英语典故中文版(超全)

1、Adam’s apple 亚当的苹果 男人的喉结

the protruding part in a man’s throat

According to the Bible, when deceived by the serpent, Eve and Adam ate the apple and the

latter was choked by the forbidden fruit. Since then, there has been a protruding part in men’s

throat, which is one of the primary physical differences between males and females.

据《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament, Genesis）第2章记载，上帝按自己的模样造了亚当（Adam），见亚当孤单，就趁亚当熟睡从他身上取下一根肋骨，造成成一一个女人——夏娃(Eve)，亚当和夏娃从此无忧无虑地生活在伊甸园里（Garden of Eden），后来夏娃禁不住化身为蛇（serpent）的魔鬼撒旦（Satan, the Devil）的诱惑，偷吃了知善恶树上的果子，她也让亚当吃了，亚当从来没吃过这样的果子，来不及细嚼慢咽，结果果核卡在喉咙里，吐不出咽不下，从此果核就留在亚当的喉咙里，这就是男人的喉结，从此，亚当的子子孙孙无一幸免，只有女儿家没有。所以，在英语里，人们用“亚当的苹果”（Adam’s apple）表示“男人的喉结”。

上帝怕亚当和夏娃像他一样聪明和长寿，怕他们再吃生命树上的果子，就把他们逐出伊甸园。上帝罚男人常年劳作，却收获极少；罚女人忍受分娩的痛苦；罚蛇用肚皮在地上爬，终生吃土。

2、Adam’s profession 亚当的职业；园艺业；农业。agriculture, gardening

据《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament, Genesis）第2章记载，上帝在东方的伊甸设立了一个园子，称为伊甸园（Garden of Eden），把他造的人（亚当）安置在里面，让他照料看守这园子（And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep

it.）。从此，亚当就在伊甸园除草松土，修剪树枝，采摘果子，从事人类最早的园艺和农事活动，所以，“亚当的职业”（Adam’s profession）就指的是“园艺业；农业”。如：

He has always been thinking of engaging in Adam’s profession when he retires.

（他一直在想，当他退休了，就种种花，养养草。）

My neighbor has green fingers. He keeps a very beautiful small garden of roses. He has been in

Adam’s profession for many years.

（我的邻居精于园艺。他有一个漂亮的小玫瑰园，他干园艺这一行有多年了。）

3、alpha and omega 阿尔法和奥米伽 全部；始终。wholeness or the most important part

Revelation1:8 “I am Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is

to come, the Almighty.”

e.g. Rice is the alpha and omega of their diet.

Alpha和Omega是希腊语和闪语（Seitic）字母表中第一和最后一个字母的名称。在更古的时候，希腊语的最后一个字母是Tan（T），所以在中世纪英语中常说Alpha to Tan， Alpha to

Tan比Alpha and Omega更常见。

《圣经·新约》（Bible, New Testament）里的《启示录》（Revelation）据说是为遭到迫害的基督徒写的，目的是在他们受苦受难时给予鼓励和希望，上面说，上帝通过主耶稣（Jesus Christ）终将打败包括魔鬼撒旦（Satan, the Devil）在内的一切敌人，给虔诚的人降福，使他们得到一个新的天堂，一个新的人间。在《启示录》第1章8节中，上帝说：“我是阿尔法和奥米伽，是昔在、今在、以后永在的全能者。”（“I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the

End.” Says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”）

所以在英语里，alpha and omega表示 “全部；始终”。如：

A good knowledge of several languages is the alpha and omega if you are working in international

business.

（如果你从事国际贸易的话，通晓数门语言是非常重要的。）

He knows the alpha and omega of his job.

（他非常精通本职工作。）

Wheat is the alpha and omega of their diet.

（他们的饮食以小麦为主。）

此外，在现代英语里，人们用英语字母表中的首尾两个字母组成一个习语：from A to Z，意思是“由始至终；彻头彻尾；全部”。

4、apple of Sodom 所得玛的苹果 华而不实的东西；徒有其表的东西。

superficially clever or good but without practical use

Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities destroyed by God for people there were sinful. After the big

fire that had destroyed everything, there appeared many trees on this land, which yielded pretty

fruits. But if you taste these apples, they became ashes immediately.

e.g. The bed he bought yesterday turned out to be an apple of Sodom.

据《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament, Genesis）第19章记载：所得玛（Sodom）和蛾摩拉（Gomorrah）是古代死海（Dead Sea）岸边的两座臭名昭著的城市，那里的居民骄奢淫欲、罪孽滔天。上帝耶和华（Jehovah）降硫磺和火把一切都化为灰烬。此后，在死海这一带出产一种苹果，外表鲜艳可爱，食之则满口灰味儿，可观不可食，人们把这种苹果称为“所得玛的苹果”（apple of Sodom），又称为“死海之果”（Dead Sea Apple），现转喻为：华而不实的东西，虚有其表、金玉其外、败絮其中的事物，请看例句：

The girl is pretty in appearance but hideous in mind. People who know about her regard her as

nothing but an apple of Sodom.

这个女孩容貌美丽但心灵丑恶。了解她的人都认为她金玉其外，败絮其中。

Nobody likes it; it’s nothing but an apple of Sodom.

（没人喜欢它，那只是个表面好看的东西罢了。）

--Do you know him well enough?

--But why is it said some people can fall in love at first sight?

--At first sight? What in him attracts you?

--He’s so handsome, so cool.

--But let me tell you what. He is only the Apple of Sodom..

（——你对他了解多少？

——那为什么人们说有些人可以一见钟情？

——一见钟情？他身上有什么东西吸引你？

——他那么潇洒，那么酷。

——我告诉你吧， 他只不过徒有其表而已。）

5、at one’s wit’s end 在某人智慧的末端；智穷计尽；无计可施。

without effective ways to solve problem

The Psalms 107:27They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits'

end.

据《圣经·旧约·诗篇》（Bible, Old Testament，Psalms）第107章第27节记载：

上帝的威力无穷，航海者在海上体验到了上帝所行的各种奇事。上帝一吩咐，狂风就起来，海中的波浪也扬起。航海的人摇摇晃晃，东倒西歪，好像醉酒的智慧无法施展（They reel to

and fro, and stagger like drunken men, and are at their wit’s end.）。

据此，英语里用at one’s wit’s end表示“智穷计尽；无计可施”。如：

Being at his wit’s end, he is asking anyone he can think of for help.

（他到了山穷水尽的地步，能想到的人他都求了。）

With all three children at home all day, the mother was at her wit’s end trying to keep the house

clean.

（三个孩子都整天呆在家里，母亲实在无法使屋子保持清洁。）

6、at the eleventh hour 在第十一个小时；还来得及at the last crucial moment

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament, Matthew）第20章第1至16节记载：耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）给众人讲了一个天国的比喻，他说：“天国好比下面的故事，有一个葡萄园主清早出去，雇工人到他的葡萄园工作，每天给他们一块银币。然后在上午9点、中午12点、下午3点、下午5点，他又分别雇用了几个人，收工时，园主都给了他们一块银币。那些从清早就干活的人抱怨，为什么在第十一个小时才进来的人，只干了一个小时却得到同样的报酬，园主回答说：‘朋友，我并没有占你便宜，你不是同意每天一块银币的工资吗？拿你的钱回家去吧！我要给那最后进来的跟你的一样，难道我无权使用自己的钱吗？为了我待人慷慨，你就嫉妒吗？’”耶稣用这个比喻来喻指能够进入天国的，即使在最后时刻也来得及，凡进入天国的人，上帝都对他们一视同仁，不分先后。

在英语中，人们用at the eleventh hour指“在最后时刻”、“还来得及”，请看例句：

1. If any guest failed at the eleventh hour, Todd was asked to dine.

要是有什么客人到时不能来，托德就给请来凑数。

2. The tow explorers were rescued at the eleventh hour.

两个探险家在最后一刻被营救了。

3. His eleventh-hour rise to power has been described as a miracle.

他在最后一刻得以上台，被称为是个奇迹。

7、beam in one's own eyes 自己眼中的梁木 自身特别重大的缺点

one’s own serious mistake (See Mathew 7:1-5)

e.g. He is always quick to point out other peoples' faults, but can't see the beam in his own eyes.

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament，Matthew）第7章第1—5节记载，耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）在讲到评论别人时说：“你们不要论断人，免得被人论断。因为你们怎样论断人，也必怎样被论断。为什么看到你兄弟眼中有刺，却不想自己眼中有梁木呢？（And

why do you look at the mote in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam in your own

eye?）你自己眼中有梁木，怎能对你的弟兄说，容我去掉你眼中的刺呢。（Or how can you say

to your brother, “let me remove the mote from your eye,” and look, a beam is in your own eye?）你这伪善之人，先去掉自己眼中的梁木，然后才能看得清除，去掉你兄弟眼中的刺。（Hypocrite!

first remove the beam from your own eye; and then you will see clearly to remove the mote out of

your brother's eye.）”这里的“你兄弟”并非单纯地指门徒的亲兄弟，而是指广大的百姓，他们的父亲只有一个——天父耶和华(Jehovah)，所以普天之下皆为兄弟。“你兄弟”指除你以外的“别人”；“你兄弟眼中的刺”（the mote in your brother's eye），其中的mote指“尘埃、微粒”，转喻为“庇点”，译作“刺”，在英语中，a mote in sb's eye指（与自己的大缺点相比之下）某人的小缺点；小过失。请看例句：

But I refuse to condemn others for the mote in their eye when there is a beam in my own..

但是我不能责备别人的小缺点，因为我自己有很大的缺点。

“自己眼中的梁木”（the beam in your own eye）中的beam指船或建筑物的横梁，一般是圆木（log），“你兄弟眼中的刺”与“你自己眼中的梁木”相比显得微乎其微，也就是说，“别人的缺点”与“你自己的缺点”相比显得微不足道，所以去掉“你自己的大缺点”，“别人的小缺点”也就无所谓了。英语中用“beam in one's own eyes”来比喻（与他人相比）自身特别重大的缺点；严重错误。请看例句：

1. Kelmar, if he was unconscious of the beam in his own eye, was at least silent in the matter of

his brother's mote.

如果说凯尔马尔不知道自己有很大的缺点，至少他对于他的兄弟的小缺点也是不加指摘的。

2. If you are unconscious of the beam in your own eye, you should at least bear other's mote.

如果你不知道自己的大缺点，至少应该容忍别人的小缺点。

3. First take the beam out of your own eye, then you'll be able to see clearly the mote in your

brother's eye.

人必须有自知之明，才能客观地评价他人。

8、 Benjamin’s mess 便雅悯的份额 最大的份额；最丰厚的一份the dominant portion

Joseph forgave his brothers and reunited with them. Before they went back to get their father

Jacob to Egypt, he gave his brothers wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and

gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of clothing, but to

Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.

e.g. In the joint venture, Benjamin's mess of the benefit goes to him.

据《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament, Genesis）第43章第34节记载，雅各是希伯来人（Hebrew）的第一代族长亚伯拉罕（Abraham）的孙子，他共有12个儿子，其中约瑟（Joseph）和便雅悯（Benjamin）是同胞兄弟，雅各最疼爱约瑟，这引起了其余儿子的嫉恨，他们设计把约瑟卖到埃及做奴隶，约瑟通过为法老说梦而当上了埃及的宰相。后来，约瑟的家乡发生饥荒，雅各就派儿子们到矮及去买粮，便雅悯还小就没让他去。约瑟接待了他们，并设计让哥哥回去把便雅悯带来。兄弟们相认，悲喜交加，约瑟原谅了哥哥们。约瑟设宴招待他们，席间，约瑟把他面前的食物分出来送给他们，但便雅悯所得的是别人的五倍，他们就饮酒，和约瑟一同宴乐。（And he took and sent messes to them from before him, but

Benjamin’s mess was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with

him.）约瑟还给哥哥们每人一套衣服，而同胞弟弟便雅悯得到5套，300个银元。

据此，人们用“便雅悯的份额”（Benjamin’s mess）表示“最大的份额；最丰厚的一份”。如：

We put the same effort in that business, but Benjamin’s mess of the outfit went to him.

（在那桩生意中我们投进去的心血是一样的，但利润他得大头。）

In the joint venture, Benjamin’s mess of the profit will go to him.

（在这个合资项目中，他将得到最大份额的利润。）

9、build on the sand 建立在沙土上 建立于不稳固的基础上

build on not solid foundation [See Matthew 7:24-27]

e.g. His plan, like a house built on sand, has no solid foundation.

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament，Matthew）第7章第21至27节记载，耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）在登山室训中讲到什么样的人能进天国时，他说：“哪些称呼我‘主啊，主啊’的人并不都能进天国；只有实行我天父旨意的人才能进去。在末日来临的时候，许多人要对我说：‘主啊，主啊，我们会奉你的名传上帝的信息，也曾奉你的名赶许多鬼，行许多奇迹！’那时候，我要对他们说：‘我从来不认识你们；你们这些作恶的，走开吧！’所以，

所有听我这些话而实行的，就像一个聪明人把房子盖在磐石上；纵使风吹雨打水冲，房子也不倒塌，因为它的基础立在磐石上。

（Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man,

who built his house on a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,

and beat on that house; and it did not fall: for it was founded on a rock.）

可是，那听见我这些话而不实行的，就像一个愚蠢的人把房子盖在沙土上，一遭受风吹雨打水冲，房子就倒塌了，而且倒塌得多么惨重！”

（And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish

man, who built his house on the sand; And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds

blew, and beat on that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.）

耶稣讲完了以上这些话，众人对他的教训都感到十分惊奇；因为耶稣跟他们的经学教师不同，他的教训带有权威。众人随同耶稣一同下了山。

在现代的英语中，人们用build on the rock表示“建立在牢固的基础之上”；用build on the sand

表示“建立于不稳固的基础上”。请看例句：

1. Local opinion was the rock on which，like a great tactician，he built.

像一个大战术家，他把一切建立在当地舆论的牢固基础上。

2. Labor unions are built upon the solid rock of the material welfare of the workers.

工会是建立在工人的物质福利这个坚固的基础上。

3. I'm not surprised to learn that his company is in debt--he has very little experience of business,

and the whole organization was built on sand.

听到他公司亏空负债，我一点也不感到意外——他对商业不内行，整个体制都建立在沙滩上。

4. His plan, like a house built on sand, has no solid foundation.

他的计划如沙子上建房子，没有牢固的根基。

10、by /with the skin of one’s teeth 只剩牙皮（逃脱）；侥幸；勉强；间不容发。

by the skin of one’s teeth [Job]: almost fail in something or fortunate escape

God wanted to test Job and made him lose his wealth, children and suffer from illness. Job didn't

make any complaint. When his friends came to see him, he said to them: "He hath put my brethren

far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me. My kinsfolk have failed, and

my familiar friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me

for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight. I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I

intreated him with my mouth. My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's

sake of mine own body. Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. All

my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. My bone cleaveth

to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth."

e.g. We drove to the station at full speed and caught the train by the skin of our teeth.

该典故源于《圣经·旧约·约伯记》（Bible, Old Testament，Job）第19章第20节。富翁约伯（Job）是个义人，对上帝很虔诚，但上帝为了考验约伯的诚心，使他接连失去所有财产和儿女，并使他浑身上下长满毒疮，约伯痛苦不堪，对远道来看他的朋友叹息道：“我的罪孽和罪过有多少呢？何以要遭受此种磨难？……”“我的熟人都不认识我了，亲戚朋友与我断绝来往。从前的客人也都把我遗忘，我的使女把我当成陌生人。我呼唤仆人，他拒绝回答，毫不理会我的苦苦哀求。我的妻子受不住我口中的气味，自家兄弟再也不愿走近我，小孩都在藐视我嘲笑我。知心好友以厌恶的眼光看着我，连最亲爱的人也与我翻脸。我的皮肉紧贴着骨头，我只剩牙皮逃脱了（My bone cleaves to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped

with the skin of my teeth.）。”

牙齿本没有皮，约伯用此语是极言其险，就像我们平时所说的“只差头发丝的距离”，约伯除了性命以外，其他全部丧失了。所以，人们用“by /with the skin of one’s teeth”（只剩牙皮）用表示“侥幸；勉强；间不容发”。如：

1. The ship broke up; several were drowned; but four sailors managed to escape by the skin of

their teeth.

船撞破了，有几个人溺死，只有四个水手幸免于难。

2. I only passed the exam by the skin of my teeth.

我只差一点儿就考不及格。

3. The car missed me by inches. I escaped by the skin of my teeth.

汽车差一点儿就撞上我了，我幸免于难

11、cast pearls before swine. 把珍珠丢给猪；明珠投暗

cast pearls before swine: choose the wrong audience

Matthew7:6 "Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs,

lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Swine指猪、猪猡、下流胚，在口语中指令人不快的东西，如：This car is a swine to drive at slow

speeds.（这辆汽车慢速行驶时真难开。）另外swine单复数同形，除了用于cast pearl before wine中外平常很少用，一般用在兽医上，如swine fever（猪瘟）、swinepox（猪痘）、swine plague（猪出血性败血病）等，平常我们用“pig”比较多。

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament, Matthew）第7章第6节记载，耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）上了山，对跟随他的门徒说：“不要把圣物给狗，也不要把你们的珍珠丢在猪前，恐怕它践踏了珍珠，转过来咬你们。”（Do not give what is holy to dogs; nor cast your

pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.）耶稣以此告诫门徒，不要不看对象就发表一些别人听不懂的说教，不要讲一些超出听者理解水平的道理，也就是说不要“在不识好歹的人面前白费精力”；不要“把珍贵的东西给了不识货的人”。Cast pearl before swine与汉语中的“对牛弹琴”、“对驴说经”、“明珠投暗”含义相仿，请看例句：

1. He explained the beauty of the music to her but it was casting pearls before swine.

他跟她讲解那音乐之美，可是这无异于对牛弹琴。

2. I won't waste good advice on John any more because he never listens to it. I won't cast pearls

before swine.

我不再白费口舌劝约翰了，因为他从不听劝。我决不再对牛弹琴了。

3. Don’t waste good advice on Helen for she will never listen to it. Don’t cast pearls before swine.

不要再劝海伦了，她根本不会听，何必对牛谈琴呢？

12、covenant of salt 盐约；不可背弃的盟约。contracts never betrayed

Numbers18:19All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to

Yahweh, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever: it is a

covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your seed with you.

e.g. Once you have made a covenant of salt, you should keep to it.

该语来自《圣经·旧约·民数记》（Bible, Old Testament, Numbers）第18章第19节。亚伦（Aaron）是以列民族领袖摩西（Moses）的兄长，是犹太教的第一位大祭司（Priest），上帝对他说：“凡以列人所献给耶和华圣物中的举祭，我都赐给你和你的儿女，你们永远可以享用这份

祭品，这是给你和你的后裔，在耶和华面前作为永远的盐约。”（All the heave offerings of the

holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and

daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with

you and your descendants with you.）又说“你将不会有任何的遗产，以列的任何一块土地都不会分配给你，你所需要的一切就是我——上帝。”

在古代，盐是非常珍贵的，而且不会变坏的，所以，“盐约”（covenant of salt）是“不可背弃的盟约”。如：

1. The two lovers, head over heel in love, made a covenant of salt that they would remain loyal to

each other for the life.

两个热恋中的情人信誓旦旦：彼此忠诚直到永远。

2. Once you have made a covenant of salt, you should keep to it.

一旦订立不可违背的盐约，就应信守不渝。

13、curious as Lot's wife 像罗德之妻一样地好奇；非常好奇；好奇心过重。

be too curious (as the consequence of her curiosity, she was turned into a pillar of salt)

好奇心是人的天性，只不过不同的人好奇心轻重不同。世界上有许多好奇心过重的人，这种好奇心，往往会给他们带来灾难。英语中有一句谚语说的是“Curiosity killed a cat.”，意思是“好奇伤身。”，《圣经》中的罗德之妻（Lot's wife）就是因为好奇心过重而丢掉了性命。

据《圣经·旧经·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament, Genesis）记载：由于所得玛（Sodom）和蛾摩拉（Gomorrah）两座城市罪孽深重，上帝在毁灭这两座城市之前，顾念所得玛的义人罗德（Lot），就派天使告诉罗德让他带领亲人快速离开，并嘱咐他们逃走时，不管身后有什么动静，都不要回头看。于是，上帝降下硫磺和火，两座城市陷入一片火海之中，罗德的妻子按捺不住女人的好奇心，回头一看，立刻变成了一根盐柱（a pillar of salt）。后来人们就用“像罗德之妻一样好奇”（curious as Lot's wife）来形容某人的好奇心过重；用“罗德之妻”（Lot's

wife）或“盐柱”（a pillar of salt）表示“极度的好奇心以及由此引起的惩诫”。请看例句：

1. Curious as Lot's wife, she has made herself unpopular among her friends.

她这个人好奇心太重，在朋友中不怎么受欢迎。

2. While it is ill-advised to be curious as Lot's wife, some of the inventions and discoveries are

achieved out of curiosity.

过分好奇固然不好，但是有一些发明与发现确实是因为好奇得来的。

14、 Daniel in the den of lions 狮坑中的但以理；大难不死，侥幸逃生的人。a person of

integrity stand severe tests or a fortunate survivor

Daniel

Daniel was a prophet and was set in higher position than satraps. Then this Daniel was

distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the

king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find

occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault,

because he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men,

We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the

law of his God. Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus to

him, King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the

counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a

strong interdict, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of you, O

king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the

writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn't alter.

Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict. When Daniel knew that the writing was

signed, he went into his house and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave

thanks before his God, as he did before. Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel

making petition and supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spoke before the king

concerning Daniel's violation against the king's interdict. Then the king, when he heard these

words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the

going down of the sun to rescue him. Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to

the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute

which the king establishes may be changed.

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now

the king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you. A

stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet,

and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king

went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before

him: and his sleep fled from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste

to the den of lions and found Daniel safe and sound because God had sent his angel to shut the

lions' mouths. Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up

out of the den. The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and

they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the

mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.

该语来自《圣经·旧约·但以理》（Bible, Old Testament, Daniel）第6章章第1-24节。

但以理是古代先知（prophet），很受国王器重，被任命为大公，监督总督（governor），总督们想方设法置但以理于死地。他们知道但以理每天都要向上帝祷告，就诱骗国王下令30天之内全国上下禁止任何祈祷。但以理处于对上帝的虔诚被迫违反了这一禁令，国王只好按照禁令把但以理投入狮坑（the den of lions）。国王度过了一个不眠之夜，但第二天却惊喜地发现但以理在狮坑中安然无恙。但以理告诉国王上帝派天使闭上了狮子的嘴，因为他是无辜的。国王下令把总督们投入狮坑，结果饥饿的狮马上扑上去，把他们全撕碎了。

所以，在英语中人们用“Daniel in the den of lions”（狮坑中的但以理）表示“大难不死，侥幸逃生的人。”

15、David: young heroes 16、Delilah: seductive bad women

17、David and Johnthan 大卫和约拿丹；莫逆之交；生死之交；肝胆相照的朋友。bosom friends

该语源于《圣经·旧约·撒母耳记上》（Bible, Old Testament, Samuel 1）。

约拿丹（Johnthan）是以列王扫罗（Saul）的儿子，是王位继承人，大卫（David）是扫罗提拔的最年轻的都督，后来，大卫的才能遭到扫罗的嫉妒，他想方设法除死大卫。约拿丹非常敬佩大卫，与之结成至交，他处处保护大卫，每当父亲要杀大卫时，他总是设法帮大卫脱险，甚至与父王发生激烈冲突，不惜失去王位继承权。所以，人们用“David and Johnthan”（大卫和约拿丹）表示“莫逆之交；生死之交；肝胆相照的朋友。”如；

1. Being David and Johnthan, they always help each other when in trouble.

作为生死之交，他们总是在危急时刻互相帮助。

2. It was known to all that the David and Johnthan of the establishment were David and Johnthan

no longer; that war waged between them, and if all accounts were true, they were ready to fly each

at the other’s throat.

众所周知，这个公司里的两位莫逆之交已经不再莫逆了，假如人们传说的没有错，他们在那场争斗中，恨不得互相捏对方的喉咙。

说到“莫逆之交”，在西方还广为流传着这样一段佳话：达蒙（Damon）和皮西厄斯（Pythias）古时居住在意大利的一对莫逆之交，皮西厄斯冒犯了国王被处以死刑，行刑前，皮西厄斯要求回家见母亲最后一面，国王不同意，怕他逃走，达蒙主动要求作为人质留下，如果皮西厄斯不回来，就把他杀死，国王允许。结果到行刑时，皮西厄斯还没回来，达蒙被押赴刑场，就在最后关头，皮西厄斯历经千辛万苦终于赶到了刑场，场面非常感人，国王也被他们的深情厚谊所感动，就下令释放了皮西厄斯。所以，在西方，人们用“Damon Pythias”（达蒙和皮西厄斯）表示“莫逆之交”。人们这样说；

Johnthan was to David what Damon was to Pythias; they were two typical pairs of devoted

friends.

（约拿丹之于大卫正像和达蒙之于皮西厄斯；他们是两对典型的莫逆之交。）

18、 double-edged sword 双刃剑；同时具有正反两方面作用的事物。[Proverbs 5:3-4]:

something with both positive and negative functions (more stress on negative side)

e.g. The argument he used to justify his position proved to be a double-edged sword which

ultimately led to his own defeat.

该语源于《圣经·旧约全书·诗篇》（Bible, Old Testament, Psalms）：“愿他们口中称赞上帝为高，手里有双刃的刀……（Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in

their hands …）”；另外，在《圣经·旧约·箴言》（The Bible, Old Testament，Proverbs）中也提到该语：“……至终却苦似苦艾，快如双刃的刀……”（… but in the end she is bitter as

woodworm, sharp as a two-edged sword ...）。现在，人们用“double-edged sword”（双刃剑）表示“同时具有正反两方面作用的事物。”但该语在运用时，强调不利因素的场合要多一些。如：

1. Your decision to leave the house is a double-edged sword. You think to hamper me by such

behaviour but remember at the same time you lose a home.

你决定离家出走，这一招儿既害人又害己。你想用这来给我制造困难，但记住，你这样做也就同时失去了家。

2. The argument he used to justify his position proved to be a double-edged sword which

ultimately led to his own defeat.

他用以证明自己立场正确的论据，结果却成了导致他自己败北的双刃利剑了。

19、 fall from grace 失去恩宠；失宠；堕落；误入歧途。go astray, degenerate, or be out of favor

It refers to the story that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and were driven out of Eden, which

was human beings' original sin.

该语源于《圣经》（Bible）。人类始祖亚当（Adam）和夏娃（Eve）由于偷食禁果而被上帝逐出伊甸园（Garden of Eden），基督教称之为“人的堕落（the fall of man）”。

当耶稣（Jesus Christ）的福音开始在非犹太人中传播并广受欢迎时，教会中开始讨论要成为真基督是否必须遵守摩西（Moses）的律法的问题。圣徒保罗（）认为没有这个必要，但加拉太省的几个教会中，有人反对保罗的主张，保罗就写了书信——《加拉太书》给他们，目的是把那些接受谬误教训的信徒们带回到正确的信仰和生活中。保罗在书信中指出，在只有籍着信仰，人才得以跟上帝和好，建立正确的关系。在《圣经·新约·加拉太书》（The Bible,

New Testament, Galatians）第5章第1-4节，保罗是这样写的：“为了要使我们得自由，基督

已经释放了我们。所以，你们要挺起胸脯，不要让奴隶的轭再控制你们！我保罗郑重地告诉你们，如果你们接受割礼（to be circumcised）基督就对你们毫无益处。现在我再次警告你们任何一个接受割礼的人必须遵守全部的律法！想依靠遵守律法而得以跟上帝和好的人就是跟基督切断了关系，自绝于山上帝的恩典（All of you who aim at justification by the law are

severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.）。”

据此，人们用“fall from grace”（失去恩宠）表示“失宠；堕落；误入歧途。”如：

He has assisted in extricating from the consequences of their folly several young girls of good

family who had fallen from grace and could not otherwise be secured.

他曾帮助过几个误入歧途再别法挽回的好人家的姑娘，把她们从不幸的遭遇中拯救出来。

20、 feet of clay 泥足；根本的弱点；致命的弱点。

fatal shortcoming, famous persons’ unknown defects

The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was troubled by his dream in which he beheld a great

image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent. As for this image, its head was of

fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, its legs of iron, its feet

part of iron, and part of clay. He saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the

image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay,

the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the

summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them:

and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. Daniel

was invited to interpret the dream. He said, the king was the head of gold with whom God

endowed great power. After him shall arise another kingdom to replace his. As the toes of the feet

were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. Since

iron does not mingle with clay, the king's kingdom would be disintegrated. Then the king fell on

his face, worshiped Daniel, gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole

province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

e.g. I discovered that my uncle had feet of clay; he had stolen money from my father.

据《圣经·旧约·但以理书》（Bible, Old Testament, Daniel）第2章记载：巴比伦（Babylon）国王尼布甲尼撒（Nebuchadnezzar）做了一个梦，天下哲士无人能解，国王大怒，下令杀绝哲士，被掳到巴比伦的犹太人但以理（Daniel）自称能圆国王的梦，被带到国王面前，但以理说：“陛下梦见的是一个泥足巨人，他的头是精金的，胸膛和臂膀是银的，肚腹和腰是铜的，腿是铁的，脚是半铁半泥的（This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver,

its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.），当你正观看时，突然从山上飞来一块石头，正好打在这巨人的脚上，把脚砸碎，哗啦一声巨响，金银铜铁泥都一同砸得粉碎，那石头变成一座大山，充满天下。金银铜铁泥象征着巴比伦国兴衰的不同时期，开头是金子做的，意味着国家繁荣昌盛，随后的银、铜、铁就是逐渐弱下去的意思，及至成泥，最后这个国家必然灭亡。那块巨石表明必然有一国，打碎灭绝一切国，从而万古长存。”但以理把梦解完，尼布甲尼撒王俯伏在地，向但以理下拜，赏赐许多礼物，并派他掌管巴比伦全省，掌管巴比伦的一切哲士。但以理的经历不免让人想起《创世纪》中曾为埃及法老（Pharaoh）圆梦的犹太人约瑟（Joseph）。

由这个故事，人们用feet of clay来比喻根本的弱点，致命的缺陷。英语中还有一个类似的成语“阿喀琉斯脚踵”（Achilles' heel）也表示唯一致命的弱点。请看例句：

1. Eric is sad because his idol has feet of clay.

埃里克心里很难受，又为他所崇拜的偶像竟是泥足巨人。

2. In the first days of the invasion, the defending army gave the appearance of having feet of clay.

入侵开始后不久，守军就显出致命的弱点。

21、fig leaf 无花果树叶；遮羞布；掩饰物。

something to hush up one’s scandal or to cover up one’s embarrassment

After Adam and Eve ate the apple, both of their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were

naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

e.g. Come straight ahead; you don't have to put your idea in fig leaves.

该语源于《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament, Genesis）第3章第6-7节。

人类始祖亚当（Adam）和夏娃（Eve）在魔鬼撒旦（Satan,the Devil,）的诱惑下，违背了上帝的禁令，偷吃了知善恶树上的果实，书中是这样记载的：

“于是，女人见那棵树的果子好作食物，也悦人的眼目，且是可喜爱的，能使人有智慧，就摘下果子来吃了，又给她丈夫吃了。

（So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a

tree desirable to make one wise, she took off its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with

her, and he ate.）”

“他们两人的眼睛就明亮了，才知道自己赤身裸体，便那无花果树的叶子，为自己编做裙子。

（Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they

sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.）”

据此，英语里用“fig leaf”（无花果树叶）表示“遮羞布；掩饰物。”如：

1. When we were small children we used to swim a lot in summer without fig leaves on in a pond

by the village.

我们小时候，夏天经常光着身子在村旁的池塘里游泳。

2. Come straight ahead; you don’t have to put your ideas in fig leaves.

有话直说，不必遮遮掩掩。

3. Their new constitution was a fig leaf to conceal their brtrayal of the masses.

他们的新宪法是一块遮羞布，用以掩盖他们对大众的背叛。

22、fly in the ointment 膏油里的一只苍蝇 美中不足之处；让人扫兴之事；一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥。a blemish in an otherwise perfect thing

Ecclesiastes 10:1Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so does a little

folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

e.g. I find the house wonderful but there is a fly in the ointment-it is too far from the town.

据《圣经·旧约·传道书》（Bible, Old Testament, Ecclesiastes）第10章第1节记载： “死苍蝇使作香的膏油发出臭气。这样，一点愚昧，也能败坏智慧和尊荣。（Dead flies cause the ointment

of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so does a little folly him that is in reputation for

wisdom and honor.）智慧的人心居右，愚昧的人心居左。并且愚昧人行路显出无知，对众人说，他是愚昧。掌权者的心若向你发怒，不要离开你的本位，因为柔和能免大过。”

在这里，把“愚昧”比作“苍蝇”，把“智慧”和“尊荣”比作“膏油”，苍蝇使膏油发出臭气，一点愚昧也能败坏“智慧和尊荣”，这与汉语中所说的“一条鱼腥了一锅汤”、“一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥”有异曲同工之妙。在英语中，人们用它来表示“美中不足之处；使人扫兴的（小）事”。请看例句：

1. I enjoy my job--the fly in the ointment is that I start early in the morning.

我喜欢我的工作，美中不足的是我得很早动身。

2. The journey was perfect; the only fly in the ointment was that on our way our car broke down

and there was no repair shop nearby.

旅途非常顺利，唯一美中不足的是：在回家的路上，我们的车子抛锚了，而且附近没有修理店。

3. He finds the place wonderful but there is a fly in the ointment: it is too far from the town.

（他发现这地方太棒了，唯一不足的是离城里太远了。）

4. They enjoyed their holiday very much. The only fly in the ointment was the bad weather.

（他们的假期过得很愉快，唯一煞风景的是天气不好。）

英国散文家兰姆（Charles Lamb, 1775-1834）在他的《穷亲戚》（）里对穷亲戚下了一个定义，说他们在别的东西中间，就像膏油里的苍蝇。

23、from Dan to Beersheba: from one bottom to another, all over the world

Judges

Dan was the northmost city in Palestine, while Beersheba the southmost town there. So if you

traveled from Dan to Beersheba, you will travel across the whole Palestine.

e.g. You might travel from Dan to Beersheba without finding such a beautiful vase.

24、gift of the Magi: the most precious gift

25、Goliath: gigantic person or object (See David’s story)

26、good Samaritan 善良的撒玛利亚人；乐施好善者。kind persons ready to help others

Luke10:30Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell

among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

10:31By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the

other side. 10:32In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed

by on the other side. 10:33But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he

saw him, he was moved with compassion, 10:34came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring

on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

10:35On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and

said to him, 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.'

10:36Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the

robbers?"

据《圣经·新约·路加福音》（Bible, New Testament, Luke）第10章第33-34节记载：一个行人不幸落入强盗手中，被强盗打得半死扔在路旁。一个祭司和一位利末人先后路过这里，都装做没看见。可是有一个撒玛利亚人行路来到这里，看见他就动了怜悯之心，上前用油和酒倒在他的伤口上，包裹好了，扶他骑上自己的牲口，带到店栈去照应他。

（But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had

compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring in oil and wine; and he set him

on his own animal. Brougt him to an inn, and took care of him.）

据此，后人用“good Samaritan”（善良的撒玛利亚人）表示“乐施好善者。”如：

1. He begged, “You good Samaritans, have pity on me!”

他哀求道：“你们这些乐施好善的人，可怜可怜我吧！”

2. He acted as a good Samaritan, and took the poor woman to the hospital.

他乐施好善，把那个贫苦的妇人送进了医院。

3. I was really in a hurry to get home to watch a footaball match on telly but I decided to be a good

Samaritan and turn back with her without saying so.

我确实想急忙赶回家看一场电视足球赛，但我还是决定做个乐于助人的好人，只字不提看球赛的事，而转回去陪她。

27、handwriting/writing on the wall 墙上的字迹；凶兆。an ill omen

Daniel 5:1-19

When the ancient Babylonian king Belshazar（伯沙撒）was giving a feast in his palace, he

suddenly saw a mysterious finger writing some unknown letters on the wall opposite to where he

sat. The king then sent for Daniel, the imprisoned Jewish prophet, to explain for him the meaning

of the handwriting on the wall. Daniel read the writing and told him it meant some disaster would

soon arrive. It so happened that Belshazar was killed that very night. His kingdom was conquered

by the Persians and Darius became the new king.

e.g. The official saw the writing on the wall and fled the country

据《圣经·旧约·但以理书》（Bible, Old Testament, Daniel）第5 章记载：巴比伦（Babylon）王尼布甲尼撒（Nebuchadnezzar）的儿子伯沙撒（Belshazzar）继承王位，一天晚上，王宫里举行盛大的宴会。伯沙撒下令把他父亲从耶路撒冷（Jerusalem）圣殿里抢来的金杯银碗搬出来，用它们饮酒作乐。突然间，空中出现一只手，在灯台对面的宫墙上写下三个神秘的字：MENE，TEKEL，PERES。伯沙撒惊恐万分，忙召人解谜。被掳到巴比伦的犹太人但以理（Daniel）被请来解谜，他说：“MENE就是上帝已经数算你国的年日到此完毕；TEKEL就是你被称在天平里显出你的亏欠；PERES就是你的国分裂，归与玛代人和波斯人。当夜，预言应验：伯沙撒被杀，玛代人大利乌（Darius）夺了巴比伦王位。

后来，人们用handwriting on the wall指凶兆；厄运临头的预兆；用see (read) the handwriting

on the wall 来表示觉察到一种制度（或生活方式、传统等）即将灭亡。如：

1. At times, however, the words about his having spoiled his opportunities, repeated to him as

coming from Mrs. Charmond, haunted him like a handwriting on the wall.

但是，查门夫人说他错过了机会这一句话，时时盘旋在他脑海之中，象凶兆一样。

2. John's employer had less and less work for him; John could read the handwriting on the wall

and looked for another job.

约翰的老板给他的工作愈来愈少，他觉察出解雇之日不远了，于是便寻别的工作。

28、have itching ears 耳朵发痒；好打听；爱听新奇的事。inquisitive or eager to know news

Paul's Second letter to Timothy

Paul encouraged Timothy to be faithful to Jesus in spite of the difficulties and shoulder the

responsibility of a missionary. He said, For the time will come when they will not listen to the

sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;

e.g. Yesterday Mrs. Humphry asked me whether I had heard my neighbors quarrelling with each

other; she has itching ears.

据《圣经·新约·提摩太后书》（Bible, New Testament，2 Timothy）第4章第3节记载，耶稣（Jesus Christ）使徒保罗（Paul）劝勉其门徒提摩太（Timothy）要始终忠于耶稣，担负起教师和传道人的责任，他说：“要传福音，不管时机成熟不成熟都要传，用最大的耐心劝勉、督责、鼓励、教导。时候将到，那时人要拒绝健全的教义，随从自己的欲望，到处拜人为师，好来满足他们发痒的耳朵（For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine;

but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts.）。他们掩耳不听真理的话，却倾向荒唐的传说。但是，你无论在任何情况下都要谨慎；要忍受苦难，做传道人应做的工作，忠心履行上帝仆人的职务。”

据此，英语里用“have itching ears”（耳朵发痒）表示“好打听；爱听新奇的事；爱听东家长西家短。”如：

The day before yesterday, Mrs. Humphry asked me whether I had heard my neighbours quarreling

with each other; she has itcing ears.

前天，汉弗莱太太问我有没有听见我的两家邻居吵架，她就是爱听个新鲜事儿。

29、heap coals of fire on sb.’s head [Proverbs 25:21-22]: make others repent by bidding good to

evil Proverbs by Solomon

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; /If he is thirsty, give him water to drink: /For you

will heap coals of fire on his head, /And Yahweh will reward you.

e.g. Frederick stole the Bishop's silver, but the Bishop heaped coals of fire on his head by giving

the silver to him.

30、 Job: a person dogged by bad luck or an extremely patient man

Job

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright,

and one who feared God, and turned away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and a

large portion of possession. Santan argued to Yahweh that Job was pious to Him just because He

endowed him with numerous wealth. So Yahweh decided to test him.

It fell on a day when Job's children were eating and drinking, there came a messenger to Job, and

said, "The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked,

and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone

have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, "The fire

of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them,

and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, there came also another, and

said, "The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away,

yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you."

While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "Your sons and your daughters

were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, 1:19and, behold, there came a great

wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men,

and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you."

Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and

worshiped. He said, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there.

Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh." In all this, Job did

not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.

Later God permitted Satan to test Job, who made Job grow malignant sores all over his body.

Though painful, Job bore no complaint against God. Due to his piety, God restored him more

wealth and children.

31、Job’s comforter 约伯的慰问者；增加对方痛苦的安慰者。

a person who fails to comfort others while make them sadder

When Job's three friends heard of all the evil that had come upon him, they came every one from

his own place, and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him.

When they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and

they rent every one his mantle, and threw dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down

with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him; for they

saw that his grief was very great.

e.g. Mrs. Baker was a Job's comforter, while sympathizing with the mother who had lost her

child, she told the mother that it was her fault for not sending the child to hospital sooner.

据《圣经·旧约·约伯记》（Bible, Old Testament，Job）第1 章至第2章记载：

乌斯地有个义人叫约伯，是个很有名望的富翁，他经常向上帝耶和华（Jehovah）献全燔祭，行洁净礼仪，约伯敬畏上帝，对上帝充满信心。魔鬼撒旦（Satan）对耶和华说，约伯敬畏你是因为你总是保护他全家及他所有的一切，否则的话，他肯定不再敬畏上帝。为了考验约伯对上帝的诚心，上帝同意让撒旦使约伯失去了所有的财产和所有儿女，约伯变得一贫如洗，但他对上帝的诚心丝毫没有动摇；撒旦又让约伯浑身上下长满毒疮，流血化脓，约伯痛苦不堪。

约伯的三个朋友听说他的遭遇，就来安慰他，他们远远地举目观看，认不出他来，就放声大哭。各人撕裂外袍，把尘土向天扬起来，落在自己的头上。他们同约伯七天七夜坐在地上，一个人也不向他说话，因为他们看见他极其痛苦。

好友以利法（Eliphaz）开口劝说约伯，实际上是在责备他：“……约伯啊，你呼喊吧，看看是否有谁回答你，难道某个天使会帮助你吗？焦虑而死者实乃愚人，忧愤丧生者不足为训。饥饿者吞食愚人的庄稼，连荆棘中的谷粒也不放过。邪恶不会从田野里走出来，灾难也不会从地面冒头。否！人生在世必遭忧患，如火星必欲上腾。”

据此，英语里用“Job’s comforter”（约伯的慰问者）表示“增加对方痛苦的安慰者。”如：

1. Though he was a Job’s comforter, I thanked him all the same. I knew he meant well.

虽然他的安慰只能使人徒增烦恼，我还是很感谢他。我知道他用心是好的。

2. Mrs Baker was a Job’s comforter, while sympathising with the mother who has lost her child,

she told the mother that it was her fault for not sending the child to hospital sooner.

贝克太太真不会安慰人，她一面对失去孩子的母亲表示同情，一面却责怪她没有早点把孩子送进医院。

32、 Jonah: a person who brings bad luck

Jonah

Yahweh sent Jonah to tell the wicked people in Nineveh about their coming destruction. But Jonah

rose up to flee to Tarshish on a ship from the presence of Yahweh. Yahweh sent out a great wind

on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up. Then

the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They all said to each other, "Come, let us

cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on

Jonah. Jonah had to tell them the truth. Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him,

"What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?" For the sea grew more and more

tempestuous. He said to them, "Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm

for you; for I know that because of me this great tempest is on you." So they took up Jonah, and

threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up

Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Yahweh spoke to the fish,

and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land. So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh for Yahweh's

message.

e.g. He regarded Mike as his Jonah because he spoiled the whole matter at the critical moment.

33、 Jonah’s gourd: something with a very short life

Jonah went to Nineveh and told the inhabitants about God's coming punishment. All the people

were terrified. They repented and prayed for God's mercy. Yahweh agreed to forgive them, so

Jonah's words didn't come true. He was very unpleasant and went out of the city, and sat on the

east side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade, until he might

see what would become of the city. Yahweh prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah,

that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was

exceedingly glad because of the vine. But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it

chewed on the vine, so that it withered. It happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a

sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself

that he might die, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." God said to Jonah, "Is it right

for you to be angry about the vine?" He said, "I am right to be angry, even to death." Yahweh said,

"You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow;

which came up in a night, and perished in a night. Shouldn't I be concerned for Nineveh, that great

city, in which are more than one hu ndred twenty thousand persons who can't discern between

their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"

34、kick against the pricks 脚踢刺棒；自讨苦吃。unprofitable rebel or ask for trouble

该语源于《圣经·新约·使徒行传》（Bible, New Testament, Apostles）第9章第5节。

保罗（Paul）原名叫扫罗（Saul），本来信仰犹太教，还曾参加迫害基督徒的行动，当虔诚的基督徒司提反（Stephen）被石头砸死的时候，有人看见扫罗就在现场，他还挨家挨户地搜查基督徒，把他们从家里拖出来，送进监狱。一次，扫罗在去大马士革（Damascus）捉拿基督徒的路上，他看见从天上发出的光，就扑倒在地，只听一个声音对他说：“扫罗，扫罗，你为什么要迫害我？”扫罗忙问：“你是谁？”“我是受你迫害的耶稣，你用脚踢刺棒是难的（I am Jesus whom you persecuted, it is hard for you to kick against the pricks）。起来进城去吧，有人会告诉你该做什么。”扫罗从地上爬起来，眼睛什么也看不见，这时，一个人走上前来，把他领到大马士革。进城后，扫罗三天三夜不吃不喝，三天后，有一个人来看他，把手放在他头上对他说：“扫罗兄弟，主耶稣派我来，让你的眼睛恢复光明，让圣灵充满你的眼睛。”从此，扫罗信仰改变，开始相信耶稣，并受了洗（was baptised），取名为保罗。保罗外出宣扬耶稣，传播基督教，保罗是第一个在外国传播耶稣思想的人，他使基督教成为一种世界性的宗教。公元64年，在一次反基督教的动乱中，保罗为道殉难。

据此，英语里用“kick against the pricks”（脚踢刺棒）表示“自讨苦吃。”如：

1. In appealing the case again, you will just be kicking against the pricks.

你再去上诉，那简直是自讨苦吃。

2. It is wise for him to make good in his retreat instead of kicking against the pricks.

他安全撤出而不是以卵击石，这才是明智的。

35、land of Nod 挪得之地；睡乡。land of dreaming

After he killed his brother, Cain went out from Yahweh's presence, and dwelt in the land of Nod,

on the east of Eden. Later the English writer, Jonathan Swift used "going into the land of Nod" in

his work "Polite Conversation" to mean fall asleep.

e.g. I didn't want to wake him; he looked so peaceful and happy in the land of Nod.

该语源于《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament, Genesis）第4章第16节。

亚当（Adam）和夏娃（Eve）被上帝赶出伊甸园（Garden of Eden）后，生了两个儿子该隐（Cain）和亚伯（Abel），该隐因为嫉妒把弟弟亚伯杀了，上帝罚该隐背井离乡，该隐搬到伊甸园以东的挪亚之地（land of Nod）。在那里，该隐与妻子生了儿子。

英国讽刺小说家斯威夫特（Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745）在《彬彬有礼的谈话》（Polite

Conversation）中曾使用“going into the land of Nod”来表示“入睡”。后来，该语逐渐流行起来，“land of Nod”成为“睡乡”的代名词。如：

The book was so dull that it had him into the land of Nod in half an hour.

这本书枯燥无味，他看了还不到半小时就睡着了。

英国历史小说家司各特（Walter Scott, 1771-1832）在《米尔德西恩的监狱》（The Heart of

Midlothian）中有这样的描写：

“And d’ye ken, lass,” said Madge, “there’s queer things chanced since ye have been in the land of

Nod.”

（“你可知道，孩子。”梅吉说，“自你进入‘挪得之地’后，发生了许多古怪的事情。”）

36、lost sheep /stray lamb 迷途的羊；误入歧途的人；不务正业的人。

a person who goes astray and makes mistakes

Matthew18:12"What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray,

doesn't he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray? 18:13If

he finds it, most assuredly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have

not gone astray. 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these

little ones should perish.

e.g. Many people became lost sheep because their shepherd led them astray.

该语源于《圣经·新约全书·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament, Matthew）第18章第10-14节。

耶稣（Jesus Christ）在传教时讲了一个这样的比喻一个人有100只羊，其中一只丢失了，他撇下那99只，去寻那只迷失的羊（lost sheep），他到了那只羊一定很高兴，比他有那99只没有迷失的羊高兴多了。同样你们的天父不愿意任何一个微不足道的人迷失。

据此，英语里用“lost sheep”（迷途的羊）表示“误入歧途的人；不务正业的人。”如：

1. Many people became lost sheep because their shepherd led them astray.

许多人成了迷途知返的羔羊，因为领路人把他们引入歧途。

2. In a way we are stray lambs, for to err is human. So we constantly need guidance in our lives.

从某种意义上说我们都是迷途的羔羊，因为人犯过错，在所难免。免所以在我们一生中，经常需要指点。

美国幽默作家马克·吐温（Mark Twain, 1835-1910）在《哈克贝利·费恩》（The Adventures of

Huchkleberry Finn, 1884）中描写了好心的道格拉斯寡妇（Widow Douglas）收养了父亲是醉鬼的哈克贝利·费恩，想把他教育成一个体面的孩子，但哈克贝利·费恩受不了各种规矩，他逃了出来，对好朋友汤姆说：“寡妇女对我大哭一场，把我叫做一只迷途知返的羔羊，还叫我别的许多名称，不过，她绝对没有什么恶意

37、make bricks without straw 制无草之砖；做无米之炊；做非常困难的事。

do something without indispensable materials or conditions

该典故源于《圣经·旧约·出埃及记》（Bible, Old Testament，Exodus）第5章第7节。

上帝见以列人在埃及倍受奴役，就号召以列人摩西（Moses）带领以列人离开埃及。摩西请法老允许以列人去旷野祭祀上帝。法老不仅不同意，还责备他们有意旷工，就吩咐

监工：“你们不可照常把草给百姓做砖，呀叫他们自己去捡草。他们素常做砖的数目，你们你们仍旧向他们要，一点不可减少，因为他们是懒惰的，所以呼求说：‘容我们去祭祀我们的神。’你们要把更重的工作加在这些人身上，叫他们忙碌，不听虚假的言语。”以列人只好自己捡草制砖，但却完不成规定的任务。

“You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw

for themsselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made beofore. You

shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our

God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false

words.”

据此，人们用“make bricks without straw”（制无草之砖）表示“做无米之炊；做非常困难的事。”如：

1. John could not go to a library, and writing the report was a job of making bricks without straw.

约翰不能去图书馆，因此这篇报告是在缺乏资料的情况下写就的。

2. Sheila has lovely hair anyway. The best hairdresser in the world couldn’t do much with mine.

You can’t make bricks without straw.

希拉有一头漂亮的头发，而我就这几根稀疏的头发，全世界最高级的理发师也拿我没办法。

38、make light of 不理睬；不理会；不在乎。turn a deaf ear or not mind

Matthew22:2"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his

son, 22:3and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they

would not come. 22:4Again he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "Behold,

I have made ready my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come

to the marriage feast!"' 22:5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm,

another to his merchandise, 22:6and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully,

and killed them. 22:7 When the king heard that, he was angry, and he sent his armies, destroyed

those murderers, and burned their city.

该语源于《圣经·新约全书·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament, Matthew）第22章第5节。

耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）传教时用了一个比喻：天国好比一个国王为自己的儿子预备的婚宴，他派遣仆人催促他所邀请的客人来参加婚宴，可是他们不愿意来。国王再派遣另一批仆人去请，他们仍不理会（but they made light of it and went away…），甚至把仆人杀了。国王大为震怒，派兵去灭了他们并烧毁他们的城市。之后，国王吩咐仆人到大街上，把碰到的人无论好坏都请来赴宴，这样，喜堂里才坐满了客人。最后，耶稣说：“被邀请的人多，但被选上的人少！”

据此，英语里用“make light of”（不理睬）表示“不理会；不在乎。”如：

1. They made light of their handicaps.

他们对自己的不利条件并不在乎。

2. His rudeness was made light of by his wife when they were with others, but they argued

violently about it when alone.

别人在场时他妻子对他的粗鲁举止只当没看见，可夫妻俩私下里却为此大吵大闹。

39、new wine in old bottle 旧瓶装新酒；新事物用旧形式new content is limited by old form

Matthew9:17Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst,

and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and

both are preserved."

Jesus meant that the Gospel of Christianity was new wine and could not be poured into the old

bottle of Judaism.

《圣经·新约全书》（Bible, New Testament）中关于“new wine in old bottle”有两处记载，一处是在《马太福音》（Matthew）第9章第17节，另一处是在《路加福音》（Luke）第5章第33至39节，两处的记载都差不多，就让我们看看《马太福音》中是怎样记载的。

施洗约翰（John the Baptist）的门徒来问耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）：“我们和法利赛人（the

Pharisees，敌视耶稣的人）常常禁食（fast），你的门徒都不禁食，为什么呢？”耶稣回答：“新郎还在婚宴的时候，贺喜的客人会悲伤吗？当然不会。可是日子准到，新郎要从他们当中被带走，那时候就要进食了。”耶稣以这个比喻说明新旧法则之间的不协调性，不要老是用旧法规去看待新法则，“禁食”也要因时而异。

耶稣又讲了另一个比喻：“没有人拿新布去补旧衣服，因为小的补丁会扯破那衣服，使裂痕更大。也没有人拿新酒装在旧皮袋里。这样做的话，皮袋会胀破，酒漏掉，连皮袋也损坏了。要把新酒装在新皮袋里；那么，两样就都保全了。（”Neither do men put new wine into old bottles;

else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish; but they put new wine into

new bottles, and both are preserved.）

由耶稣的这两个比喻，人们就用new wine in old bottle来比喻“新的事物用旧形式”、“旧形式适当不了新内容”。请看例句：

1. The writer was merely putting new wine in old bottles.

这位作家只不过是把新酒装进旧瓶罢了。

2. New ideas need new measures. It won't do to put new wine in old bottles.

新建议需要新措施，不能穿新鞋走老路。

3. To put new wine in old bottles often does harm to literary creation.

用旧瓶装进新酒，常常有害于文学创作。

40、Noah's Ark 挪亚方舟；避难所；大难之中仅存的安全地。asylum, the only shelter in disasters

挪亚方舟（Noah's Ark）是大家比较熟悉的典故。据《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament,

Genesis）记载：该隐杀弟之后，人类开始不断地犯罪作恶，上帝后悔造人，决定以洪水灭世。上帝顾念义人挪亚，就吩咐挪亚造一只大船，这就是挪亚方舟。洪水来临时，挪亚一家人及其一些飞禽走兽都上了方舟，世界遭到了灭顶之灾。洪水逐渐退去，方舟搁浅在亚拉腊山（Mountains of Ararat），挪亚放出一只乌鸦（raven）去探听消息，负心的乌鸦一去不再复返，挪亚又放出一只鸽子（dove），不久，鸽子飞回来了，嘴里衔着一片刚从树上拧下的橄榄叶子（Olive leaf），挪亚由此判定地上的水已退。一片橄榄叶子表达了和平的信息，从此，鸽子和橄榄枝就成了和平的象征。挪亚一家人及其一些飞禽走兽因为躲在方舟里，才幸免于难，后来的人们就用“挪亚方舟”来比喻“避难所”、“大难之中仅存的安全地”。请看例句：

1. During the war,the little village became Noah's Arkfor the whole family.

战争中，这个小村庄成了这一家人的“避难所”。

2. He was on the black list and had to go abroad to stayin his uncle's home,which was the only

Noah's Ark.

他被列在黑名单上，只好出国，柱在他伯父家里，那是他唯一安全的地方。

41、pottage of lentiles 红豆汤；蝇头小利；因小失大。

try to save a little only to lose a lot (See the story between Esau and Jacob)

这则典故出自《圣经·旧约·创世纪》（Bible, Old Testament,Genesis）第25章34节。

犹太人祖先亚伯拉罕（Abraham）的儿子以撒（Issac）有一对孪生子：以扫（Esau）和雅各（Jacob）。以扫喜欢打猎，深得父亲的喜欢；雅各常帮母亲料理家务，所以母亲很喜欢他。有一次，雅各正在熬红豆汤（pottage of lentiles），以扫从外面回来，又饿又渴，就向雅各要红豆汤喝，雅各说：“你把长子权卖给我，我就给你汤喝。”饥渴难忍的以扫同意了，就这样，以扫因为一碗红豆汤而失去了长子权，因小失大。

据此，英语里用“pottage of lentiles”（红豆汤）表示“蝇头小利；因小失大。”如：

It was argued that by joining the Common Market Britain would be giving away her national

rights and advantage for a pottage of lentiles.

（有人争辩说，加入西欧共同市场英国将失去民族权利和优势，是因小失大。）

42、prodigal son 浪子；迷途知返的浪子。

an idle person or a person willing to correct their mistakes [It is from a parable told by Jesus]

据《圣经·新约·路加福音》（Bible, New Testament, Luke）第15章第11-32节记载：一个人有两个儿子，大儿子在家务农，小儿子带着分得的一份家业远走高飞，不久他就在外面挥霍一空，生活十分窘迫，于是他带着悔恨的心情回到家里。父亲远远就认出了自己的儿子，便跑上去，抱着他的脖子亲吻，并吩咐仆人把肥牛犊宰了。大儿子却生气，父亲对他说：“儿呀，你常和我同住，我一切所有的都是你的；只是你这个兄弟是死而复活，失而复得的，所以我们理当欢喜快乐。”

据此，英语里用“prodigal son”（浪子）表示“迷途知返的浪子。”如：

-- “They’ve got the painters in next door.”

-- “That’ll be for the return of the prodigal son. I hear that all is forgiven.”

——“他们已把油漆工叫到隔壁房间去了。”——“那是为了迎接浪子回头，我听说所有一切都被原谅了。

43、salt of the earth 世上的盐；高尚的人backbone elements in the society

e.g. An honest, hard-working man is the salt of the earth.

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（The Bible, New Testament, Matthew）第五章记载：耶稣·基督（Jesus

Christ）接受了施洗者约翰（John the Baptist）的施洗以后，抵挡住了魔鬼撒旦（Satan）的种种诱惑，初收门徒，开始一边传教，一边给人治病，医治好了许多疑难病症，名声大振，跟从他的人逐渐增多，他从中挑选了十二门徒。耶稣登上一座山，门徒和众人都随他上山，听他传道。

耶稣对门徒说：“你们是世上的盐，盐若失去了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？（Ye are the salt of the

earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?）以后无用，不过丢在外面，被人践踏了。”耶稣的这一番话，是鼓励门徒要充分发挥他们的骨干作用，用心传教，否则，就象失去咸味的盐，再也不能发挥作用了。

在四方，古时候，盐非常难得，“物以稀为贵”，盐就显得特别珍贵，用盐款待朋友被看成是最高的礼遇，吃了某人的盐（eat sb's salt）意味着“在某人处做客；受到某人款待”。同客人一块用餐时，盐罐放在餐桌中间，客人坐在盐罐上首（above the salt），离主人近，视为贵宾；因此above the salt指在上席，尊为上宾；普通客人往往坐在盐罐的下首（below the salt），离主人远，是末座，因而below the salt指居下席，屈为末座。

由此可见，为什么耶稣把他的门徒喻作“盐”，“世上的盐”（salt of the earth），其中earth 指人类，salt表示象往食品中加盐一样，人类社会的精华赋予人类生活最伟大的价值，因而salt

of the earth指“社会精华，最优秀的人，最高尚的人。”

请看例句：

1. An honest, hard-working man is the salt of the earth.

诚实而勤劳的人才是社会的中坚分子。

2. We no longer accept these country gentlemen as the salt of the earth..

我们再也不承认这些乡绅为社会中坚分子。

44、separate the sheep from the goats 区分绵羊和山羊；区分好人和坏人

distinguish unqualified persons from qualified ones

Matthew 25:31But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then

he will sit on the throne of his glory. 25:32Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will

separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33He will

set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

e.g. The exams at the end of the first year usually separate the sheep from the goat.

在以耕作业为主的中国，绵羊和山羊除了本身的特点外，并没有寓意上的联想，没有什么文化内涵；但在以游牧业为主的西方各国，人们对绵羊和山羊的喜恶可就非常明显，绵羊（sheep）能提供羊毛，换来财富，而且性格温顺，受人偏爱，是温和、纯洁和天真无邪的象征。虽然山羊也提供羊奶、羊肉、羊皮等多种有用的东西，但因其性情好动，尾部散发恶臭，常用来指劣等人、劣质物、鬼等，在英语中，get sb's goat指使人恼怒，挫伤某人，嘲弄某人；play the giddy goat指做傻瓜；干蠢事，胡闹。在《圣经》里，信奉上帝的人被称作sheep，耶稣·基督被称为“上帝的羔羊”（lamb of God），耶稣又是牧羊人（shepherd），他带领着迷途的羔羊（lost sheep）跟从上帝。

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament，Matthew）第25章第31至41节记载，在最后的审判（the Final Judgement）来临时，“人子（Son of Man指耶稣·基督）作王，天使跟他一齐来临，他要坐在荣耀的宝座上；地上万民都要聚集在他面前。他要把他们分为两，好像牧羊人从山羊中把绵羊分别出来一样。（And before him shall be gathered all nations; and

he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.）他要把绵羊放在右边，山羊放在左边。然后，王要对在他右边的人说：‘蒙我父亲赐福的人哪，你们来吧！来承受从创世以来就为你们预备的国度。……’然后，王要对在他左边的人说：‘走开！受上帝诅咒的人哪，你们离开我吧！进到那为魔鬼和他的爪牙所预备永不熄灭的火里去！……’”

由此，在英语中出现了一个成语separate the sheep from the goats，指明辨好坏，区分好人和坏人，请看例句：

1. The need for workers was so keen that the employer did not take the time to separate the

sheep from the goats.

由于急迫需要工人，雇主没有时间进行挑选。

2. This examination is intended to separate the sheep from the goats.

这次考试要区分程度的高低。

45、shake the dust from one's feet 抖掉脚上的尘土；愤然离去leave angrily or without any regret

Matthew

Whoever doesn't receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake

off the dust from your feet. Most assuredly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of

Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

e.g. If he wants me to work for him, I'll jump at it! I'll be glad to shake the dust off this small town

off my feet.

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament，Matthew）第10章第1至15节记载：耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）把他的12门徒（Apostles）召集在一起，赐给他们驱鬼、治病的能力，要他们到各地去宣讲福音，传播上帝的道。临行前，耶稣吩咐道：“不要到外邦人的地区，也不要进撒马利亚（Samaritan）的城市。你们要到以列人那些迷失的羔羊那里去，所到的地方要宣讲：天国快实现了！你们要医治病人……钱袋里不要带金、银、铜币；……你们无论进哪一城，哪一村，都要打听那里谁是好人，就住在他家……凡不接待你们，不听你们话的人，你们离开那家或是那城的时候，就把脚上的尘土跺下去。（And whosever shall not

receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of

your feet.）我实在告诉你们，在审判的日子，所多玛和蛾摩拉（Sodom and Gomorrah因罪孽深重而被上帝降下硫磺和火所灭）所遭受的惩法比那些地方所受的要轻些呢！”

据说，古代西方人与朋友决裂，怒气冲冲地走出房门，不仅要“摔门而去”，还要在房门口使劲“跺跺脚”，，表示连一粒尘土也不愿带走。耶稣也说的“把脚上的尘土跺下去”也表达了相同的意思，即与哪些“不接待你们，不听你们话的人”要“彻底决裂，断绝关系”、“轻蔑地离去”，那些人将会收到上帝的惩法，比所得码和蛾摩拉所受的惩罚还要重。后来，在英语中，人们用shake the dust off one's feet表示“愤然离去”、“轻蔑地离开”，请看例句：

1. Shaking the dust of that alien land off his feet, he returned to his homeland.

他愤然离开那异乡客地，回到了祖国。

2. I had lived in the town for four months and made no friends, so I decided to shake the dust off

my feet and look for a job somewhere else.

我在这个城里已经住了4个月，但是一个朋友也没交上，因此，我决定离开这个城市，到别的地方个工作住下。

46、Sodom and Gomorrah: sinful places, the origin of sins

47、Spare the rod and spoil the child. 惜了棍棒，害了儿女；孩子不打不成器。spoil the child

Proverbs 13:24 One who spares the rod hates his son, /But one who loves him is careful to

discipline him.

e.g. The British poet Samuel Butler, in his Hudibras, wrote that "Spare the rod and spoil the

child."

《圣经·旧约·箴言》（Bible, Old Testament，Proverbs）通过一系列箴言（proverbs）陈述了一些道德和宗教方面的教义，但她不只是一部说教书，而且还是关于人的行为规范的书，下面这些箴言都来自《箴言》：不以外貌取人；白白地得来，也要白白地舍去；不要为明天忧虑，因为明天自有明天的忧虑；智慧人的眼目光明；愚昧人在黑暗里行；吃素菜，彼此相爱，强如吃肥牛，彼此相恨；相近的邻舍，强如远方的兄弟。

除此之外，《箴言》第13章第24节是关于怎样调教孩子的，上面说：“He that spareth his

rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes”，即“不忍用杖打儿子的，是恨恶他；疼爱儿子的随时管教。”由此出现一句箴言：Spare the rod and spoil the child.即惜了棍棒，害了儿女；不管不成器，棒头底出孝子。现实生活中，就有一些人，笃信这条“真理”，“不打不成器”，在教育孩子的问题要么狠打狠骂，要么放之任流，其实，这曲解了《圣经》所要表达的含义。《圣经》里这一句话的意思就是：要随时管教好孩子，不可放任自流。这里的rod并非指真的“棍棒”，只是表示“严厉的管教”。凡事不要操之过急，教育孩子需要时间，需要选择方式，更需要言传身教。

请看例句：

1. He believed in sparing the rod and spoiling the child, but his son left home alone and never

came back.

他相信“棒头底下出孝子”，但他儿子却离家出走，再也没有回来。

2. The real meaning of the proverb spare the rod spoil the child is that if you don't punish your son,

you don't love him; if you do love him, you will correct him.

谚语“孩子不打不成器”的真正含义是：不管教孩子就是不爱他，如果你爱他，你要管教他。

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak 。

48、心灵固然愿意，肉体却软弱；心有余而力不足ability not equal to one’s ambition

Matthew

After the last supper, Jesus went to pray. When he came to the disciples, he found them sleeping,

and said to Peter, "What, couldn't you watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray, that you don't

enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

e.g. I wish I could stop drinking, and the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament，Matthew）第26章第36至46节记载： 耶稣·基督（Jesus Christ）在与12门徒共进最后的晚餐（Last Supper）之后，他们唱了诗，往橄榄山（the Mount of Olives）去，来到客西马尼园（Gethsemane），耶稣对门徒说：“你们坐在这里，等我祷告。”于是带着彼得（Peter）、雅各（Jacob）和约翰（John）同去。预感到自己将死，耶稣心里非常难过，他对三个门徒说：“我心里难过得要命，你们在这里，等候警醒。”耶稣稍往前走，俯伏在地，祷告上帝。等他回到三个门徒那里，发现他们都睡着了，就对彼得说：“你们不能跟我一起警醒一个钟头吗？要警醒祷告，免得陷入迷惑。你们心灵固然愿意，肉体却是软弱的。（And he (Jesus) cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep,

and saith unto Peter, what, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not

into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.）”

当耶稣第三次祷告回来，见他们仍然睡着，就对他们说：“现在你们仍然睡觉安歇吧。时候到了，人子（Son of Man指耶稣自己）被卖在罪人手里了。起来，我们走吧。看哪，卖我的人近了！”

在英语中，人们用“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”来表示“心有余而力不足”、“力不从心”，有时候，“the spirit is willing”和“the flesh is weak”可以单独使用。请看例句：

1. Sorry I can not give you the job. To tell you the truth, I am not the one who have the last

word. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

对不起，我不能给你这份工作。实话告诉你吧，这里不是我说了算，我这可真是力不从心哪。

2. I wish I could stop smoking; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

但愿我能把烟戒掉，可是，思想上愿意，嘴巴跟不上。

49、still small voice 微弱的声音；良心的呼声。voice from the conscience

Kings

The King of Israel, Ahab, married a very licentious and cruel woman, Jjezebel, who worshipped

the God of Baalim. In order to please her, Ahab built a temple for Baalim. They maltreated people

and did a lot of evil things. Elijah accused Ahab under Yahweh's instruction and killed the prophet

of Baalim. Jezebel hated him and swore to kill him, and Elijah had to flee. He hid himself in a

cave. Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the

rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but

Yahweh was not in the earthquake: 19:12and after the earthquake a fire; but Yahweh was not in

the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. At this sound, Elijah knew that Yahweh was there, so

he told Him the whole thing.

该语源于《圣经·旧约·列王传记》（Bible, Old Testament，Kings）第19章第1-18节。

以列王亚哈（Ahab）娶了狠毒的女人耶洗别（）为王后，她崇拜巴力神，亚哈为讨她的欢心，建了巴力神庙。而且他们还违背上帝的旨意，虐待百姓，为所欲为。先知以利亚（）奉上帝之命斥责亚哈王，并且率众杀死了巴力的先知。耶洗别痛恨以利亚，想方设法杀死他，以利亚被迫四处逃命。以利亚躲到一个山洞里，上帝从这里经过，顿时狂风大作，山崩石裂，上帝却不在风中。风后地震，上帝不在其中。地震后有火，上帝也不在其中，或后有微小的声音（And after the earthquake afire, but the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire a stll small

voice.）。听着这微小的声音，以利亚知道上帝在此，便向他讲述情由。

据此，英语里用“still small voice”（微弱的声音）用表示“良心的呼声。”如：

Everyone was encouaging me to hit him, but a still small voice warned me not to.

人人都怂恿我去揍他，但我的良心警告我不要这样做。

英国小说家史蒂文生（Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894）在《失事船只》（The Wrecker）中有这样的描写：

Of course, I am wholly modern in sentiment, and think nothing more noble than to publish

people’s private afffais at so much a line. They like it and if they don’t, they ought to. But a stll

small voice keeps telling me they will not like it always, and perhaps not always stand it.

（当然，我在思想感情方面是完全现代化的，所以我认为写文章揭露人家的隐私，每行取得若干稿费是高尚的事情。他们对此表示欢迎，如果不喜欢也应该喜欢。但我的良心一直在告诉我，他们不会永远欢迎这个，甚至不会永远容忍这个。）

50、tower of Babel巴别塔；空中楼阁；空想的计划。castles in the air

该语源于《圣经·旧约·创世纪》(Bible, Old Testament,Genesis）第11章第1～9节。

上帝用洪水灭世以后，幸存者诺亚（Noah）的子孙在地球上繁衍生息，人们都使用同一种语言。后来，人们往东迁移时，在示拿（Shinar）见到一片平原，就住下来，他们说：“让我们建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天，为要传扬我们的名，免得我们分散在大地上。”于是人们开始热火朝天地干起来，塔越盖越高，塔顶直冲云霄。上帝对天使们说：“看哪，他们成为一样的人民，都用一样的语言，如今既做起这事来，以后他们要做的事就没有不成功的了。我们下去，在那里变乱他们的口音，使他们的语言彼此不通。”于是，建塔的人们语言不通，彼此无法沟通，只好停工，各自离去。那没有建成的塔就叫“巴别塔（tower of B

abel）”，在希伯来语中是“变乱”的意思。

现在，人们用“tower of Babel”（巴别塔）表示“空中楼阁；空想的计划”。如：

1. He is more fond of empty talk than solid work, so all his plans are the tower of Babel.

他这人只爱空谈，不喜欢干实事，所以他的计划全都落空了。

must give up your plan to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar. It is but the tower of Babel.

你一定要放弃游过直布罗陀海峡，那是不可能实现的。

51、voice (crying)in the wilderness 旷野里的呼声；无人响应的号召；无人理睬的改革者主张。 reformer without any support; call without response

Isaiah 40:3The voice of one who cries, Prepare you in the wilderness the way of Yahweh; make

level in the desert a highway for our God. 40:4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain

and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain:

40:5and the glory of Yahweh shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of

Yahweh has spoken it. This is the voice of John, the Baptist, who preached repentance.

e.g. He was a man who had some excellent ideas, but other men had greater influence in the

company and he was just a voice crying in the wilderness.

据《圣经·旧约·以赛亚书》（Bible, Old Testament,Isaiah）第40章第3～5节记载，上帝对先知以赛亚（Isaiah）说：“安抚我的子民，鼓励耶路撒冷民众，告诉他们，他们为犯下的罪已受到了惩罚，现在罪已经被赦免。”于是，在旷野里有人喊道：“预备好耶和华的路，在沙漠地为我们的主修建笔直的大道。一切山洼都要填满，大小山冈都要削平；崎岖不平之地要变成平原……”（The voice of one in the wilderness, “Prepare the road of the lord; make straight in

the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill

brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth”）

据此，英语里用“voice（crying）in the wilderness”（旷野里的呼声用）表示“无人响应的号召；无人理睬的改革者”。如：

1. Mr. Hopkins is used to the view of others and chases the wind and catches at shadows in doing

things, so he is the voice in the wilderness.

霍普金斯先生习惯于人云亦云，办起事来捕风捉影，所以他的主张没人相信。

2. He was a man who has some excellent ideas, but other men had greater influence in the

company and he was just a voice crying in the wilderness.

他有一些很好的主张，但在公司里别人更有势力，所以他的主张是不受重视的

52、wash one's hands of: 洗手；洗手不干。break relationship with sth.; no longer do sth.

据《圣经·新约·马太福音》（Bible, New Testament，Matthew）第27章记载：耶稣·基督（Jesus

Christ）被捕后，所有的祭祀长（chief priests）们和犹太人的长老商议，要处死耶稣，他们把耶稣绑起来，解交罗马总督（the Roman governor）彼拉多（Pilate）。每逢逾越节（the

Passover），总督照惯例为众释放一个他们所要的囚犯，刚好有一个出名的囚犯叫耶稣·巴拉巴（Jesus Barabbas），彼拉多开庭审断的时候，他的夫人派人来告诉他说：“那无辜者的事，你不要管，因为我昨晚梦中为他吃尽苦头。”彼拉多本来认为耶稣·基督没有什么罪，就想释放他，但祭祀长和长老唆使众人叫嚷一定要除掉基督。彼拉多问众人：“这两个耶稣，你们要释放哪一个呢？”他们回答：“巴拉巴！”彼拉多又问：“那么，我该怎样处理那为基督的耶稣呢？”他们都喊：“把他钉十字架！”彼拉多问：“他做了什么坏事呢？”他们更大声喊叫：“把他钉十字架！”彼拉多看那情形，知道再说也没有用，反而可能激起，就拿水在众人面前洗手，说：“流这个人的血，罪不在我，你们自己承担吧！”（he took some water, washed his

hands in front of the crowed, and said, "I'm not responsible for the death of this man! This is your

doing!"）众人异口同声地说：“这个人的血债由我们和我们的子孙承担！”彼拉多只好释放耶稣·巴拉巴，又命令把耶稣·基督鞭打了，然后交给人去钉十字架。

由此可见，“wash sb's hand”表面意思是“洗手”，深层意思是“对某事不再负责”，此外，它还表示“洗手不干某事”、“不再管某人或某事”、“和……断绝关系”。请看例句：

1. He washed his hands of the schemers.

他与那些阴谋家断绝关系了。

2. The lawyer washed his hands of the entire case as the client still refused to cooperate.

由于当事人仍然拒绝合作，律师干脆撒手不管这个案子了。

3. Harrison washed his hands of politics five years ago.

哈里森五年前就脱离政界了。

Helen of Troy 直译“特洛伊的海伦”，源自源自荷马史诗Iliad中的希腊神话故事。

Helen是希腊的绝世佳人，美艳无比，嫁给希腊南部邦城斯巴达国王墨涅俄斯（Menelaus）为妻。后来，特洛伊王子帕里斯奉命出事希腊，在斯巴达国王那里做客，他在爱与美之神阿芙罗狄蒂的帮助下，趁着墨涅俄斯外出之际，诱走海伦，还带走了很多财宝

此事激起了希腊各部族的公愤，墨涅俄斯发誓说，宁死也要夺回海轮，报仇雪恨。为此，在希腊各城邦英雄的赞助下，调集十万大军和1180条战船，组成了希腊联军，公推墨涅俄斯的哥哥阿枷门农（Agamemnon）为联军统帅，浩浩荡荡，跨海东征，攻打特洛伊城，企图用武力夺回海轮。双方大战10年，死伤无数，许多英雄战死在沙场。甚至连奥林匹斯山的众神也分成2个阵营，有些支持希腊人，有些帮助特洛伊人，，彼此展开了一场持久的恶斗。最后希腊联军采用足智多谋的奥德修斯（Odusseus）的“木马计”，里应外合才攻陷了特洛伊。希腊人进城后，大肆杀戮，帕里斯王子也被杀死，特洛伊的妇女、儿童全部沦为奴隶。特洛伊城被掠夺一空，烧成了一片灰烬。战争结实后，希腊将士带着大量战利品回到希腊，墨涅俄斯抢回了美貌的海轮重返故土。这就是特洛伊战争的起因和结局。正是由于海轮，使特洛伊遭到毁灭的悲剧，真所谓“倾国倾城”，由此产生了Helen of Troy这个成语。

特洛伊战争的真实性，已为19世纪德国考古学家谢里曼在迈锡尼发掘和考证古代特洛伊古城废墟所证实。至于特洛伊城被毁的真正原因，虽然众说纷纭，但肯定决不是为了一个美女而爆发这场战争的，与其说是为了争夺海轮而打了起来，毋宁说是为了争夺该地区的商业霸权和抢劫财宝而引起战争的。所谓“特洛伊的海伦”，实质上是财富和商业霸权的化身。中国历史上也有过“妲己亡商”，“西施沼吴”等传说，以及唐明皇因宠杨贵妃而招致“安史之乱”，吴三桂“冲冠一怒为红颜”等说法。汉语中有个“倾国倾城”的成语（语出《汉书·外戚传》：“一顾倾人城，再顾倾人国‘。）这里的”倾“字一语双光，既可指美艳非凡，令人倾倒；也可纸倾覆邦国。其含义与Helen of troy十分近似。

在现代英语中，Helen of Troy这个成语，除了表示a beautiful girl or woman；a beauty who ruins

her country等意义外，还可以用来表示a terrible disaster brought by sb or sth you like best的意思。

g：It is unfair that historians always attribute the fall of kingdoms to Helen of Troy.

She didn't think of the beautiful umbrella bought the day before should become a Helen of Troy in

her e of this she and her husband quarreled for a long time.

To meet Waterloo（倒霉，受毁灭性打击，灭顶之灾）

滑铁卢是一代天骄拿破仑遭受残败的地方。遭遇滑铁卢，对一个人来说，后果不堪设想。无怪据说二战期间，在准备诺曼底反攻时，温斯顿·丘吉尔和随员冒雨去某地开会，其随员因路滑而摔了一跤，脱口说一句“To meet Waterloo！”丘吉尔竟联想到拿破仑兵败滑铁卢的典故，恼怒地斥责他：“胡说！我要去凯旋门呢！”

It's Greek to me．（我不知道）

英国人一般都不懂希腊语。这句话的直译是：对于我这是希腊语。自然是不明白的意思。

Greek Kalends（幽默，诙谐方式表达的永远不）

Kalends是罗马日历的第一天。古希腊不用罗马日历，永远不会有这一天。

Castle in Spain（西班牙城堡，幻想，梦想。相当于汉语中的空中楼阁）

中世纪某一时期，西班牙是一个颇富浪漫彩的国家，这句成语是和Castle in air（空中城堡）相齐名的。

Set the Thames on fire（火烧泰晤士河，这是何等伟大的壮举）

但是这句成语经常是反其义应用，指那些人对某事只是夸下海口，而不是真正想去做。

From China to Peru（从中国到秘鲁）

它的意义非常明白，指从世界的这一边到世界的那一边，相当于汉语的远隔重洋。

Between Scylla and Charybdis（锡拉和卡津布迪斯之间———在两个同样危险的事物之间：一个人逃出一种危险，而又落入另一种危险）

锡拉是传说中生活在意大利岩石的怪兽，卡津布迪斯是住在海峡中一端经常产生旋涡的另一个怪兽。水手为了躲避其中一个的危害，而常又落入另一个灾难。意大利这一方的海角叫凯尼斯（Caenys），西西里岛那一方的海角叫皮罗鲁姆（Pelorum）。

Spoil Egyptians（掠夺埃及———迫使敌人提供自己所需要的东西）

源于圣经：上帝答应摩西，埃及人必须借给以列他们所需要的东西。

Do in Rome as Romans Do（在罗马，就按罗马人的方式办）

和我们的入乡随俗的意思一样。

Carry Coals to Newcastle（把煤送到纽卡斯尔）

把某种东西送到一个人们根本不需要的地方。纽卡斯尔盛产煤，送煤到那里，岂不是多此一举。有趣的是法国也有类似的成语“del'eau a la riviere（送水到大河里）。”

A Penelope's Web亦作The Web of Penelope故意拖延的策略；永远做不完的工作

A Penelope's Web或The Web of Penelope，直译为“珀涅罗珀的织物”，典故出自荷马史诗《奥德赛》卷2.

这部史诗的主人公奥德修斯是希腊半岛西南边伊大卡岛（Ithaca）的国王，他有个美丽而忠诚的旗子，名叫珀涅罗珀。奥德修斯随希腊联军远征特洛伊，十年苦战结束后，希腊将士纷

纷凯旋归国。惟独奥德修斯命运坎坷，归途中又在海上漂泊了10年，历尽无数艰险，并盛传他已葬身鱼腹，或者客死异域。正当他在外流浪的最后三年间，有一百多个来自各地的王孙公子，聚集在他家里，向他的妻子求婚。坚贞不渝的珀涅罗珀为了摆脱求婚者的纠缠，想出个缓宾之策，她宣称等她为公公织完一匹做寿衣的布料后，就改嫁给他们中的一个。于是，她白天织这匹布，夜晚又在火炬光下把它拆掉。就这样织了又拆，拆了又织，没完没了，拖延时间，等待丈夫归来。后来，奥德修斯终于回转家园，夫妻儿子合力把那些在他家里宴饮作乐，胡作非为的求婚者一个个杀死，终于夫妻团圆了。

由于这个故事，英语中的Penelope一词成了a chaste woman（贞妇）的同义词，并产生了with a penelope faith（坚贞不渝）这个短语。而A Penelope's Web这个成语比喻the tactics of

delaying sth on purposel；the task that can never be finished的意思

eg：Mr Jones made a long speech at the ne else thought it a Penelope's web.

My work is something like the Penelope's web，never done，but ever in hand.

Swan Song最后杰作；绝笔

Swan Song字面译做“天鹅之歌”，源于希腊成语Kykneion asma.

天鹅，我国古代叫鹄，是一种形状似鹅而体形较大的稀有珍禽，栖息于海滨湖畔，能游善飞，全身白。因此，英语成语black swan，用以比喻稀有罕见的人或物，类似汉语成语“凤毛麟角”之意。

在古希腊神话中，（Apollo）是太阳神、光明之神，由于他多才多艺，又是诗歌与音乐之神，后世奉他为文艺的保护神。天鹅是的神鸟，故常用来比喻文艺。传说天鹅平素不唱歌，而在它死前，必引颈长鸣，高歌一曲，其歌声哀婉动听，感人肺腑。这是它一生中唯一的，也是最后的一次唱歌。因此，西方各国就用这个典故来比喻某诗人，作家，作曲家临终前的一部杰作，或者是某个演员，歌唱家的最后一次表演。即a last or farewell

appearance；the last work before death之意；偶尔也可指某中最后残余的东西。

Swan Song是个古老的成语，源远流长。早在公元前6世纪的古希腊寓言作家伊索（Aisopos）的寓言故事中，就有“天鹅临死才唱歌”的说法。古罗马政治家、作家西塞罗（Cicero，公元前106-前43）在其《德斯肯伦别墅哲学谈》等论文中，就使用了“天鹅之歌”来比喻临死哀歌。在英国，乔叟，莎士比亚等伟大诗人、剧作家，都使用过这个成语典故。如：莎翁的著名悲剧《奥噻罗》（othello）中塑造的爱米莉霞的形象，她在生死关头勇敢得站出来揭穿其丈夫的罪行。她临死时把自己比做天鹅，一生只唱最后一次歌。

eg：All the tickets have been sold for the singer's performance in London this week——the public

clearly believes that this will be her swan song

The Tempest was peare's swan song in 1612 .

/Gain Laurels获得荣誉；赢得声望

Look to One's Laurels爱惜名声；保持记录

Rest on One's Laurels坐享清福；光吃老本

Laurel（月桂树）是一种可供观赏的常绿乔木，树叶互生，披针形或者长椭圆形，光滑发亮；花带黄，伞形花序。laurels指用月桂树叶编成的“桂冠”。古代希腊人和罗马人用月桂树的树叶编成冠冕，献给杰出的诗人或体育竞技的优胜者，作为奖赏，以表尊崇。这种风尚渐渐传遍整个欧洲，于是laurels代表victory，success和distincion.

欧洲人这种习俗源远流长，可上朔到古希腊神话。相传河神珀纳斯（Peneus）的女儿达佛涅（Daphne）长的风姿卓约，艳丽非凡。太阳神为她的美所倾倒，热烈追求她，但达佛涅自有所爱，总是逃避权利很大的太阳神的追求。一天，他俩在河边相遇，达佛涅一见，拔腿就跑，在后边穷追不舍，达佛涅跑得疲乏不堪，情急之下只好请她父亲把她变成一株月桂树。非常感伤，无限深情地表示：“愿你的枝叶四季长青，装饰我的头，装饰我的琴，让你成为最高荣誉的象征”。他小心得将这株月桂树移植到自己神庙旁边，朝夕相处，并取其枝叶遍成花冠戴在头上，以表示对达佛涅的倾慕和怀念。

因此，古希腊人把月桂树看做是的神木，称为“的月桂树”（The Laurel of

Apollo）。起先，他们用月桂枝叶编成冠冕，授予在祭祀太阳神的节目赛跑中的优胜者。后来在奥林匹亚（Olympia）举行的体育竞技中，他们用桂冠赠给竞技的优胜者。从此世代相传，后世欧洲人以“桂冠”作为光荣的称号。

由于是主管光明。青春。音乐和诗歌之神，欧洲人又把源自“的月桂树”的桂冠，献给最有才华的诗人，称“桂冠诗人”。第一位著名的“桂冠诗人”就是欧洲文艺复兴时期人文主义的先驱者。意大利诗人彼特拉克（Francesco Petrarch，1304-1374）。他的代表作<抒情诗集>，全部为14行诗体，系诗人献给他心中的女神劳拉的情诗（彼特拉克喜欢了劳拉一辈子，但是劳拉从来都不知道），抒发他对恋人的爱情，描写大自然的景，渴望祖国的统一。这部被称为西方“诗三百'的诗集，虽不能与我国古代<诗经>相提并论，但不失为世界文学的瑰宝。

中古时代英国的大学，也曾授予过“桂冠诗人”的称好，但是这只是一种荣誉称号，而非目前含义的类似职务，学衔的专用名称。

作为专名的“桂冠诗人”（The Poet Laureate，也称The Laureate），系英国王室赐予御用诗人的专用称号，从17世纪英皇詹姆士一世（James I，1566-1625）开始，延续到现在，已历三个世纪了。凡获得“桂冠诗人”称号者，可领取宫廷津贴，每遇到王室喜庆或官方盛典时，都要写作应景诗以点缀和宣扬喜庆事件，歌功颂德，粉饰升平。17世纪，在英国被封为第一位“桂冠诗人”的是约翰·德莱顿（John Dryden，1631-1700），他一生为贵族写作，美化君主制度，不过他创造的“英语偶句诗体”，成为英国诗歌的主要形式之一。从1670到1972这三百年间，英国王室相继封了17位“桂冠诗人”年限最长的是19实际的浪漫诗人阿弗里德·丁尼生（Alfred Tennyson，1809-1892），他从1850年获得这个称号一直到逝世，长达42年，算是“终身桂冠诗人”了。英国最近的“桂冠诗人”是约翰·本杰明（John Benjamin）。其实，所谓“桂冠诗人”大部分是徒具虚名的，在英国文学史上享有盛名者极少；就象中国封建时代的“钦点状元”，从公元960到1904（清关绪30年最后一届科举止）近1000年，

历代状元341名，在中国文学史上著名的寥寥无几。

eg：Shakespeare won laurels in the dramatic world.

The student gained laurels on the football field，as well as in his studies.

Tom won the broad jump，but he had to look to his laurels Getting an A in chemistry almosst cause

Mike to rest on his laurels

the Rose秘密地；私下得；暗中

Under the rose直译“在玫瑰花底下”，而实际上却表示in secret； privately confidentially的意义，语言外壳与内涵，似乎风马牛不相及。它源自古罗马的神话故事和欧洲的风尚。

罗马神话中的小爱神丘比特（Cupid），也称希腊神话里的厄洛斯（Eros），在文艺作品中以背上长着双翼的小男孩的形象出现，常携带弓箭在天空中遨游，谁中了他的金箭就会产生爱情。丘比特是战神玛斯（Mars）和爱与美之神维纳斯（venus）所生的儿子。维纳斯，也就是希腊神话里的阿芙罗狄蒂（Aphrodite），传说她是从大海的泡沫里生出来，以美丽著称，从宙斯到奥林匹帕斯的诸神都为起美貌姿容所倾倒。有关她的恋爱传说很多，欧洲很多文艺作品常用维纳斯做题材。小爱神丘比特为了维护其母的声誉，给沉默之神哈伯克拉底（Harpocrates）送了一束玫瑰花，请他守口如瓶不要把维纳斯的风流韵事传播出去。哈伯克拉底受了玫瑰花就缄默不语了，成为名副其实的“沉默之神”

古罗马人对维纳斯非常尊崇，不仅奉为掌管人类的爱情。婚姻。生育的爱与美的神，而且尊为丰收女神。园艺女神。罗马的统治者恺撒大帝甚至追搠维纳斯是罗马人的祖先。由于上述神话传说，古罗马人把玫瑰花当作沉没或严守秘密的象征，并在日常生活中相尚成风。人们去串门做客，当看到主人家的桌子上方画有玫瑰，客人就了解在这桌上所谈的一切行为均不应外传。于是在语言中产生了Sub rosa在玫瑰花底下这个拉丁成语。 据<牛津英语词典>解释，英语under the rose系源自德语unter der Rosen. 古代德国的宴会厅。会议室以及旅店的餐室，在天花板上常画有或雕刻着玫瑰花，用来提醒在场者要守口如瓶，严守秘密，不要把玫瑰花底下的言行透露出去。这个流行于15至17世纪的德语成语反映了这种习俗。

罗马帝国全盛时，其势力几乎席卷了整个欧洲，罗马某些文化风尚也随着他的军事力量渗透到欧洲各国。因此，以玫瑰花象征沉默的习俗，并不限于德国……

under the rose 是个状语性成语，在句中修饰动词，其含义因所修饰的动词的不同而略有不同。如：born under the rose“私生的”“非婚生的”；do under the rose“暗中进行”

eg：The senator told me under the rose that there is to be a chance in the cabinet.

The matter was finally settled under the rose.

Do what you like undeer the rose，but don't give a sign of what you're about……

Augean Stable（s）肮脏的地方；藏垢纳秽之所；积弊

The Augean Stable（s）直译“奥吉亚斯的牛圈”，源自古希腊神话中关于赫拉克勒斯的英雄传说。

奥吉亚斯（Augeas）是古希腊西部厄利斯（Elis）的国王。他有一个极大的牛圈，里面养了2000头年（一说3000匹马），30年来未清扫过，粪秽堆积如山，十分肮脏。因此，the Augean

stable=very dirty place.

古希腊神话中的英雄赫拉克勒斯（Heracles），亦称海格立斯（Hercules），是宙斯同底比斯国王之女阿尔克墨涅所生的儿子，自幼在名师的传授下，学会了各种武艺和技能，神勇无敌，成为遐迩闻名的大力士。他因受到心胸狭窄的天后赫拉的迫害，不得不替迈锡尼国王欧律斯透斯服役十几年。赫拉克勒斯拒绝了“恶德”女神要他走享乐道路的诱惑，而听从了“美德”女神的忠告，决心在逆境中不畏艰险，为民除害造福。他在十二年中完成了12项英勇业绩，其中之一就是在一天之内将奥吉亚斯的牛圈打扫干净。赫拉克勒斯先在牛圈的一端挖了深沟，引来附近的阿尔裴斯河和珀涅俄斯河的喝水灌入牛圈，而在另一端开一出口，使喝水流经牛圈，借用水利冲洗积粪。这样，他在一夜之间将30年没有打扫过的肮脏不堪的牛圈，打扫的干干净净。奥吉亚斯曾许诺事成之后把牛的十分之一给赫拉克勒斯，作为劳动报酬，后来当他获悉赫拉克勒斯是奉欧律斯透斯之命来完成这项任务的，竟自食其果，于是被赫拉克勒斯杀死

这个神话传说反映了古代人民苦干加巧干的精神，体现了人类征服自然的力量和智慧。伟大的革命导师马克思、恩格斯、列宁、斯大林在他们的著作中，多次引用够这个典故。在马列主义经典中，这个成语有时译为“肮脏的马厩”，有时译为“奥吉亚斯的牛圈”。在这里，stable除了泛指地点外，还可代表某些不良的制度，下流的习俗和恶劣的作风等等。由此，人们用the Augean stable这个成语来比喻非常的地方或长期形成的积弊。它常比to clean，to cleanse，to reform等动词连用，表示to bring about a drastic reform in some public evil的意思

eg：how to clean the Augean stables of this city remains a critical problem.

Although they know it is not easy to reform the Augean stables of ths sociey，they are still trying

to do it.

11.A Procrustean Bed

A Procrustean Bed直译是“普洛克路斯贰斯的床”，源自古希腊神话的典故。

在雅典国家奠基者（Theseus）的传说中，从墨加拉到雅典途中有个非常残暴的强盗，叫达玛斯贰斯，绰号普洛克路斯贰斯。希腊问Procrustes的意思是“拉长者”、“暴虐者”。据公元前1世纪古希腊历史学家狄奥多（Diodoros，约公元前80-前29年）所编《历史丛书》记述：普洛克路斯贰斯开设黑店，拦截过路行人。他特意设置了2张铁床，一长一短，强迫旅店躺在铁床上，身矮者睡长床，强拉其躯体使与床齐；身高者睡短床，他用利斧把旅客伸出来的腿脚截短。由于他这种特殊的残暴方式，人称之为“铁床匪”。后来，希腊著名英雄提修斯在前往雅典寻父途中，遇上了“铁床匪”，击败了这个拦路大盗。提修斯以其人之道还治其人之身，强令身体魁梧的普洛克路斯贰斯躺在短床上，一刀砍掉“铁床匪”伸出床外的下半肢，除了这一祸害。

由此，在英语中遗留下来a Procrustean bed这个成语，亦做the Procrustes' bed或the bed of

Procrustes，常用以表示an arrangement or plan that produces uniformity by violent and arbitrary

measures之意。按其形象意义，这个成语与汉语成语“削足适履”、“截趾穿鞋”颇相同；也类似俗语“使穿小鞋”、“强求一律”的说法

eg：I didn't put forth the plan as a Procrustean bed，to which exact conformity is to be

indispensable.

Don't stretch the facts to fit the Procrustean bed.

12.A Gordian Knot难解的结；难题；难点

A Gordian Knot直译“戈耳迪之结”。

戈耳迪（Gordius）是小亚细亚佛律基亚（Phrygia）的国王，传说他原先是个贫苦的农民。一天，他在耕地的时候，有只神鹰从天而且降，落在他马车的轭上，久不飞走。戈耳迪就赶着马车进城去请求神示。其时，佛律基亚的老王突然去世，一国无主，上下动乱不安，于是人们请求神示由谁来做国王。神示说：“在通向宙斯神庙的大陆上，你们遇到的第一个乘马车者就是新王。”恰好这时戈耳迪正乘着牛车前往宙斯的神庙，人们看见巍然屹立在车轭上的神鹰，认为这是掌握政权的象征，就一致拥戴戈耳迪为国王。戈耳迪当了国王后，就把那辆象征命运的马车献给宙斯，放置在婶庙中。他用绳索打了个非常复杂的死结，把车轭牢牢得系在车辕上，谁也无法解开。

由此，人们常用a Gordian knot比喻a knot difficult or impossibe to unite；the difficult problem

or task.

eg：We must try to solve the problem even if it is really a Gordian knot.

The knot which you thought a Gordian one will untie it before you.

the Gordian Knot

Cut the Gordian Knot直译“斩断戈耳迪之结”，源自上篇的同一典故。

佛律基亚（Phrygia）的国王戈耳迪，用乱结把轭系在他原来使用过的马车的辕上，其结牢固难解，神谕凡能解开此结者，便是亚洲之君主。好几个世纪过去了，没有人能解开这个结。公元前3世纪时，古希腊罗马的马其顿国王亚历山大大帝（Alexander the Great，公元前356-323），在成为希腊各城邦的霸主后，大举远征东方。公元前334年，他率领进入小亚细亚，经过佛律基亚时，看到这辆马车。有人把往年的神谕告诉他，他也无法解开这个结。为了鼓舞士气，亚历山大拔出利剑一挥，斩断了这个复杂的乱结，并说：“我就是这样解开的”因此，to cut the Gordian knot 就是意味着to solve a complicated difficulty by quick and drastic

action；to end a difficulty by using a vigorous or violent method；to solve a problem by force.按其形象意义，这个成语与汉语成语“快刀斩乱麻”，“大刀阔斧，果断处置”十分相似。

eg：They have decided to cut the Gordian knot to wipe out the enemy at a blow.

Jean is afraid of everything，How can she cut the Gordian knot in her work？

of The Bone and Flesh of the Flesh

Bone of The Bone and Flesh of the Flesh直译“骨中之骨，肉中之肉”，出自<圣经>中关于上帝造人的神话。

据<旧约·创世纪>第2章叙述：太初之际，混沌未开，耶和华上帝开天辟地。第一天耶和华创造了白天和夜晚；第二天创造了天空和风云；第三天创造了高山峻岭。平原河流，以及富饶的土地和芳香的花果；第四天他又创造了太阳。月亮和星辰，确定年岁。季节。月份和日期；第五天他创造了各种形状和大小的鱼类和飞禽；第六天他才创造了各种陆上动物，然后他按照自己的形象用地上的尘土造出一个男人，名叫亚当（Adam），这就是神话中人类的始祖。后来，耶和华见押当独居无伴侣帮助他，于是，趁亚当沉睡的时候，从他身上取下一根肋骨造成了一个女人叫夏娃（Eve），领到他面前，亚当说：“This is bone of my bone and flesh

of my flesh”（这是我骨中之骨，肉中之肉）。从此两人结为夫妻

Bone of The Bone and Flesh of the Flesh常用来比喻血缘上的亲属关系或思想上的团结一致，即as close as flesh and blood；to be inseperately linked to each other等的意思。

eg：Our army is bone of the bone and flesh of the flesh of the people.

The I.W.W was bone of the bone and flesh of the flesh of the floating workers.（：Pages

from a Worker's Life.）

's Apple喉结

亚当是圣经中人类的始祖，而苹果的历史比人类的历史还悠久。在世界各文明古国的民间故事和神话传说中，苹果都是受人喜爱的一种果实。英语中有个谚语：An apple a day keeps the

doctor away.但据圣经故事上说，苹果也给人类带来了麻烦，男人的喉结就是因吃苹果引起的。

《旧约。创世纪》第3章讲到人类的起源，传说上帝创造人类的始祖亚当和夏娃，在东方的伊甸（Eden）建立了一个园子给他们居住。伊甸园里生长着悦人眼目的各种树木，树上长着各种各样的果实。上帝吩咐亚当说：你可以随意吃园中的各种果子，只是不能吃那棵分别善恶树上的果实，吃了必定要死。这种“禁果”就是apple.后来，亚当的配偶夏娃听信蛇的诱惑，不顾神谕，吃了善恶树上的禁果，还把这果子给它丈夫吃。亚当因心怀恐惧，吃时仓促，有一片果肉哽在吼中，不上不下，留下个结块，就叫“亚当的苹果”两人吃了这果子就心明眼亮，能知善恶美丑。但是由于他们违背了上帝的告戒而被逐出伊甸园。从此，亚当就永远在脖子前端留下“喉结”，作为偷吃禁果的“罪证”。上帝还惩罚亚当，“必汗流满面才能糊口”

不过也说一说是正当亚当吃的时候，上帝来了，所以亚当急忙吞下去，不料哽在喉咙间了。

eg：Your Adam's apple isn't apparent.

Adam's apple can be more clearly seen on men than women's throats.

One's Birthright for a Mess of Pottages因小失大；见利弃义

Sell One's Birthright for a Mess of Pottages直译是：“为了一碗红豆汤而出卖了长子继承权”。

《旧约。创世纪》第25章记述了这样一个故事传说：犹太族长以撒的妻子利百加怀孕期间，感觉到2个胎儿在她腹内互相踢打，就去问耶和华，耶和华对她说：“两国在你腹内，两族要从你身上出来，这族必强于那族，将来大的要服小的。”

后来，利百加果然生下一对孪生兄弟，哥哥叫以扫，弟弟叫雅各。两兄弟长大后，以扫好动，常外出打猎；雅各则常在家里帮助料理家务。有一天，以扫打猎回来，又饥又渴，看见弟弟雅各在熬豆汤，就对他说：“我饿极了，给我喝点红豆汤吧！”雅各说：“你要喝汤，就把你的长子权卖给我。”以扫说：“你都要饿死了，要这长子权有什么用呢？”于是，他便按雅各的要求，对天起誓，把长子权卖给雅各，换来饼和红豆汤。以扫吃饱喝足后，起身走了。他哪里想到，为了这碗红豆汤，他的后裔便注定要服事雅各的后裔。

由此，人们用to sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage短语，来比喻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 gain.这个成语常缩略为for a mess of pottage的形式。有时也可用to sell one's birthrights.

eg：It was argued that joining the Common Market……would be giving away her national rights

and advantages for a mess of pottage.

There are many，many people who are willing to prostitute their intelligence for a mess of pottage.

Apple of Ones' Eye

The Apple of Ones' Eye的字面意思是“某人眼里的苹果”，在这里，apple指的是the pupil（瞳孔，眼珠），大概因眼珠圆的象苹果之故。瞳孔是眼睛最重要的部分，失去瞳孔，光线就无法通过虹膜中心的圆孔进入眼内而变成了瞎子。所以，这个成语常用来比喻象爱护眼珠一样爱护某个最心爱的人或珍贵的东西，即表示a cherished person or object；sth extrmely

precious to one； sb dearly loved等意

这个成语来字《旧约。申命记》（Deuteronomy）第32章“耶和华遇见他在旷野荒凉、野兽吼叫之地，就环绕他，看顾他，保护他如同保护眼里的瞳人。”在圣经其他地方也有类似的话。英文版《旧约。诗篇》（Psalm）第17章有这样的句子：“Keep me as the apple of the eye，hide me under the shadow of the wings”

成语the apple of one's eye是固定结构，不得写成the apple of the eye of…的形式；在搭配上，它常与动词be，keep，care for等连用。按其想象意义，它与汉语成语“掌上明珠”颇相似，但其比喻的对象较汉语“掌珠”更广，因“掌珠”通常指心爱的女儿，而不能用与其他场合。

eg：Little Mary is the apple of her father's eye

Mind the reputation of your school as you care for the apple of your eye.

an iota of没有一点点，丝毫也不

iota是希腊字母表中第9个字母“Ｉ”的名称。not an iota of 出自《新约。马太福音》第5章：“律法的一点一画都不能废去，都要成全。”因为iota是希腊字母表中最小的一个字母，它有时可以写作一短横置于其他字母之上；遗漏这一点点对发音并无什么影响，只按规则不能减少而已。《福音书》所说的律法，系指“摩西律”，意即无论何人都不允许随便废去这戒律哪怕是最小的一条，甚至其中的一个字母，一个小小短横也不得更动或遗漏。

由此，在语言中遗留下来这个成语，转义表示not a bit of ；not one jot or little；not at all等意思。iota在这里，相当于汉语“小不点儿”的意思。

Eg：Science deals with things in a practical e means honest，solid knowledge，allowing

not an iota of falsehood，and it involves herculean efforts and gruelling toil.

There is not an iota of truth in the story.

Salt of the Earth社会中坚；民族精华；优秀份子

The Salt of the Earth这个成语，字面意思“世上的盐”

盐是饮食中不可缺少的调味品，人体若缺盐，健康就会受到影响，出现种种疾病。盐还有杀菌、解毒、消炎、除污等多种功用，它既是“百药之王”，又是工业之母，确是值得珍视的东西。在许多民族的习俗汇总，盐被当作敬客的高贵礼品。

The Salt of the Earth一词出自《圣经》，据《新约。马太福音》（Matthew）第5长记载：耶稣对他的门徒说：“Ye are the salt of the earth：but if the salt have lost his savor，wherewith shall

it be salted？ ” 在这里，salt用于转义，表示flavor；of the earth即of the world.这是耶稣登山垂训论“福”，所讲福音结尾的话，他把门徒比做“世上的盐”，这是极高的称赞。这句话在后世不断引用变成了一个典故性成语，转义为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 world.

You all are the salt of the earth. Our hope is placed on you

pearls before swine对牛弹琴；白费好意

To Cast pearls before swine的意思是“珍珠头在猪猡前面”。

swine是个旧词，书面词，即今为pigs，不过swine单复同行，本句为复数。

这个成语源自《新约。马太福音》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，比喻确切，在后世不断引用中而成为一个国际性成语，常用来表示to offer sth valuable or beautiful to those who can't appreciate it；to give what is

precious to those who are unable to understand its value等意思，含有轻蔑嘲笑彩。按其字面意义，这个成语与汉语成语“明珠按投”相似，但是寓意不同，基本上不对应；按一比喻意义，它相当于“对牛弹琴”，“向驴说经”“一番好意给狗吃”“狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心”等。

She read them Shakespeare，but it was casting pearls before swine

I won't waste good advice on John any more because he never listens to it.I won't cast pearls

before swine.

……and when I let the upper floor to Cap'en Cuttle，oh i do a thankless thing，and cast pearls

before swine

22.a wolf in sheep's clothing批着羊皮的狼；貌善心恶的人

耶稣在加利利一带传道布教，收了很多信徒。有一天，他对门徒说：“Beware of false prophets，which come to you in sheep's clothing，but inwardly they are ravening wolves”

eg： trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing

One who teaches morality and practises immorality is a wolf in lamb's skine

te the sheep from the goats区别好坏，分清良莠

《新约。马太福音》记述：“And before him shall be gathered all nations：and he shall separate

them one from another，as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats”

由于《圣经》的影响，sheep和goat在英语中的形象截然不同，前者比喻好人，后者比喻坏人。英语中有关goat的成语，大多贬义。如：to play the goat=play the fool（瞎胡闹）；to get

sb's goat（触动肝火） ；等等。《圣经》说牧羊人要分辨绵羊和山羊，“把绵羊安置右边，山羊左边”。据说野山羊常混进羊里，引诱绵羊，故牧养人必须把它们区分开来，以免混淆。

由此，人们用to separate the sheep from the goats这个成语，来比喻to separate the good from the

wicked； to divide good or useful people from bad or useless

eg：We'll go through the list of members，and separate the sheep from the goats

Have faith in me，please. I can separate the sheep from the goats

To not get to first base (没有取得初步成绩)原指棒球手没有跑到第一垒，转义伟一开市或很快就失败了。 如： she attracted him at first sight and he made elaborate plans to court

her, but he didn’t even get to first base.

To have two strikes against on (三击中已有两击不中)原指棒球击球手已击两球不中，如第三击再不中，就要出局。义：处境不利，形式不妙。如：when he applied for the job, he already

had two strikes against him: he didn’t have a college diploma like the other applicants,

and he was ten minutes late for his interview.

To carry the ball （负主要责任）原指橄榄球运动员执球，转义：对完成某项任务负主要责任。

如：the negotiations are the key to the undertaking, we’d better ask Mumford to carry

the ball.

An armchair quarterback(坐在扶手椅上的指挥官)quarterback原指橄榄球赛指挥进攻的四分卫，加了armchair一词，往往指局外人大谈应如何做某事而未身体力行不用负任何责任。如： it’s east to be an armchair quarterback but your idea wouldn’t have worked at all.

To be down and out(被困难压倒，完全失败)原指在拳击中被击倒而不能继续比赛，转义：虽然经过努力挣扎，但已处于绝望境地而彻底垮台。如：he made one last effort, but it didn’t work.

There was nothing left to do but close shop--- he was down and out.

To hit below the belt(用不正当的手段打击别人) 原指拳击比赛中打对方下身的犯规行为，转义在比赛或打交道时，用不正当的手段伤害对方。How could you do a thing like that? That’s

hitting below the belt.

A Rambo（兰博）兰博是80年代中期美国电影中的一个著名人物，他是在越战中为美军卖过命的汉子，足智多谋、沉默寡言、性情孤僻，行为有点古怪。在电影中，他历尽艰辛，常使用暴力，又奇迹般死里逃生，他用射箭、刀砍、轰炸及火烧杀出一条血路，虽然情节令人难以置信，却是许多美国男孩和青年心目中的当代英雄。

As American as apple pie，常说苹果馅饼是美国人发明的食物，最流行的食物。真正美国式的。

An Ivy Leaguer (名牌大学学生)指在美国东北部八所名牌大学的学生，Harvard, Yale,

Princeton, Columbia, Pennsylvania, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown.

That’s something for Ripley (那简直是里普利的奇闻)—美国有许多报纸刊登里普利写的“信不信由你”这一专栏，所报道的都是一些稀奇古怪或异乎寻常的事，却是真实的，经过核实的。