分類: 英語成語 – 動物篇

貓不在，老鼠就作怪；山中無老虎，猴子稱大王。

註：這句經常縮略為 when/while the cat’s away。

例句：

• Do you think it’s wise to leave the children alone for so long? You know, when the cat’s away. (你認為讓孩子獨處這麼長的時間行得通嗎? 你知道，貓不在，老鼠就作怪)
• The boss is away on business and the employees are so happy because while the cat’s away the mice will play. (老闆出差，員工都很高興，因為山中無老虎，猴子稱大王)

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(對某人) 比中指。

例句：

• If he’d shouted at me like that I’d have flipped him the bird. (如果他像那樣對我大發雷霆，我會對他比中指)
• Somebody gave the cop the bird. (有人對那位警察比中指)

註：這成語原意為「對 (演員等) 喝倒采，發出噓聲」，但此意思已過時。除 flip/give someone the bird 外，我們亦可用 flip someone off, give someone the finger 來表達完全相同的意思。

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全身濕透；濕得像落湯雞 (尤指在大雨中被淋濕)。

例句：

• My father had to fix the fences in the storm and looked like a drowned rat. (我父親必須在暴風雨中修理籬笆，他渾身濕透，像隻落湯雞)
• Kevin had to cycle home in the rain and came in looking like a drowned rat. (凱文必須冒雨騎腳踏車回家，進門時全身濕得像隻落湯雞)

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做牛做馬般地幹活；拼命工作；辛勤工作。

例句：

• I’ve been working like a dog. (我一直辛勤地工作)
• I’m too old to work like a horse. (我太老了，不能再拼命工作)

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夾在爭吵雙方中間而處境為難的人；處於對立雙方之間而無能為力的人。

例句：
John’s mother and his wife are always arguing violently, and he is a piggy in the middle and usually suffers the effects of their disagreement. (約翰的母親和他太太婆媳不和，老是激烈爭吵，而他夾在中間處境為難，經常吃苦頭)

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身體很虛弱；身體沒有力氣。

例句：

• Two months of illness left the athlete as weak as a kitten. (長達兩個月的臥病床榻，使得這位運動員的身體非常虛弱)
• Henry is as weak as a baby because he doesn’t eat well. (由於吃不下，亨利身體虛弱，沒有力氣)

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(如待宰羔羊一般) 大禍臨頭或凶多吉少而渾然不知。

例句：

• Robert went on a trip to Indonesia like a lamb to the slaughter. (羅伯特去印尼旅遊，似乎不知此行凶多吉少)
• The job candidates are being called out individually for interviews like lambs to the slaughter. (求職者有如待宰羔羊被請去進行單獨面試)

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激烈爭吵 (尤指經常發生者)。

例句：

• We get on very well as adults but as kids we fought like cat and dog. (我們長大後相處非常融洽，但小時候我們經常爭吵不休)
• Frank and his wife still love each other very much. But they fight like cat and dog. (法蘭克和他太太彼此仍很相愛，但他們經常大吵大鬧)

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密切監視某人或某物。

例句：

• The teacher watched the pupils like a hawk to make sure they did not cheat on the exam. (老師密切監視學生以確定他們考試不會作弊)
• We had to watch our dog like a hawk in case he ran away. (我們必須密切監視我們的狗以防牠跑掉)

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冒險；做危險的事。

例句：

• No one was ready to bell the cat. (誰都不願意冒險)
• All the employees wanted a pay raise, but nobody offered to bell the cat and talked to their boss. (所有員工都想要加薪，但卻沒人自告奮勇去跟老板談)

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/idioms/idioms_animals.htm