英語習(xí)語拾

零姚瑤

摘 要 在浩瀚的英語詞匯中，習(xí)語只是其中一小部分，他們所表達的意思形象生動，言簡意賅，揭示哲理深刻。能恰當(dāng)理解和使用英語習(xí)語非常重要。習(xí)語idioms 與日常所說的短語phrases 不同，它的意義用英語解釋是：phrase or sentence whose meaning is not obvious through knowledge of the individual meanings of the constituent words but must be learned as a whole.他們其中的詞匯有其特殊的含義，是一個不可分割的整體。因此翻譯和使用必須得小心謹(jǐn)慎。為了記憶方便，我僅就在教學(xué)和學(xué)習(xí)生活中所積累的一些idioms歸納例釋如下，以期對廣大英語學(xué)習(xí)者有所幫助。

關(guān)鍵詞 英語習(xí)語 積累與使用

中圖分類號：H315文獻標(biāo)識碼：A

1與顏色有關(guān)的

中西文化的差異使人們對不同的顏色賦予不同的內(nèi)涵，如紅色在漢語中一般是喜慶的象征，但在英語中隨著搭配詞的不同另有新義，如：red tape喻：繁文縟節(jié)，官僚習(xí)氣;green在漢語里是富有生命力的象征，但在英語中可指缺乏經(jīng)驗的，green bird意指“生手” ，“菜鳥”。因此在理解和使用有關(guān)顏色的英語成語時隨語境的不同力求準(zhǔn)確得當(dāng)。

（1）blue-eyed boy 寵兒，掌上明珠

eg. He's the manager's blue-eyed boy and has been promoted several times in the last two years.

（2）be in a brown study 在沉思冥想中

I called him several times but he was in a brown study and didn't hear me.

（3）be in the red 債臺高筑

The young double are in the red because of the large house they have bought.

（4）out of blue 出乎預(yù)料

I'm afraid we shouldn't go on chatting like this. The new head-teacher could arrive out of blue.

（5）white elephant累贅，貴而無用之物

The new office block has become an expensive white elephant.

（6）green finger 園藝才能

No doubt that your uncle has green fingers. What a lovely garden it is ！

（7）white lie 善意的謊言

That was only a white lie. I didn't want to hurt her .I know if she knew the truth， she would do something silly.

（8）paint the town red 狂歡作樂

They are painting the town red on Christmas Day though they aren't Americans.

（9）see red? 怒不可遏、火冒三仗

He saw red yesterday because of the unfair result.

（10）black sheep害群之馬

No matter how successful he has become， my brother is still regarded as the black sheep of the family.

2有關(guān)動物的成語

翻譯有關(guān)動物的成語時要最大限度的譯出其原有內(nèi)涵，并注意在西方文化背景下人們對動物的好惡褒貶等感情色彩。

（1）to kill two birds with one stone.? 一箭雙雕

（2）to ride the tiger? ?騎虎難下

（3）to carry coals to Newcastle? ?畫蛇添足

（4）to help a lame dog over a stile? 雪中送炭

（5）black sheep? ?害群之馬

（6）a rat in a hole? 甕中之鱉

（7）love me love my dog? ?愛屋及烏

（8）threw pearls before swine? 對牛彈琴

（9）birds of the same feather? 一丘之貉

（10）chicken-hearted? 膽小如鼠

（11）make a lion's meal of? 狼吞虎咽

（12）scratch the surface? 蜻蜓點水

（13）a fish in trouble? 渾水摸魚

（14）to rain cats and dogs? 傾盆大雨

（15）to beard the lion in his den 太歲頭上動土

（16）fight like cat and dog （爭吵得）雞犬不寧

（17）black dog on ones back 神情沮喪，心情抑郁

3其它

twos and threes? ? ? 三三兩兩? ? ? ? ? at sixes and sevens? ? 亂七八糟

twist somebody's arm 威逼利誘? ? ? shoot one's mouth off about瞎吹胡扯

castles in Spain? ? ?空中樓閣? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? talk French leave不辭而別

have a big mouth? ?夸夸其談，喋喋不休? ? ? ? ? ?zip one's lips守口如瓶

英語中的成語舉不勝舉，本人僅期望通過此文能引起英語愛好者對idioms進行廣泛積累和準(zhǔn)確使用，加深跨文化交際的意識。

參考文獻

[1] 顧曰國.跨文化交際[M].外語教學(xué)與研究出版社，2001.

[2] 宋蕾.簡析與dog 相關(guān)的習(xí)語[J].中小學(xué)英語教學(xué)研究，2018（03）.