cry wolf 來自《伊索寓言》:《牧童和狼》 (The Shepherdboy and the wolf)
有個(gè)牧童在離村子不遠(yuǎn)的山坡上放羊,有一次,他為了開心作樂,突然大喊:“Help!Help!The wolf!”全村的人都聞聲跑來援助他時(shí),才知道這只是開玩笑。如此惡作劇搞了兩三次。后來,狼真的來了,那個(gè)牧童再呼號(hào)求救時(shí),誰也不理會(huì)他了。于是,狼把他的羊吃了。
這篇寓言的意義很清楚:愛說謊話的人,即或在他說真話時(shí),也沒人相信他。由此,人們用 to cry wolf 來概括這篇寓言的基本情節(jié)及其教誡意義,用以比喻 to give false alarms;to warn of danger where there is none 之意。按其比喻意義,這個(gè)成語相當(dāng)與漢語中出自《東周列國(guó)志》的典故:烽火戲諸侯。周幽王為博得寵妃褒泥一笑,竟然把軍國(guó)大事當(dāng)兒戲,烽火報(bào)警戲諸侯,使各路諸侯倉(cāng)促發(fā)兵,馳援京師,結(jié)果收到嘲笑。后來犬戎進(jìn)犯,幽王再舉烽火調(diào)兵,誰也不來了,結(jié)果周幽王遭到殺身亡國(guó)之禍。這 2 個(gè)典故的情節(jié)雖不同,寓意卻完全不一致,都是表示“一朝說假話,一世無人信”
eg:Nobody will believe he is in trouble because he has cried wolf so many times.
Is she really sick of is she just crying wolf?
The newspaper placards that had cried "wolf" so often,cried "wolf" now in vain.