「Let the cat out of the bag」是「讓貓從袋子裡出來」?

2021-02-08 小e英語

有話說初生牛犢不怕虎,但是貓卻無所不懼,嚇跑了狗,鱷魚,挑戰眼鏡,蛇,蜘蛛……這就是cat fearless--無所畏懼的貓

說到貓,不由聯想到與貓有關的成語,如照貓畫虎、貓哭老鼠等等……這些成語在中國很常見,那麼與貓有關的俚語有哪些呢?get這些容易錯的俚語,讓你更了解外國文化!

1. Let the cat out of the bag

Let the cat out of the bag 

讓貓從袋子裡出來 ×

Let the cat out of the bag

(無意中) 洩露秘密; 說漏嘴√

英譯:mistakingly allow a secret to be known

關於這個俗語還有一個小典故:

這個俗語與a pig in a poke有關,poke在這裡是指口袋。一位商人去買豬,結果被替換成了小貓,如果你讓貓從袋子裡出來了,你就揭露了這個詭計。

例1:

Don't tell him what you re going to do . He always lets the cat out of the bag

                             =

Don't tell him ,you can't trust him because he loves to gossip(說閒話)

別告訴他,你不能相信他,他喜歡說八卦。

例2:

How did Mom find out we were planning a surprise party for her ?

媽媽怎麼知道我們在為她策劃一個驚喜派對?

Who let the cat out of the bag ? "

是誰洩露秘密的?

除此之外,洩密還可以這麼說:

Spill the beans

Spill為灑的意思,beans為豆子的意思,豆子灑了?其實是洩漏秘密的意思。

例:Oh…I bet the firm is fuming. Do they know who spilled the beans?

哦,我敢說這下公司肯定要氣壞了。他們知道是誰洩密的嗎?。

我們再學一些其他有關貓咪的成語(cat idioms

)吧!

2. has the cat got your tongue?

has the cat got your tongue?

貓咪得到了你的舌頭了嗎?×

has the cat got your tongue?

你的舌頭打結了嗎?√

英譯:why are you not saying anything?

舌頭,是人說話的主要工具。 要是舌頭給貓咪借走了,豈不就說不了話嗎?當某人無緣無故不說話時,我們就可以用 cat got your tongue 這個表達來詢問原因。

當你演講時,緊張的說不出話來時,都可以用這個來表達。

例:

A : " What's wrong cat got your tongue ?"

你怎麼不說話了?

B : Oh , he's just shy around new people , that’s all 

噢,他只是在生人面前有點害羞,僅此而已

3. like the cat that got the cream

like the cat that got the cream 

就像貓咪得到了奶油×

like the cat that got the cream

得意洋洋√

英譯:looking particularly self-satisfied,ofen to the annoyance of others

例:I can't stand our manager . He always looks like the cat that got the cream.

=

The manager is very arrogant and too self-satisfied . so I real really , really don’t like him.

經理十分傲慢和自滿,所以我真的不喜歡他。

4.put the cat among the pigeons

put the cat among the pigeons 

把貓放在鴿子中間×

put the cat among the pigeons

 引起紛爭; 挑起軒然大波√

英譯:say or do something that causes trouble or controver(有爭議的)

想像一下將一隻貓放在一群鴿子中間,肯定貓追鳥逃,所以這個短語也就是「挑起糾紛,引起麻煩」的意思。

例:She put the cat among the pigeons by telling everyone that Joe was her ex-boyfriend .

她把喬是她的前男友的事告訴了大家,引起了軒然大波。

5. fight like cat and dog

fight like cat and dog

像貓狗那樣打架×

fight like cat and dog

吵架吵的很兇√

英譯:continually arguing with each other

貓向來性格不溫順,特別是遇到狗的時候,經常打起來,如果這兩種動物打起架來,那會是怎樣的一番情景呢?表達 「fight like cat and dog 像貓和狗一樣打架」 形容 「人與人之間的爭吵非常激烈、吵得不可開交」。

例:My older brother and I used to fight like cat and dog when we were younger. We argued all the time.

我和我哥哥小的時候吵得很厲害,一天到晚吵個不停。

以上內容就是今天的分享,不好好努力就沒有收穫(no pains no gains)學習也是如此。新的一周開始了,大家要繼續好好努力喲~

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