April 28, 2010

Animal Idioms (2)

Eager beaver

Meaning:a person who is always eager to work or do something extra 工作勤奮的人。


EXAMPLE

She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do very well in this company.



Eat like a horse

Meaning:eat a lot  吃得很多;食量很大

EXAMPLE

Her brother who is 18 years old eats like a horse.

Horse of a different color

Meaning:something totally separate and different

EXAMPLE:

Moving to a new location is a horse of a different color. It was never mentioned in any of our meetings.

 

Horse trade (trading) 馬市交易, 討價還價的交涉,政治交易;欺詐
Meaning:hard and skilful bargaining

EXAMPLE:

We had to do a little horse trading but finally we reached a deal to buy the new house.

in the doghouse 失寵於;受...冷待。
Meaning:
in disgrace or disfavor

EXAMPLE:

He is in the doghouse with his wife because he went out drinking three times last week.

Kangaroo court 私設的公堂;非法法庭
Meaning:
a self-appointed group that decides what to do to someone who is supposed to have done wrong.

EXAMPLE:

It was decided in a kangaroo court that he would have to pay for the damage that he had caused to the school building. 

play ducks and drakes with

Meaning:duck這個詞大家都知道是鴨子的意思,但未必知道duck指的是母鴨,相對的公鴨,即是drakePlay ducks and drakes是一種大多數孩子都玩過的遊戲,和鴨子無關,卻和水有關,在河邊或湖邊,孩子們在地上撿一些小石片,然後往水面上扔,比誰的石片在水面上跳得過。這種遊戲就是play ducks and drakes。但加上with,作為一個成語來用,卻具有揮霍、濫用的意義。也有人說play at ducks and drakes with或用make来代替play的:

EXAMPLE:

Right after his father’s funeral, he started to play ducks and drakes with the money he had come into.
她父親的喪事剛辦完,他就開始揮霍他所繼承的錢。

We should make the best use of the limited fund we have raised. No one is supposed to play ducks and drakes with it.
我們應該好好使用籌集到有限的資金,誰都不應隨意濫用。

 

If we go on making ducks and drakes with the natural resources on earth, we’ll soon have to pay for our irresponsible actions.
如果我們再這樣濫用地球上的自然資源,很快我們就要自食惡果。

run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

Meaning: to support both sides of a dispute. to support two competing sides in an argument  兩面討好。hare是野兔hound是獵犬。成語意思是你既跟著野兔逃跑,也跟著獵犬追獵野兔,換言之你是兩頭蛇,例如在雙方爭吵時,你兩方面都討好,不去得罪任何一方。


EXAMPLE:

In our office politics, Sally always tries to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, telling both the clerical workers and the management that she thinks they should prevail

You've got to decide where you stand on this issue. You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.

We've had enough of Tony Blair trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.

I know you want to keep everyone happy, but I don't think you can run with the hare and hunt with the hounds on this question. 我知道你想人人都開心,但我覺得你在這個問題上不能甲乙都討好,模棱兩可。)

整理:Josie Lai

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