英語成語園地-顏色篇

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(as/like) a bolt from the blue
(宛如/猶如) 晴天霹靂；突如其來的事情。
His sudden death came as a bolt from the blue.
a horse of another (or a different) color
全然不同的事物 (情況、問題、觀點等)。
I know that he would like to discuss that issue now but it is a horse of a different color and we should discuss it at another time.
a red herring
轉移人們注意力的東西。
Talking about the union's last strike is a red herring and doesn't do anything to deal with the problems that we are facing today.
a red-letter day
大喜之日；重大日子。
It was a red-letter day when she finally received her graduation diploma.
a white elephant
浪費錢又無用的東西；累贅。
The new stereo that he bought is a white elephant and he doesn't need it at all.
a white lie
善意的謊言。
I told my boss a white lie and said that I was sick yesterday when actually I wasn't.
black and blue
青一塊，紫一塊；遍體鱗傷。
My whole body was black and blue after I fell down.
(in) black and white
(判斷事情) 非黑即白，非好即壞。
He tries to see everything in black and white although he knows this is impossible.
(until one is) blue in the face
氣急敗壞；臉色發青；精疲力竭。
He argued with her until he was blue in the face.
brown bag it
帶便當 (午餐) 上班。注意：brown 在此當動詞用。
I have had to brown bag it every day this week as the company cafeteria is closed for repair work.
catch/nab (someone) red-handed
當場捉住 (犯法或做錯事的人)
The woman was caught red-handed at the store trying to steal some cosmetics.
cry/scream/shout blue murder
大聲喊叫；大聲抗議。
They started to scream blue murder when I told them they would have to work an extra half an hour on Saturday afternoons.
give a false color to; put a false color on
歪曲 (某人，某事等)；曲解。
Don't give a false color to what she said, she didn't mean it. (別曲解她的話，她沒有那個意思)
Only John and Mary have unbiased view on Ted's behavior while others put a false color on it. (只有約翰和瑪麗對泰德的行為沒有偏見，而其他人都會加以歪曲)
give someone the green light
批准；允許。
We were finally given the green light to begin setting up the new project.
go/look as white as a sheet
(尤指因病或恐懼而) 臉色慘白；面無血色。
The news must've been bad. She went as white as a sheet when she read the telegram.
green with envy
嫉妒得不得了；嫉妒得要死。
I was green with envy when I heard that she would be going to London for a week while I had to stay and work.
like a red rag to a bull
像激怒公牛的紅布；使人大發雷霆的。
Any complaint about the president is like a red rag to a bull.
look at (or see) the world (or things) through rose-colored glasses/spectacles
看事情只看好的一面；過份樂觀。
He always looks at the world through rose-colored glasses and is never able to understand that some people are dishonest.
once in a blue moon
罕有地；難得有一次；千載難逢。
We go out for Chinese food once in a blue moon although we enjoy it very much.
out of the blue
突然地；出人意外地。
I don't understand what is the matter. Right out of the blue he decided to quit his job and go and live in Europe.
paint the town red
外出狂歡作樂。
When my cousin came to visit us we decided to go out and paint the town red.
pink slip
解雇的通知。
I received my pink slip last week and am now looking for a new job.
red tape
官僚作風，官樣文章，繁文縟節。
Many businesses have been complaining about the amount of red tape that they must deal with in order to get anything done with the government.
roll out the red carpet
盛大歡迎。
When the King of Jordon visited Washington, they rolled out the red carpet and gave him a great welcome.
see red
怒不可遏；怒火中燒；火冒三丈。
He really saw red last night when I told him that I wouldn't be coming to work today.
see the red light
察覺危險迫近；知道事情不妙。
When he learned how many fatal diseases were related to tobacco, he saw the red light and stopped smoking (他知道有那麼多致命疾病和煙草有關之後，產生了危機意識，不再抽菸了)
show one's true colors
顯露本來真面目；現出真相；露出原形。
I know that she doesn't like me but she was showing her true colors when she began yelling at me on the telephone.
show the white feather
顯露出膽怯、怯懦；示弱。
He showed the white feather every time they attacked the enemy. (每次他們攻擊敵人時，他都會露出膽怯的神情)
Don't show the white feather! You have to fight for pay raise. (別示弱! 你要為加薪奮鬥)
swear black is white
指鹿為馬；不惜顛倒黑白 (或是非)。
He wants that job very much, and he'll swear black is white to get it.
the grass is greener on the other side (of the hill/fence)
這山望著那山高。
He realized that the grass is always greener on the other side when he saw that his new job wasn't perfect and had its own problems too.
the pot calling the kettle black
鍋嫌水壺黑；五十步笑百步。
She was criticizing me for not looking for a new job but that is like the pot calling the kettle black. She isn't looking for a new job either.
tickled pink
樂不可支；喜不自勝；眉開眼笑；高興極了。
She was tickled pink that you made the effort to go and visit her when you were in town.
white as a ghost
(因害怕、恐懼、震驚、生病等) 臉色非常蒼白。
My sister became white as a ghost when she saw the man at the window.
white sale
廉價銷售 (毛巾、被單等)。
We went to the white sale at the department store in order to buy some new sheets before my parents come to visit.
with flying colors
成功地；出色地。
She passed her course with flying colors and now wants to go out and celebrate.
yellow streak
懦弱、膽怯的個性。
He has a yellow streak running down his back and is not a good person to expect to support you when things become difficult.

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