英语谚语俗语翻译

Part OneI had only recently seen John in a restaurant. The news of his death came as a bolt fromthe blueShe found the keys she had lost last month, which was like a bolt from the blueA bolt from the blueMeaning：A complete surprise, like a bolt of lightning from a blue sky.Origin：This has the feel of a Shakespearian or Biblical phrase, but it isn't as old as it sounds. There are several forms of it: 'out of the blue', 'a bolt out of the blue', etc.The earliest citation is Thomas Carlyle, in The French Revolution, 1837: "Arrestment, sudden really as a bolt out of the Blue, has hit strange victims."It is unpleasant to hear him speak on national topics, for he is a bird of ill omen.叫他谈论国事是不愉快的，因为他常出不吉之言。

a bird of ill omen中国有句老话:“夜猫子进宅，无事不来”，可见猫头鹰是种不吉利的象征。

它往往和黑暗、神秘甚至死亡联系起来。

然而在日本，猫头鹰却是吉利和幸福的代表。

奥运会的吉祥物雕像、挂钟、水壶、牙签盒，甚至还有女士佩戴的胸针They were only crying crocodile tears at the old man's funeral because nobody had really liked him.在老人的葬礼上，他们在假装慈悲，因为他们之中没有谁喜欢过他。

We need not hope for lower taxes in the future ─ that would be crying for the moon.我们不应抱任何希望将来会降低税收，这是根本不可能的事。

“不可能”，“没门”的译法No way/There is no way!Impossible!Out of the question/That's out of the question!Not a chance!Hopeless!Pigs might fly!The sun might rise in the west!Never/Never ever ever!You are crying for the moon!Street Arabs are produced by slums and not by original sin.流浪儿是贫民窟的产物，而不是原始罪恶的产物。

John is ashamed of his humble background. That is his Achilles' heel.约翰因出身卑贱而自惭形秽，这是他的致命弱点。

Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own; in pain and sickness it would still be dear.在我看来，你身上的每一个细胞都像我自己的细胞一样亲，即使你痛苦你有病，也还是一样亲。

I'll play old Gooseberry with the office, and make you glad to buy me out at a good high figure.我要在工作上故意捣蛋，使你不得不付出高价收买我。

play gooseberry (British humorous)to be with two people who are having a romantic relationship and who would prefer to be alone. “Best be off to bed, my boy ─ ho, ho!”“No, no. We know a trick worth two of that. We won’t go home till morning, till day light does appear!”“孩子，最好上床睡吧——嗬，嗬！”“不，不，你不必跟我们玩那一套。

不到明天，不到天大亮我们不归家。

know a trick worth two of that: 有更好的办法What you suggest is very good. But listen to me. I know a trick worth two of that.When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.We'll never know the worth of water till the well go dry.We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.She gave her heart to one who could not know its worth.No one know the worth of woman's love till he sue for alienation.You know a trick or two after twenty years in business.Your class made him monitor, which amounts to setting the fox to keep the geese.你们班推选他当班长，这等于是引狼人室set a fox to keep one's geese：引狼人室Yes, I went there the night before last, but she was quite on the high ropes about something, and was so grand and mysterious that I couldn’t make anything of her.不错，前天晚上我到那儿去过，也不知道她为何异常得意洋洋，又威风又神秘，弄得我莫名其妙be on the high ropes：兴高采烈, 得意The Squire broke in, “Don’t think that I’ll have any humble pie eaten to that fellow Bellew!" 乡绅插嘴道：“别以为我会向贝鲁这种人低声下气。

”Eat humble pie (British, American & Australian) also eat crow (American)：Act submissively and apologetically, especially in admitting an error. 忍气吞生，赔礼道歉我们原打算在妈妈生日那天给她意外惊喜，可他却泄露了秘密。

We had planned to give Mum a pleasant surprise on her birthday, but let the cat out of the bagTo look like the cat that ate the canary形容一个人显得非常满足的样子。

rain cats and dogs倾盆大雨All cats are（或look）black（或gray）in the dark./We are in the same boat.五十步笑百步或乌鸦笑猪黑。

西方人也喜欢猫，并将猫养为宠物。

但是黑猫却让西方人心生恐惧，尤其是英国人，他们将黑猫与女巫联系在上起。

如果是漆黑的星期五晚上碰上一只黑猫，便预示着此人会遭厄运。

在英国古代的传说中，人们认为妖魔常变成黑色的动物，尤其是黑猫，还有人说黑猫就是巫婆变的。

黑猫有九命，巫婆有变九次的魔法。

杀死一只黑猫，她还可以再变八次。

所以英语的猫还含有"心地恶毒的女人，爱说人坏话的女人"等意思。

She is a cat（她是个包藏祸心的女人）Mrs Smith is a perfect cat（史密斯太太是个地地道道的长舌妇）The man and his wife live a cat and dog life, and both are miserable (他们夫妻俩经常吵架，两人都感到痛苦)It‘s difficult to get a man to bell the cat（敢于在危险中挺身而出的人不容易找到）A cat has nine lives（猫有九命/自有天相）Cats hide their claws（猫总是藏起自己的爪子/知人知面不知心）All cats are grey in the dark （黑暗处的猫都是灰色的/人未出名时看起来都差不多）A gloved cat catches no mice（戴手套的猫抓不到老鼠/不愿吃苦的人成不了大事业）The cat shuts its eyes when stealing cream（掩耳盗铃，自欺欺人）There‘s more ways than one to kill a cat（有的是办法）like a cat on hot bricks（焦躁不安，如热锅上的蚂蚁）他决定不了究竟是上大学还是去找工作，可事实上他只能干一件，两者不能兼得。

He can’t make up his mind whether to go to college or get a job. You can't eat your cake and have it, too.To have one’s cake and eat it too ：（eat one’s cake and have it too or simply have one’s cake and eat it ）"you can't have it both ways" and "you can't have the best of both worlds."如果你在数学课堂上准备英语考试，那就好比是挖肉补疮It is just like robbing Peter to pay Paul if you try to prepare for the English exam duringa maths classrob Peter to pay Paul (拆东墙补西墙 )Fig. to take or borrow from one in order to give or pay something owed to anotherFor exampleBy borrowing money to meet the debt, you are just robbing Peter to pay PaulYou borrow money from me to pay the bank loan. It is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.害群之马，无处不有。