【字面理解】像柴郡貓那樣咧開(kāi)嘴笑
【英文解析】to grin broadly, showing great amusement; to smile widely,in such a way that one shows all one’s teeth
【中文解析】咧嘴傻笑;露齒嬉笑
【典型例句】① She,s a real nitwit. She would now and then burst out grinning like a Cheshire cat for no reason at all.她真是個(gè)傻帽,時(shí)常無(wú)緣無(wú)故地就傻笑起來(lái)。
② He sat there grinning like a Cheshire cat while we tried to put the tent up.我們搭帳篷時(shí),他坐在那里咧著嘴笑。
【注釋】本語(yǔ)略帶貶義。據(jù)說(shuō),英國(guó)柴郡盛產(chǎn)干酪,當(dāng)時(shí) 人們喜歡把干酪做成咧嘴笑的貓形,所以柴郡貓就被 傳會(huì)“笑”了。在英國(guó)數(shù)學(xué)家和童話作家劉易斯?卡 洛爾(Lewis Carroll)所寫(xiě)的童話《愛(ài)麗絲漫游奇境 記》(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)里,愛(ài)麗斯在 公爵家的廚房里看見(jiàn)一只大貓咧著嘴笑,使她著實(shí)吃 了一驚,公爵夫人告訴她:“這只貓嘛,可是只柴郡 貓! [1]”這個(gè)習(xí)語(yǔ)從此就隨著《愛(ài)麗絲漫游奇境記》流 傳開(kāi)來(lái)。變體:to wear or have a grin like a Cheshire cat; to smile like a Cheshire cat。出自《愛(ài)麗絲漫游奇境記》第6章,原文如下:“Please,would you tell me,” said Alice a little timidly, “Why your cat grins like that?” “It’s a Cheshire cat",said the Duchess, “and that’s why.”