live high off/on the hog

過舒適奢華的生活。

例句:

  • After they discovered oil on their land, they lived pretty high off the hog. (在他們的土地被發現石油後,他們就過著相當舒適奢華的生活)
  • He was a billionaire who lived high on the hog at all times. (他以前是億萬富豪,一直過著舒適奢華的生活)

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(as) slippery as an eel

(指人) 滑頭的;不可信賴的。

例句:

  • You’d be mad to go into business with Tony. He’s as slippery as an eel. (你一定是瘋了才跟東尼做生意。他不可信賴)
  • I advise you not to do business with Jack. He’s as slippery as an eel. (我勸你別和傑克做生意。他滑頭得很)

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投桃報李

英譯:
You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. / If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. / I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.

例句:

  • I’ll grab the box on the top shelf if you will creep under the table and pick up my pen. You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours. (如果你願意爬到桌子下面撿我的筆,我也願意把架子最上面的箱子拿下來。你幫我,我也幫你,投桃報李)
  • I do have some information you might be interested in, but what can you offer me in return? You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. (我真的有一些你可能感興趣的資訊,但你要拿什麼來回報呢?投桃報李啊!)

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Catch a Tartar

字義:抓到一個韃靼人

轉喻:遇到勁敵

說明:韃靼人是指 13 世紀初期在成吉思汗 (Genghis Khan, 1162-1227) 領導下征服西亞和東歐、燒殺擄掠的突厥和蒙古族 (Turkic and Mongolian peoples) 或其後裔。韃靼人剽悍、兇狠、驍勇、善戰,有如張飛賣刺蝟,人強貨扎手,是對手眼中「可怕的勁敵」。然而,即使如此,韃靼人都被抓到了,為何還會變成勁敵,而「抓到韃靼人」會引申為「遇到強敵」的意思呢!?

根據英國詞典編纂者 E. Cobham Brewer (1810-1897) 在 1870 年出版的《Dictionary of Phrase and Fable》一書,一名在大英帝國軍隊服役的愛爾蘭士兵,在一場與土耳其軍隊的戰役中抓到一名韃靼人,於是他就喜孜孜地對不遠處的一名戰友高喊說:「我抓到一個韃靼人」。
「那麼把他帶過來」他的戰友說。
「但他不過去」愛爾蘭士兵叫喊著說。
「那麼你自己過來」他的戰友說。
「天啊!但願我能過去,可是他不讓我離開」愛爾蘭士兵回答說。

Tartar (或 tartar) 這個字後來被引申為「剽悍的人;難對付的人」,現今還意為「牙垢;牙石」。

例句:

  • Now that Kelly finally agreed to meet with you, you just might find that you’ve caught a Tartar. (既然凱莉終於同意跟你見面,你可能會發現你遭遇了更強的對手 - 強中自有強中手)
  • Anthony hadn’t been married for long when he realized he had caught a tartar. (安東尼結婚不久就瞭解到他娶了一個潑婦)

己所不欲,勿施於人

英譯:
do as you would be done by

例句:

  • The age-old wisdom of “do as you would be done by” doesn’t seem to apply in business. (「己所不欲,勿施於人」這古諺似乎不適用於商界)
  • I will endeavor to “do as you would be done by.” (我會努力做到「己所不欲,勿施於人」)

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An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

一天一蘋果,醫生遠離我。

例句:

  • Remember to take an apple in your dinner today. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (記得今天晚餐要吃蘋果。一天一蘋果,醫生遠離我)
  • Grandma always fed us lots of apples when we visited her. She believed that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. (每次我們去看奶奶,她總是給我們吃很多蘋果。她相信一天一蘋果,醫生遠離我)

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