“出尔反尔、摇摆不定”，你会吗？
<p>“出尔反尔、摇摆不定”，你会吗？</p><p>这件衣服好漂亮，就是贵了点，买还是不买？骑车去西藏，好酷，就是时间长了点，去还是不去？生活中一定遇到过这样不好拿主意的事吧？也遇到过做事情犹豫不决的人吧？用英语怎么表达这种意思呢？其实很简单，“<span word="to">to</span> <span word="blow">blow</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cold">cold</span>”。</p><p>别小看这几个简单的词，它们可是大有来头呢！这是一个伊索寓言（<span word="Aesop">Aesop</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="fable">fable</span>）里的故事。某个寒冷的冬日，森林之神（<span word="satyr">satyr</span>）邀请一个路人共进晚餐。一开始他不停地吹手，森林之神问他为什么，他说这样可以取暖。森林之神就用热汤招待他，他又开始吹汤，说这样可以让汤凉下来。森林之神很惊讶，立刻跟他断绝关系，因为他反复无常，一会儿嫌冷一会儿又嫌热（<span word="to">to</span> <span word="blow">blow</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cold">cold</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="mouth">mouth</span>）。 看了这个故事，你一定会牢牢记住这个短语了吧？后来，这种表达方式又被很多作家使用，经常指出尔反尔、靠不住的人。<span word="William">William</span> <span word="Chillingworth">Chillingworth</span> 写道：<span word="These">These</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="blow">blow</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cold">cold</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="mouth">mouth</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="serve">serve</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="purposes">purposes</span>.（这些人见风使舵，不值得依靠。）</p><p>再看下面这个例句：<span word="Jean">Jean</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="blowing">blowing</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cold">cold</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="winter">winter</span> <span word="vacation">vacation</span>.（</p><p>琼一直对休寒假的事拿不定主意。）</p>
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