騾子通常被認(rèn)為是極其頑固的動(dòng)物,可即使是騾子,只要在它前面吊上胡蘿卜(carrot),同時(shí)在后面用棍棒(stick)抽打,騾子也一定會(huì)往前走。因此carrot and stick常被用來(lái)比喻“軟硬兩手”,有時(shí)也作the carrot and the stick。丘吉爾(Sir Winston Churchill,1874~1965)曾經(jīng)在1943年會(huì)見(jiàn)記者時(shí)用過(guò)這一比喻:“We shall operate on the Italian donkey at both ends, with a carrot and with a stick.”(我們將用胡蘿卜加大棒使這頭意大利蠢驢聽(tīng)話。)
forbidden fruit 禁果;歡樂(lè)(尤指男女偷歡)
出自《圣經(jīng)·創(chuàng)世記》“惟有園當(dāng)中那棵樹(shù)上的果子,上帝曾說(shuō),你們不可吃,也不可摸,免得你們死。”(“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”)有這樣一句諺語(yǔ):Forbidden fruit is sweet.(Proverb)(諺)禁果最甜。
a land flowing with milk and honey 富饒之地,魚(yú)米之鄉(xiāng)
出自《圣經(jīng)·出埃及記》“And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up to out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”(我下來(lái)是要救他們脫離埃及人的手,領(lǐng)他們出了那地,到美好寬闊、流奶與蜜之地。)該習(xí)語(yǔ)也作a land of milk and honey,如:
America is now the fancied land of milk and honey, but not for every American citizen. 美國(guó)現(xiàn)在是人們心目中生活富裕的國(guó)家,但并非對(duì)每個(gè)美國(guó)公民都是如此。
have egg/jam on/over one’s face 形象受損害;出丑
人在吃雞蛋或果醬時(shí)不小心弄到臉上而自己卻不知道,看起來(lái)就會(huì)有點(diǎn)兒可笑,像個(gè)傻瓜一樣,這就是have egg/jam on/over one’s face原先的含義。此習(xí)語(yǔ)源自美國(guó),后來(lái)也被英國(guó)英語(yǔ)接受,現(xiàn)多用于口語(yǔ)中,表示“形象受損害;出丑”等,有時(shí)也以be left with egg/jam on/over one’s face形式出現(xiàn),如:
The latest scandal has left the government with egg on its face.
最近的丑聞使政府形象受到損害。
pie in the sky 渺茫的幸福;無(wú)法實(shí)現(xiàn)的計(jì)劃
該習(xí)語(yǔ)出自美國(guó)流行歌手、世界產(chǎn)業(yè)工人聯(lián)盟(IWW)的組織者希爾(Joe Hill, 1879~1915)在1911年所作的一首歌曲《傳教士與奴隸》(The Preacher and the Slave)。他在歌中寫(xiě)道:You will eat, bye and bye,/In the glorious land above the sky!/Work and pray,/live on hay,/You’ll get pie in the sky when you die!(不久你將在天上的圣地就餐,勞作吧,祈禱吧,靠著干草干活,死后你就會(huì)有天國(guó)的餡餅。)這幾句話是希爾從美國(guó)救世軍的軍歌中引用來(lái)的,意在諷刺揭露這個(gè)宗教組織的欺騙性。由此,人們就用pie in the sky喻指“渺茫的幸福;不能實(shí)現(xiàn)的承諾”等,如:
Their plans to set up their own business are just a pie in the sky. 他們要?jiǎng)?chuàng)辦自己公司的計(jì)劃猶如天上的餡餅,希望十分渺茫。
say cheese 笑一笑
say cheese是照相時(shí)攝影師要被照者面帶微笑時(shí)說(shuō)的一句話。因?yàn)楫?dāng)你說(shuō)cheese時(shí),你的口是呈微笑形的。cheese只取其音,而不用其意,故say cheese一般翻譯為“笑一笑”,如:
Come on everyone, say cheese for the camera. 各位,對(duì)著鏡頭笑一笑。