【文章內容簡介】
ely linked to each other等的意思。eg:Our army is bone of the bone and flesh of the flesh of the was bone of the bone and flesh of the flesh of the floating workers.(:Pages from a Worker39。s Life.)39。s Apple喉結亞當是圣經中人類的始祖,而蘋果的歷史比人類的歷史還悠久。在世界各文明古國的民間故事和神話傳說中,蘋果都是受人喜愛的一種果實。英語中有個諺語:An apple a day keeps the doctor ,蘋果也給人類帶來了麻煩,男人的喉結就是因吃蘋果引起的?!丁返?章講到人類的起源,傳說上帝創(chuàng)造人類的始祖亞當和夏娃,在東方的伊甸(Eden)建立了一個園子給他們居住。伊甸園里生長著悅人眼目的各種樹木,樹上長著各種各樣的果實。上帝吩咐亞當說:你可以隨意吃園中的各種果子,只是不能吃那棵分別善惡樹上的果實,吃了必定要死。這種“禁果”就是apple。后來,亞當的配偶夏娃聽信蛇的誘惑,不顧神諭,吃了善惡樹上的禁果,還把這果子給它丈夫吃。亞當因心懷恐懼,吃時倉促,有一片果肉哽在吼中,不上不下,留下個結塊,就叫“亞當的蘋果”兩人吃了這果子就心明眼亮,能知善惡美丑。但是由于他們違背了上帝的告戒而被逐出伊甸園。從此,亞當就永遠在脖子前端留下“喉結”,作為偷吃禁果的“罪證”。上帝還懲罰亞當,“必汗流滿面才能糊口”不過也說一說是正當亞當吃的時候,上帝來了,所以亞當急忙吞下去,不料哽在喉嚨間了。eg:Your Adam39。s apple isn39。t 39。s apple can be more clearly seen on men than women39。s One39。s Birthright for a Mess of Pottages因小失大;見利棄義Sell One39。s Birthright for a Mess of Pottages直譯是:“為了一碗紅豆湯而出賣了長子繼承權”?!丁返?5章記述了這樣一個故事傳說:猶太族長以撒的妻子利百加懷孕期間,感覺到2個胎兒在她腹內互相踢打,就去問耶和華,耶和華對她說:“兩國在你腹內,兩族要從你身上出來,這族必強于那族,將來大的要服小的?!焙髞?,利百加果然生下一對孿生兄弟,哥哥叫以掃,弟弟叫雅各。兩兄弟長大后,以掃好動,常外出打獵;雅各則常在家里幫助料理家務。有一天,以掃打獵回來,又饑又渴,看見弟弟雅各在熬豆湯,就對他說:“我餓極了,給我喝點紅豆湯吧!”雅各說:“你要喝湯,就把你的長子權賣給我?!币話哒f:“你都要餓死了,要這長子權有什么用呢?”于是,他便按雅各的要求,對天起誓,把長子權賣給雅各,換來餅和紅豆湯。以掃吃飽喝足后,起身走了。他哪里想到,為了這碗紅豆湯,他的后裔便注定要服事雅各的后裔。由此,人們用to sell one39。s birthright for a mess of pottage短語,來比喻to exchange something of lasting value for something that is of value for a short time only。to suffer a big loss for a little a mess of pottage的形式。有時也可用to sell one39。s :It was argued that joining the Common Market...would be giving away her national rights and advantages for a mess of are many,many people who are willing to prostitute their intelligence for a mess of Apple of Ones39。 Eye The Apple of Ones39。 Eye的字面意思是“某人眼里的蘋果”,在這里,apple指 的是the pupil(瞳孔,眼珠),大概因眼珠圓的象蘋果之故。瞳孔是眼睛最重要的部分,失去瞳孔,光線就無法通過虹膜中心的圓孔進入眼內而變成了瞎子。所以,這個成語常用來比喻象愛護眼珠一樣愛護某個最心愛的人或珍貴的東西,即表示a cherished person or object。sth extrmely precious to one。sb dearly loved等意這個成語來字《舊約。申命記》(Deuteronomy)第32章“耶和華遇見他在曠野荒涼、野獸吼叫之地,就環(huán)繞他,看顧他,保護他如同保護眼里的瞳人?!痹谑ソ浧渌胤揭灿蓄愃频脑?。英文版《舊約。詩篇》(Psalm)第17章有這樣的句子:“Keep me as the apple of the eye,hide me under the shadow of the wings” 成語the apple of one39。s eye是固定結構,不得寫成the apple of the eye of…的形式;在搭配上,它常與動詞be,keep,care for等連用。按其想象意義,它與漢語成語“掌上明珠”頗相似,但其比喻的對象較漢語“掌珠”更廣,因“掌珠”通常指心愛的女兒,而不能用與其他場合。eg:Little Mary is the apple of her father39。s eye Mind the reputation of your school as you care for the apple of your writing/Finger on the Wall不詳之兆;大禍臨頭這個成語的字面意思是“墻上的文字(或手指)”,而實際含義是a sign or warning of impending disaster(迫在眉睫的兇兆);a sign that sth bad will happen。a feeling that ones number is up;等等。其語言外殼與內涵是怎樣聯系起來的呢?還是出自《圣經》據《舊約。但以理書》(Daniel)第5章記述:有一次古巴比倫(Babylonian)的國王伯沙撒(Belshazar)正在宮殿里設宴縱飲時,突然,不知從哪里出現了一個神秘的手指,當者國王的面,在王宮與燈臺相對的粉墻上寫西了四個奇怪的單詞:MENE(彌尼)、MENE(彌尼)、TEKEL(提客勒)、UPHARSING(烏法珥新)。國王張皇失措,驚恐萬分,誰也不懂墻上所寫的字是什么意思。后來叫來了被虜的猶太預言家但以理,才明白了這幾個字的意思就是大難臨頭。他說:“彌尼就是上帝已經數算你國的年日到此為完畢;提客勒就是你被稱在天平里顯出你的虧欠;烏法珥新就是你的國分裂,歸與瑪代人和波斯人。”果然,當夜伯沙撒被殺,又62歲的瑪代人大利烏取而代之。依次,“墻上的文字(或手指)”就表示身死國亡的兇兆。英語中這個成語有幾種表達方式:the writing/handwriting on the wall或a finger on the wall,通常與be,like等系動詞連用;有時寫成see/read the writing on he wall的句型,表示提出警告,such as :Don39。t you see the writing on the wall, 有時候也可省略on the wall,只說Don39。t you see the writing?意思也是一樣的。eg:This inexplicable incident seemed,like the Babylonian finger on the wall,to be spelling out the letter of my judgement...In this house of his there was writing on every businesslike temperament protested against a mysterious warning that she was not made for 39。s emplyer had less and less work for him。John could read the writing on the writing on the wall is clear:if man behaves like an animal and allow hs population to increase while each nation steadily increases he coplexity and range of its environment,nature will take her course and the law of the Jungle will Bill39。s team lost four games in a row,he saw the handwriting on the Salt of the Earth社會中堅;民族精華;優(yōu)秀份子The Salt of the Earth這個成語,字面意思“世上的鹽”鹽是飲食中不可缺少的調味品,人體若缺鹽,健康就會受到影響,出現種種疾病。鹽還有殺菌、解毒、消炎、除污等多種功用,它既是“百藥之王”,又是工業(yè)之母,確是值得珍視的東西。在許多民族的習俗匯總,鹽被當作敬客的高貴禮品。The Salt of the Earth一詞出自《圣經》,據《新約。馬太福音》(Matthew)第5長記載:耶穌對他的門徒說:“Ye are the salt of the earth:but if the salt have lost his savor,wherewith shall it be salted? ” 在這里,salt用于轉義,表示flavor;of the earth即of the world。這是耶穌登山垂訓論“?!?,所講福音結尾的話,他把門徒比做“世上的鹽”,這是極高的稱贊。這句話在后世不斷引用變成了一個典故性成語,轉義為the most valuable members of sociey。the finest type of humanity。a person or a group of people having the best character 之意eg: He does a lot of good jobs and is considered to be the salt of the all are the salt of the hope is placed on an iota of沒有一點點,絲毫也不iota是希臘字母表中第9個字母“I”的名稱。not an iota of 出自《新約。馬太福音》第5章:“律法的一點一畫都不能廢去,都要成全?!币驗閕ota是希臘字母表中最小的一個字母,它有時可以寫作一短橫置于其他字母之上;遺漏這一點點對發(fā)音并無什么影響,只按規(guī)則不能減少而已。《福音書》所說的律法,系指“摩西律”,意即無論何人都不允許隨便廢去這戒律哪怕是最小的一條,甚至其中的一個字母,一個小小短橫也不得更動或遺漏。由此,在語言中遺留下來這個成語,轉義表示not a bit of。not one jot or little。not at all等意思。iota在這里,相當于漢語“小不點兒”的意思。Eg:Science deals with things in a practical means honest,solid knowledge,allowing not an iota of falsehood,and it involves herculean efforts and gruelling is not an iota of truth in the pearls before swine對牛彈琴;白費好意To Cast pearls before swine的意思是“珍珠頭在豬玀前面”。swine是個舊詞,書面詞,即今為pigs,不過swine單復同行,本句為復數。這個成語源自《新約。馬太福音》第7章:“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,neither cast ye your pearls before swine,lest they trample them under their feet,and turn again and rend you”.由于to cast pearls efore swine,比喻確切,在后世不斷引用中而成為一個國際性成語,常用來表示to offer sth valuable or beautiful to those who can39。t appreciate it。to give what is precious to those who are unable to understand its value等意思,含有輕蔑嘲笑色彩。按其字面意義,這個成語與漢語成語“明珠按投”相似,但是寓意不同,基本上不對應;按一比喻意義,它相當于“對牛彈琴”,“向驢說經”“一番好意給狗吃”“狗咬呂洞賓,不識好人心”等。She read them Shakespeare,but it was casting pearls before swine I won39。t waste good advice on John any more because he never listens to won39。t cast pearls before swine....and when I let the upper floor to Cap39。en Cuttle,oh i do a thankless thing,and cast pearls before swine wolf in sheep39。s clothing批著羊皮的狼;貌善心惡的人耶穌在加利