外语寰宇

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    源自寓言名着的英文典故

    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”就成了一个众所周知的针言而进进英语中，常用来比方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，嗤笑那些占听说职位或某些物质却不办事的人。

    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挺身而出往冒险；老虎头上拍苍蝇

    bell the cat系针言to hang the bell about the cat's neck的简单，宁愿答应是“给猫的脖子上挂铃”。它来自《伊索寓言》(Aesop's Fables)中的《老鼠集会》(The Mice in Council)

    这篇寓言讲的是：一群老鼠在鼠洞里举行集会，讨论若何关于残酷的猫。白髯毛老鼠提出：“我有个体例，在猫的脖子上挂一个铃。如许，猫一走动铃就响，我们就可以闻铃声而躲避了”，群鼠同同等意这个发起，喝彩：“That's a capital idea.We will bell the cat!No more fear of the cat!”可是，谁往给猫挂铃铛呢？没有一只老鼠敢往，一个个都溜失落了。老鼠集会豪无功效，它们不平安的境况固然也无法改进。

    寓言所拜托的意思很年夜白：碰到困难的题目时候，既需要有出谋划策的人，更需要有挺身而出的实干家。

    bell the cat常用来比方to do sth dangerous in order to save others;to step forwar bravely to face the danger;to take a risk for the good of others.

    eg:Everybody made suggestion,but no one actually offered to bell the cat.

    We didn't know who would put him this delicate question when my friend offered to bell the cat.

    3.cry wolf虚发警报；慌报险情；耸人听闻

    cry wolf来自《伊索寓言》：《牧童和狼》 (The Shepherdboy and the wolf)

    有个牧童在离村落不远的山坡上放羊，有一次，他为了高兴作乐，突然年夜喊：“Help!Help!The wolf!”全村的人都闻声跑来救济他时，才晓得这只是开玩笑。如斯开玩笑搞了两三次。厥后，狼真的来了，谁人牧童再呼号求救时，谁也不理会他了。于是，狼把他的羊吃了。

    这篇寓言的意义很清晰：爱说假话的人，即或在他说实话时，也没人相信他。由此，人们用to cry wolf 来归结综合这篇寓言的根基情节及其教诫意义，用以比方to give false alarms;to warn of danger where there is none之意。按其比方意义，这个针言相称与汉语中出自《东周列国志》的典故：烽烟戏诸侯。周幽王为博失落宠妃褒泥一笑，居然把军国年夜事当儿戏，烽烟报警戏诸侯，使各路诸侯急促兴兵，驰援都门，功效收到冷笑。厥后犬戎进犯，幽王再举烽烟调兵，谁也不来了，功效周幽王遭到杀身亡国之祸。这2个典故的情节虽不合，寄意却完全不合等，都是默示“一朝说假话，一世无人信”

    eg:Nobody will believe he is in trouble because he has cried wolf so many times.

    Is she really sick of is she just crying wolf?

    The newsIT placards that had cried "wolf" so often,cried "wolf" now in vain.

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