动物及鱼类成语工科.docVIP

Animal and Fish Idioms 动物及鱼类成语 美国英语和澳大利亚英语常用鲸(whale)来比喻非常大或非常好，如：A whale of a bill（数额很高的账单）；A whale of a difference（很大的区别）；A whale of a job（很好的一份工作）。比喻人的脾气倔强，汉语用驴子，而英语用骡子。说某人特别能喝，汉语常用牛来比喻；而英语则用鱼来比喻。英语中的drink可以指喝水，也可以指喝酒。在比喻本末倒置的概念时，英语用颠倒马和马车的位置来比喻。英语有Pigs might fly（变体：Pigs may fly）的说法，比如男朋友对女朋友说等我以后有了钱我给你买一辆奔驰车，女朋友幽默地回答：Yeah, pigs might fly. 她说的是一句反话，字面意思是或许猪能飞起来，实际含义却是那是根本不可能的事。有时, Pigs may fly也有可能性非常小的含义，如：他中大奖的可能性非常小。但这也难说（Pigs might fly）。 本单元的英语成语跟海洋动物和陆地动物有关。关键词包括： crocodile ― fish ― herring ― horse ― hare ― lion ― monkey ― mouse ― mule ― pig ― puppy ― rat ― swine ― turtle ― whale ― wolf 1. Crocodile tears字面意思：鳄鱼的眼泪。 [解释] Insincere tears or sorrow. 假悲哀；不是真心悲哀而流眼泪；猫哭耗子假慈悲。 [例句] She dropped a few crocodile tears over her husbands death then got his insurance money and married again two weeks later. 2. A pretty kettle of fish字面意思：一壶鱼。 [解释] A state of confusion, disorder or trouble. 混乱无秩序的局面；一团糟。变体：A fine kettle of fish. 说明：在野外，大家七手八脚，抢吃煮好的鱼，比喻混乱的场面。 [例句] His six-year-old daughter played with her fathers computer. The father worried that it might be a pretty kettle of fish if he lost his documents. 3. Drink like a fish字面意思：像鱼一样能喝。 [解释] Drink a lot of alcohol regularly. 经常喝酒，而且喝的很多。说明：此处的drink多指喝酒。 [例句] He drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney and eats like a pig; I can not stand him any more. 4. Fish for compliments字面意思：勾引赞美的话。 [解释] Look for praise. 寻求别人的夸奖。说明：Fish作动词用，指钓鱼。这条成语类似汉语的沽名钓誉，但一般来说fish for compliments只是表示希望得到别人的口头赞许或认可而已。Compliment 也可用单数。 [例句] When he showed me his third new mobile phone, I could tell that he was looking for a compliment. 5. Have other fish to fry字面意思：还有其它鱼要炸（煎）。 [解释] Have other more important things to do. 有其它更重要的事情要做。 [例句] Dont ask me to do this and that. I have other fish to fry. 6. Neither fish, flesh nor fowl字面意思：非鱼，非肉，也非家禽。 [解释] Of an uncertain nature, neither one thing nor the other. 特点不明确；不伦不类；非驴非马；四不像。变体：Neither fish, flesh nor good red herring（好的红鲱鱼）。 [例句] The building has a strange design, its neither fish, flesh nor