1.a dog in the manger占着茅坑不拉屎的人 出自《伊索寓言》(Aesop"s Fables),有一篇狗站马槽的故事,说的是一头狗躺在堆满稻草的马槽里,狗是不吃草的动物,而当马或牛一走进稻草时,这头狗却朝着马,牛狂哮,不准食草动物享用。 因此,“狗站马槽”就成了一个家喻户晓的成语而进入英语中,常用来比喻a person who prevents others from enjoying sth that is useless to himself; a churlish fellow who will neither use a thing himself nor let others use it,讽刺那些占据说职位或某些物质却不做事的人。 a dog in the manger是个名词性短语,常与系动词连用,充当表语(主语补足语) eg:He borrowed a lot of books from the library,but he didn"t read a book.He was really a dog in the manger. There are some officials who are only the dogs in the manger. Smith was a dog in the manger over that roll of wire;it was no use whatever to him,but he wouldn"t let us have it. 2.bell the cat自告奋勇去冒险;老虎头上拍苍蝇 bell the cat系成语to hang the bell about the cat"s neck的简略,愿意是“给猫的脖子上挂铃”。它来自《伊索寓言》(Aesop"s Fables)中的《老鼠会议》(The Mice in Council) 这篇寓言讲的是:一群老鼠在鼠洞里举行会议,讨论如何对付凶狠的猫。白胡须老鼠提出:“我有个方法,在猫的脖子上挂一个铃。这样,猫一走动铃就响,我们就可以闻铃声而逃避了”,群鼠一致同意这个建议,欢呼:“That"s a capital idea.We will bell the cat!No more fear of the cat!”但是,谁去给猫挂铃铛呢?没有一只老鼠敢去,一个个都溜掉了。老鼠会议豪无结果,它们不安全的境况当然也无法改善。 |