kettle of fish: 糟糕；两码事
<p><span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>: 糟糕；两码事</p><p>今天谈的词组——<span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>——可是正儿八经的口语，学会了它，一定会让您在英语会话中有“语出惊人”的效果。先来看下面两个例句： <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fine">fine</span> <span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>! <span word="I">I</span> <span word="forgot">forgot</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="book">book</span>.（太糟糕了，我忘记带书了。）</p><p><span word="Making">Making</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="keeping">keeping</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="kettles">kettles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>.（挣钱和存钱完全是两码事。） 很明显，<span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>有两层含义：在第一句话中，“<span word="a">a</span>（<span word="fine">fine</span>）<span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>”指<span word="an">an</span> <span word="awkward">awkward</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="embarrassing">embarrassing</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>（尴尬糟糕的局面），其渊源可追溯到18世纪苏格兰贵族的“河边野炊”；第二句话中的“<span word="different">different</span> <span word="kettles">kettles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>”则是指<span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>（另一码事），直到20世纪初才被英美人使用。 早在18世纪，<span word="kettle">kettle</span>可不是如今“带有壶嘴的烧水壶”，而是泛指任何用来煮东西的“锅”。当时，苏格兰贵族常常在<span word="Tweed">Tweed</span>（特威德河，位于英格兰和苏格兰边界上）河畔进行野炊，他们把从河里抓来的大马哈鱼放在<span word="kettle">kettle</span>（大锅）里，然后升起篝火煮鱼、吃鱼、并欢歌笑语，“<span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>”由此得来，实指“野炊”。 有说法认为，可能野炊时的场面很热闹也很混乱，所以，<span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>（野炊）才有了后来的词义转变——“尴尬糟糕的局面”。但语言学家认为这种猜测缺乏学术依据，虽然他们也不能说出<span word="kettle">kettle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>（糟糕的局面；另一码事）究竟是如何演变而来的。不管怎样，这个渊于“野炊”的词组确实已融入英语词汇，下次若有机会和外国人聊天，不妨试着用一用！</p>
页:
[1]