likes my new dress, I would like her to say something nice. In other words, I am fishing for a compliment. You might tell someone to fish or cut bait if he repeatedly attempts to do something he is unable to do.
Sometimes a lawyer will ask a witness many questions in an effort to discover the facts of a court case. This is called going on a fishing expedition.
Some expressions involve different kinds of fish. Information that is used to draw attention away from the real facts of a situation is called a red herring. If you want to express a feeling of surprise, you might cry “holy mackerel!” although we do not know why a mackerel is holy.
Once I went to a county fair and tried my luck with a game of chance. It was so easy; it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Then I went on the fastest, highest and most frightening ride: the roller coaster. At the end of the ride, I did not feel so well. A friend said I looked green around the gills.
I grew up in a small town where everybody knew about my life. There were times when I thought I was living in a fishbowl. So I moved to Washington, where things were different.
Now I take the train to work every day during rush hour when many other people travel to their jobs. Sometimes the train is so crowded that we are packed in like sardines. Sardines are tiny fish that lie close to each other in cans.
One man who works in my office is a cold fish. He is unfriendly and does not like to join us at office parties. Another man in my office likes to enjoy alcoholic drinks at parties. In fact, you might say he drinks like a fish. We need to help him stop drinking.
Last week, my sister’s car broke down as we were driving to a friend’s marriage ceremony. “This is a fine kettle of fish,” I said. “Now we will be late.”
My sister attends a small college where she is one of the smartest students. She always wants to be a big fish in a small pond. Recently, my sister broke up with her boyfriend. I told her not to worry, she will find another one because there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
● 不知道大家有没有过捉鱼的体验,鱼的身子滑溜溜的,竟像蚯蚓一样。“fishy”一词引申这个意思,有“可疑的,狡猾的”之意。另外,由fishy搭配的词或词组也多数沿用这一意思,如fishy-eye即可解为“可疑的眼光,狡猾的眼神”。
● “如鱼得水”的意思大家再熟悉不过,反过来想,当鱼离开了水,那可就浑身不自在了。“a fish out of water”就用来形容一个人跟周围环境格格不入、别扭难堪的感觉。就像说话者发现派对上除了她以外的所有人都大跳流行舞时,那种感觉就相当不好受了。
● 除了钓鱼,还能钓什么?男孩子希望钓到漂亮女孩,女孩子则总希望有人称赞。俗语“fish for a compliment/compliments”就通常用来表示女孩子运用巧妙的方法来让别人恭维她、赞扬她。下面这个例子就是最好的诠释:
Guy: Hi, what’s wrong?
Girl: (sigh) I look awful today!
Guy: No, you don’t! You look absolutely wonderful!
Girl: No, I don’t. Stop being so nice.
Guy: I’m serious, you do! You’re the most beautiful girl in the world, you couldn’t look better!
● 当你面对磨磨蹭蹭的人该说什么?你可以说“Fish or cut bait!”(要钓鱼就好好钓鱼,不钓就到一边儿准备鱼饵去。)“Fish or cut bait!”延伸出来的意思就是:遇事要当机立断,作出明确表态,不要磨磨蹭蹭。
● “fishing expedition”这个词组原本表示出海探寻鱼群行踪的远征,不过现在渐渐引申出其他意思,比如为寻找罪证而作的连续调查等。在法庭上,如果律师“go on a fishing expedition”就意味着他为了寻找证据而连续不断地问问题。
● fish作为鱼的统称已有无数搭配,殊不知,单独一个鱼的品种也有自己的故事,比如这个“a red herring”。“herring”是鲱鱼的意思,但“red herring”却不是红鲱鱼的意思,而表示为分散注意力而提出的不相干事实或论点。
● 另一种口语中常见的鱼类是mackerel(鲭鱼),当然,它的延伸意义已经远远超过它的本义。比如说,当你感到惊讶、诧异的时候,你可以喊“Holy mackerel!”表示“哎呀!好家伙”的意思。至于“圣鲭鱼”怎么变成“哎呀!好家伙!”就不得而知啦。
● “like shooting fish in a barrel”字面解释是“在桶里射鱼”。在小小的圆桶里射鱼,还不是易如反掌吗?因此这个词组也用来说明某事相当容易做到,简直是“ridiculously easy”!
● “live in a fishbowl”,鱼缸之鱼,乍一听,与井底之蛙相当类似,都用来形容生活环境狭小。不过,“live in a fishbowl”除了生活在狭隘空间外,也表示“生活在别人的眼光之中”的意思。
● 大家见识过上下班高峰期时那被挤得没有丝毫间隙的公车或地铁吗?那情景就像一条条细小的沙丁鱼被挤在一个狭小的空间里——“be packed in like sardines”。
● “a cold fish”? 冷鱼?别误会,“a clod fish”不是形容鱼,而是形容一个人冷漠、枯燥甚至冷酷无情。例如:Let’s not invite Tina to the party; she’s such a cold fish!(别请蒂娜来参加这次聚会。她这人太冷漠了。)
● 中文有牛饮的说法,对应的英文竟是“drink like a fish”!从牛变成鱼,意思却相差无几。不过,“牛饮”不一定指喝酒,而“drink like a fish”则多数表示大喝特喝有酒精成分的饮料。
● 如果像说话者一样,在赶去参加朋友的婚礼时车子坏了,心情肯定糟糕透顶。这时候说“This is a fine kettle of fish.”可比说“Shit!”文雅多了。“a fine kettle of fish”这里指乱七八糟、让人不愉快的事。
● “a big fish in a small pond”直译为“小池塘里的大鱼”,其实还有个更加贴切生动的译句,即“金麟岂是池中物”。如果真有惊世才能,小池塘又怎能容得下大鱼呢?
● 当安慰失恋的朋友时我们通常说“天涯何处无芳草”,又或者“林子那么大,何必吊死在一棵树上”,那么用英文怎么说呢?这个时候“鱼”们又发挥作用了!一句“There are plenty of (other) fish in the sea.”就完美解决了这个问题。
Americans use many expressions about fish and fishing. For example, if something sounds fishy, it may not be true. Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water when I go to a party and everyone but me is doing the latest dance. When I ask my friend if she likes my new dress, I would like her to say something nice. In other words, I am fishing for a compliment. You might tell someone to fish or cut bait if he repeatedly attempts to do something he is unable to do.
Sometimes a lawyer will ask a witness many questions in an effort to discover the facts of a court case. This is called going on a fishing expedition.
Some expressions involve different kinds of fish. Information that is used to draw attention away from the real facts of a situation is called a red herring. If you want to express a feeling of surprise, you might cry “holy mackerel!” although we do not know why a mackerel is holy.
Once I went to a county fair and tried my luck with a game of chance. It was so easy; it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Then I went on the fastest, highest and most frightening ride: the roller coaster. At the end of the ride, I did not feel so well. A friend said I looked green around the gills.
I grew up in a small town where everybody knew about my life. There were times when I thought I was living in a fishbowl. So I moved to Washington, where things were different.
Now I take the train to work every day during rush hour when many other people travel to their jobs. Sometimes the train is so crowded that we are packed in like sardines. Sardines are tiny fish that lie close to each other in cans.
One man who works in my office is a cold fish. He is unfriendly and does not like to join us at office parties. Another man in my office likes to enjoy alcoholic drinks at parties. In fact, you might say he drinks like a fish. We need to help him stop drinking.
Last week, my sister’s car broke down as we were driving to a friend’s marriage ceremony. “This is a fine kettle of fish,” I said. “Now we will be late.”
My sister attends a small college where she is one of the smartest students. She always wants to be a big fish in a small pond. Recently, my sister broke up with her boyfriend. I told her not to worry, she will find another one because there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
● 不知道大家有没有过捉鱼的体验,鱼的身子滑溜溜的,竟像蚯蚓一样。“fishy”一词引申这个意思,有“可疑的,狡猾的”之意。另外,由fishy搭配的词或词组也多数沿用这一意思,如fishy-eye即可解为“可疑的眼光,狡猾的眼神”。
● “如鱼得水”的意思大家再熟悉不过,反过来想,当鱼离开了水,那可就浑身不自在了。“a fish out of water”就用来形容一个人跟周围环境格格不入、别扭难堪的感觉。就像说话者发现派对上除了她以外的所有人都大跳流行舞时,那种感觉就相当不好受了。
● 除了钓鱼,还能钓什么?男孩子希望钓到漂亮女孩,女孩子则总希望有人称赞。俗语“fish for a compliment/compliments”就通常用来表示女孩子运用巧妙的方法来让别人恭维她、赞扬她。下面这个例子就是最好的诠释:
Guy: Hi, what’s wrong?
Girl: (sigh) I look awful today!
Guy: No, you don’t! You look absolutely wonderful!
Girl: No, I don’t. Stop being so nice.
Guy: I’m serious, you do! You’re the most beautiful girl in the world, you couldn’t look better!
● 当你面对磨磨蹭蹭的人该说什么?你可以说“Fish or cut bait!”(要钓鱼就好好钓鱼,不钓就到一边儿准备鱼饵去。)“Fish or cut bait!”延伸出来的意思就是:遇事要当机立断,作出明确表态,不要磨磨蹭蹭。
● “fishing expedition”这个词组原本表示出海探寻鱼群行踪的远征,不过现在渐渐引申出其他意思,比如为寻找罪证而作的连续调查等。在法庭上,如果律师“go on a fishing expedition”就意味着他为了寻找证据而连续不断地问问题。
● fish作为鱼的统称已有无数搭配,殊不知,单独一个鱼的品种也有自己的故事,比如这个“a red herring”。“herring”是鲱鱼的意思,但“red herring”却不是红鲱鱼的意思,而表示为分散注意力而提出的不相干事实或论点。
● 另一种口语中常见的鱼类是mackerel(鲭鱼),当然,它的延伸意义已经远远超过它的本义。比如说,当你感到惊讶、诧异的时候,你可以喊“Holy mackerel!”表示“哎呀!好家伙”的意思。至于“圣鲭鱼”怎么变成“哎呀!好家伙!”就不得而知啦。
● “like shooting fish in a barrel”字面解释是“在桶里射鱼”。在小小的圆桶里射鱼,还不是易如反掌吗?因此这个词组也用来说明某事相当容易做到,简直是“ridiculously easy”!
● “live in a fishbowl”,鱼缸之鱼,乍一听,与井底之蛙相当类似,都用来形容生活环境狭小。不过,“live in a fishbowl”除了生活在狭隘空间外,也表示“生活在别人的眼光之中”的意思。
● 大家见识过上下班高峰期时那被挤得没有丝毫间隙的公车或地铁吗?那情景就像一条条细小的沙丁鱼被挤在一个狭小的空间里——“be packed in like sardines”。
● “a cold fish”? 冷鱼?别误会,“a clod fish”不是形容鱼,而是形容一个人冷漠、枯燥甚至冷酷无情。例如:Let’s not invite Tina to the party; she’s such a cold fish!(别请蒂娜来参加这次聚会。她这人太冷漠了。)
● 中文有牛饮的说法,对应的英文竟是“drink like a fish”!从牛变成鱼,意思却相差无几。不过,“牛饮”不一定指喝酒,而“drink like a fish”则多数表示大喝特喝有酒精成分的饮料。
● 如果像说话者一样,在赶去参加朋友的婚礼时车子坏了,心情肯定糟糕透顶。这时候说“This is a fine kettle of fish.”可比说“Shit!”文雅多了。“a fine kettle of fish”这里指乱七八糟、让人不愉快的事。
● “a big fish in a small pond”直译为“小池塘里的大鱼”,其实还有个更加贴切生动的译句,即“金麟岂是池中物”。如果真有惊世才能,小池塘又怎能容得下大鱼呢?
● 当安慰失恋的朋友时我们通常说“天涯何处无芳草”,又或者“林子那么大,何必吊死在一棵树上”,那么用英文怎么说呢?这个时候“鱼”们又发挥作用了!一句“There are plenty of (other) fish in the sea.”就完美解决了这个问题。