風水輪流轉

英譯:
every dog has its/his day

例句:

  • Don’t worry, you’ll get chosen for the volleyball team. Every dog has its day. (別擔心,你會獲選加入排球隊。風水輪流轉)
  • You may become famous someday. Every dog has his day. (有朝一日你可能會出名。風水輪流轉)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/idioms/idioms_chinese-1.htm

there’s one born every minute

總會有人受騙上當的;天下不怕沒有笨蛋;笨蛋無處不在。

例句:

  • He left a window open and then wondered why he’d been burgled! There’s one born every minute, isn’t there? (他有個窗戶沒關,卻納悶他家為何會遭小偷! 這個世界永遠不怕沒有笨蛋,不是嗎?)
  • I sold my old computer to someone who paid me more than double what it’s really worth. Well, there’s one born every minute. (我把我那部舊電腦賣給人家,他付給我的錢比電腦現在實際價值多了一倍以上。嘿,笨蛋真是無處不在)

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

寬以待人如待己;自己活,也讓別人活

英譯:
live and let live

例句:

  • I don’t care what they do! Live and let live, I always say. (我不介意他們做什麼! 我經常說,寬以待人如待己)
  • His parents are strict. Mine just live and let live. (他的父母嚴以待人。我的雙親則是寬以待人如待己)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/idioms/idioms_chinese-2.htm

Benjamin’s mess

字義:便雅憫的那一份

轉喻:最大的一份

說明:這成語出自舊約聖經《創世紀》(Genesis),Benjamin (聖經譯名為「便雅憫」,與一般的「班傑明」翻譯有所不同) 是雅各 (Jacob) 和拉結 (Rachel) 最小的兒子,但他最初並非叫做便雅憫。由於拉結生便雅憫時難產,她在臨死前,給她的幼子取名「便俄尼」(Ben-Oni),意為「苦難之子」(son of suffering)。拉結撒手西歸後,雅各將便俄尼改名為「便雅憫」,意為「右手之子」(son of the right hand) 或「賜福之子」(son of blessing)。

拉結死後,雅各對拉結所生的便雅憫和約瑟 (Joseph) 疼愛有加。這引起雅各與其他女人所生的兒子們對便雅憫和約瑟的嫉妒。他們將約瑟賣給一個商人,後者將約瑟帶到埃及。但約瑟 30 多歲就開始治理整個埃及。在他的努力下,埃及成為一個繁榮富庶的國家。當所有國家都在鬧饑荒時,只有埃及還有充足的糧食供應。

雅各與其他女人所生的幾個兒子到埃及買糧,約瑟堅持不見到便雅憫就不售糧,這些同父異母的兄弟只好回去把便雅憫帶來。當便雅憫終於出現在眼前時,約瑟忍不住放聲大哭。約瑟盛宴款待自己的兄弟們,便雅憫所得到的食物是其兄弟的五倍。便雅憫和其他兄弟要回國時,約瑟給每人一套衣服,但便雅憫卻得到五套新衣服和三百錫克爾 (Shekel - 現在也是以色列的貨幣名) 的銀幣。

Mess 是個相當常用的字,有多個意思,包括「混亂,凌亂 (的狀態),髒亂 (的東西);困境,一團糟;一份食物;足夠一餐吃的量」等;此外,在口語中,它還意為「生活一團糟的人,邋遢的人;動物糞便」。而在 Benjamin’s mess 中,mess 的意思相當於 portion,所以這成語字面上意為「便雅憫的那一份」。由於便雅憫的那一份比別人多五倍 (Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs.),因此引申為「最大的一份」。

例句:

  • In the joint venture, Benjamin’s mess of the benefit will go to him. (在這家合資企業,利潤中最大的一份要歸他所有)

小別勝新婚;人不在,情更深;眼不見,心更念

英譯:
absence makes the heart grow fonder

例句:

  • Ever since Amy’s husband went on a business trip, she can’t stop thinking about him. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. (艾美在她先生出差後就不停地想他。小別勝新婚)
  • A: It is much easier to get along with your parents when you live away from home. You miss them so much and are glad when you see them. (當你住在外面時,你會更容易跟父母相處。你會很想念他們,每當看到他們都會很高興)
    B: It’s true. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. (的確如此。眼不見,心更念)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/idioms/idioms_chinese-1.htm

in someone’s bad/black books; in someone’s good books

失去某人的歡心;得到某人的歡心。

註:Books 原指記錄呆帳 (bad debt) 的帳冊。

例句:

  • I’m in my dad’s bad/black books because I didn’t clean the bathroom yesterday. (我爸爸對我很不滿,因為我昨天沒有清洗浴室)
  • I washed the car this morning so I’m in Mum’s good books. (我今天早上洗了車,所以媽媽對我很滿意)

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

木已成舟

英譯:
what’s done cannot be undone

例句:

  • Kelly: I wish I hadn’t insulted Maria. Laura: What’s done cannot be undone. (凱莉:但願我沒有羞辱瑪麗亞。蘿拉:木已成舟)
  • Wendy soon regretted telling David that she loved him, but she knew that what’s done cannot be undone. (溫蒂很快就後悔對大衛說,她愛他,但她知道木已成舟)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/idioms/idioms_chinese-1.htm

have one’s fingers in the till; with one’s fingers in the till

偷或竊取本店、本公司或自己所任職之工作場所的錢 (尤指金額不多但已持續一段時間)。

例句:

  • He had his fingers in the till, and that’s why he lost his job. (他偷了他店裡的錢,所以被炒魷魚了)
  • Jordan was caught with his fingers in the till. (喬登在偷他公司的錢時當場被逮)

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

及時行樂

英譯:
eat, drink, and be merry (, for tomorrow we die)

註:這成語的完整寫法是 eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,但一般都簡要地寫成 eat, drink, and be merry (亦可寫成 to eat, and to drink, and to be merry)。這成語出自聖經中的傳道書 (Ecclesiastes):A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry. (人在太陽底下,莫強如吃喝歡樂)

例句:

  • Bill: No cake for me, thank you. I’m on a diet. Amy: But, Bill, this is a birthday party. Eat, drink, and be merry. (比爾:我不要蛋糕,謝謝。我正在節食。艾美:但是,比爾,這是生日派對。及時行樂吧)
  • Nina encouraged all her guests to eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. (妮娜鼓勵她的所有客人要及時行樂,因為我們明天就死了)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/idioms/idioms_chinese-1.htm