許多家長抱怨自己孩子對英語不感興趣,而且相對於漢語而言,缺少許多趣味性,就比如漢語中存在不少成語故事,因為充滿趣味所以調動了孩子的學習欲望。但實際上,英語中也有單詞或短語可以表示漢語中的成語,所以家長們就可以用英語來講述這個故事,讓孩子猜一猜故事所描述的會是哪一個成語。那麼今天就分享成語:猶豫不決(hem and haw)。
【英文表述】
hem and haw (直譯為猶豫;躊躇;吞吞吐吐地說;支吾其詞)
【成語來源】
The 'You' is a kind of wild animal which is by nature extremely suspicious.
「猶」是一種野獸,它天生性情非常多疑。
Whenever it hears a sound, it immediately becomes afraid, suspecting that there is a hunter nearby who is trying to catch it, or another animal that wants to harm it. It runs up into a tree and hides, peeking out its head and scanning all around.
不論它在什麼地方找食物,或是散步,一聽到聲音就害怕。它懷疑有獵人要來抓它,或是別的野獸要來害它,就慌張地爬到樹上躲起來。再把頭探出來,偷偷地看。
After a while it climbs back down, looking here and looking there.
過了一會兒,又從樹上跳下來,在地上東張西望地看看那邊。
Only when it is sure that there is nothing around does it finally begin to relax.
一直到什麼也沒看見,才定下心來。
But then pretty soon, it will again grow afraid, and running up into a tree, begin the same routine all over again.
但是過了一會兒,它又懹疑起來,就又爬到樹上,在樹上停一會兒,定定心,認為沒有什麼危險了,才從樹上跳下來。
Time and time again, the 'You' repeats this, with the result that it spends half of its day running up and down trees, and wastes a lot of energy.
就這樣一次又一次地跳上跳下,跳了大半天,總是白費力氣。
So, when someone is very hesitant, and cannot make a decision, others often say of this person that 'the 'You' cannot decide."
後來的人,因為「猶」天生好疑心,不果斷,所以當一個人處理事情時,沒有主意,不知道怎樣處理,就叫做「猶豫不決」。
【文化連結】
英語中「猶豫不決」對應的表達可以用「hem and haw」,在這兒hem和haw這兩個詞都是模擬人們在開口說話前清理嗓子和鼻腔的聲音。我們時而會這樣做,尤其當自己確定不了該說什麼才恰當的時候,更會如此。久而久之,人們就用hem and haw來描述猶豫不決或者躊躇不前了。hem and haw也可以表示支吾其詞、拖延猶豫,或者含糊其辭、不明確表示個人決定的含義。