酒好客自來 (貨好無須做廣告)

英譯:
good wine needs no bush

例句:
If it be true that good wine needs no bush, it’s true that a good play needs no epilogue. (好酒無須掛招牌,好戲不必收場白)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
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兩人成伴,三人不歡

英譯:
two’s company, three’s a crowd

註:這成語常略作 two’s company,大多用在情侶關係上,兩人世界多甜 蜜,當有第三者或電燈泡 (a third wheel) 出現時,誰還會高興呢!

例句:
If your girlfriend’s coming with us, I’ll think of some excuse to come home early. Two’s company, three’s a crowd. (如果你女友要跟我們一起去,我就找個藉口早點回家。兩人成伴,三人不歡)

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舊瓶(裝)新酒

英譯:
put new wine in/into old bottles

這成語比喻雖力求革新,但仍無法掙脫桎梏,只能拘泥在舊有的模式或制度裡表現新意。

例句:

  • Our organization is a brand-new one, so you can present any new ideas. You will never meet with putting new wine into old bottles. (我們是個全新的機構,所以你可以提出任何新的構想,絕不會碰到舊瓶裝新酒的情況)

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動一根汗毛

英譯:
harm a hair of someone’s head

例句:

  • “My dear love,” said the elder lady, as she folded the weeping girl in her bosom, “do you think I would harm a hair of his head?” (「親愛的,」那位年長的夫人一邊說,一邊把那個哭泣的女孩摟在懷裡,「你想我會碰他一根汗毛嗎?」)-英國大文豪狄更斯 (Charles Dickens) 名著《孤雛淚》(Oliver Twist) 中的句子。
  • If the kidnapper harms a hair of my daughter’s head, I’ll kill him. (如果綁匪敢動我女兒一根汗毛,我就殺了他)

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貴人多忘事

英譯:
have a memory/mind/head like a sieve

例句:

  • I was introduced to the manager twice, but I still cannot remember his name—I’ve got a memory like a sieve. (我曾兩次被介紹跟這位經理認識,但我仍記不住他的名字 - 我真是貴人多忘事)
  • I’ve never known anyone so forgetful—she’s got a mind like a sieve. (我還沒見過這麼健忘的人 - 她的記性真差)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
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光說不練;只會坐而言,不會起而行

英譯:
be all mouth and trousers; be all mouth and no trousers

註:be all mouth and trousers 和 be all mouth and no trousers 字面的意思分別為「光有嘴巴和褲子」及「光有嘴巴,沒有褲子」。但我們也可以更簡單地說成 be all mouth,只是語氣較弱。

例句:

  • They talked all night about how to solve the problems, but wouldn’t do anything to help. Their trouble was that they were all mouth and trousers. (他們整晚都在談論該如何解決這些問題,但就是不肯動手幫忙。他們的毛病就是光說不練)
  • We did not vote for him because he was known to be all mouth and no trousers. (我們沒有投票給他,因為大家都知道他只會坐而言,不會起而行)

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瞠目結舌

英譯:
someone’s eyes (nearly/almost/practically) popped out of one’s head

例句:

  • My sister showed me the ring Jim gave her, and my eyes popped out of my head. It was so beautiful. (我姊姊給我看吉姆送她的戒指,我驚訝地瞠目結舌。戒指真是太漂亮了)
  • When he told me how much money he was earning, my eyes almost popped out of my head. (當他告訴我他賺多少錢時,我驚訝地瞠目結舌)

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要某人好看;叫某人吃不了 (或吃不完) 兜著走;給某人顏色瞧瞧

英譯:
(will) have someone’s guts for garters

例句:

  • If I catch you smoking again I’ll have your guts for garters. (如果我再抓到你抽煙,我會叫你吃不完兜著走)
  • The students had to finish their English assignment before lunchtime or else the teacher would have their guts for garters. (學生必須在午飯前完成他們的英文作業,否則老師就會給他們顏色瞧瞧)

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姑息養奸;護惡養奸

英譯:
nurse a viper in one’s bosom

例句:

  • The leaders of that political party will soon be forced to admit that they have been nursing vipers in their bosom─that man’s ideas could lose them a lot of public support. (那個政黨的領導人不久將不得不承認他們一直在姑息養奸 — 那個人的主意可能使他們失去許多民眾的支持)
  • Your brother is a drug addict, and you have nursed a viper in your bosom. (你哥哥是個毒蟲,而你卻一直護惡養奸)

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有失才有得;有得必有失

英譯:
one/you can’t (or cannot) make an omelet (or omelette) without breaking eggs

例句:
Twenty jobs will have to be cut if the company’s going to be made more efficient. But you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. (如果這家公司要更有效率,那麼它必須裁員 20 人。但有失才有得)

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