生死存亡;成敗攸關

英譯:
sink or swim

例句:
He has refused to give us any more help, and has left us to sink or swim by our own efforts. (他拒絕再給我們任何幫助,讓我們自找生路)

He was left by his family to sink or swim by himself. (他遭家人遺棄,生死存亡一切得靠自己)

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佛要金裝,人要衣裝

英譯:
clothes make the man

例句:
Clothes make the man, dressed to the nines. (佛要金裝,人要衣裝,盛裝赴會)

Some women have used “Clothes make the woman” to mean the same thing as “Clothes make the man” because of their belief that this is gender equality. (一些女性使用 “Clothes make the woman” 來表示 “Clothes make the man” 的意思,因為她們認為這是性別平等)

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Melted, molten (adjs.)

Melted 為 melt 的過去式和過去分詞,但也可當 (分詞) 形容詞用,意為「熔化的;融化的」,如 The chocolate (has) melted. (巧克力融化了);melted chocolate/butter (融化了的巧克力/奶油)。談到 melt,與其相關的一句讚美食物的成語亦值得學習,因為它經常用得到,那就是 melt in the mouth (入口即化),如 These chocolates really melt in your mouth. (這些巧克力真的是入口即化)。

Molten 的意思與 melted 相同,但僅用於需要非常高的溫度才會熔化的物質,亦即熔點 (melting point) 很高的物質 (如岩石、金屬或玻璃),如 molten rock/metal (熔化的岩石/金屬)。

投鼠忌器;自己有過勿道他人之短

英譯:
people/those who live in glass houses should not throw stones

例句:
“People who live in glass houses should not throw stones” is a saying, meaning people with faults of their own should take care not to attack the faults of others. (People who live in glass houses should not throw stones 是句諺語,意為「自己有缺點就別揭人家短處」)

Mary says that Amy is selfish, but Mary is more selfish herself. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. (瑪麗說艾美自私自利,但她自己更自私自利。自己有同樣缺點的人最好不要說別人)

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人在屋簷下,不得不低頭;飢不擇食

英譯:
beggars can’t be choosers

例句:
I asked Tom to lend me his bicycle, and he sent me this old, rusty one. But beggars can’t be choosers. (我要湯姆將他的腳踏車借給我,而他卻送來這台老舊又生鏽的腳踏車。沒辦法,人在屋簷下,不得不低頭。)

Mary: Let me wear your green dress; I don’t like the blue one you lent me. Alice: Beggars can’t be choosers. (瑪麗:我要穿妳的綠色洋裝;我不喜歡妳借我的那件藍色的。愛麗絲:人在屋簷下,不得不低頭。)

註:Beggars can’t be choosers. 有「人在屋簷下,不得不低頭」和「飢不擇食」這兩個意思,所以翻譯時端賴上下文的意思而定。

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拋磚引玉;吃小虧佔大便宜;以小魚釣大魚;用小本賺大錢

英譯:
(throw) a sprat to catch a mackerel/whale

例句:
The policy aims mainly to throw a sprat to catch a mackerel. (這項政策旨在拋磚引玉)

Every week I invest one hundred NT dollars on the lottery tickets. It’s a sprat to catch a mackerel because one day I could win one hundred million. (我每個禮拜都花一百元買樂透彩,這完全是一種小冒險求大利的行動,因為有一天我可能會中1億元)

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Q:有人說,當 cut, hit 等動詞的受詞為身體部位時,該身體部位的前面不能用代名詞所有格 (如 my, her, your),而必須用定冠詞 (the),如 He hit me in the (不是 my) eye.,He punched the woman on the (不是 her) chest.;但也有人說,He cut his chin. 是正確的,而 He cut the chin. 是錯誤的。我要問的問題有二:1. 從例句來看,身體部位前的介系詞有時用 in,有時用 on,這是否意謂不同的部位要使用不同的介系詞,如何判斷? 2. 若 He cut the chin. 不對,這不是違背前述的規則了嗎?

A:問題中所述的文法觀念,可用下面的句型來解說:

「cut, hit, pat, punch, strike 等動詞 + someone (身體部位的所有人) + in/on + the + 身體部位」。

從這個句型可以看出,cut 等動詞後面要接人當受詞,然後再接由 in 或 on 所構成的介系詞片語。所以,當句子不是以這種型態出現時,身體部位前面要使用所有格,而非定冠詞。這就是 He cut his chin. 正確,而 He cut the chin. 錯誤的原因。一般而言,這些介系詞片語通常使用定冠詞,尤其是在被動結構以及當身體部位的所有人是做為動詞的受詞而非主詞時。所以,若 He cut the chin. 改為 He cut himself on the chin. 就正確了。試比較下面兩句:

  • He cut himself on his chin. (誤) — 這句的意思應是說「他刮鬍鬚時割到了下巴」。
  • He cut himself on the chin. (正)
    = He cut his chin.

根據上述規則,再舉兩例來證明:

  • He was cut on his chin. (誤)
  • He was cut on the chin. (正)
  • He hit me on my chin. (誤)
  • He hit me on the chin. (正)

至於身體部位前面的介系詞要使用 in 還是 on 的問題,在此提供一個粗略的規則給大家做為判斷之用。一般而言,堅硬、突出的部位通常使用 on,如 on the back/head/should/nose,而柔軟、凹陷的部位則使用 in,如 in the eye/face/chest/stomach。在舉例說明之前,有一點必須指出,那就是 chest 一般都用 in the chest,而非問題中的 on the chest:

  • If you give me $50, you can kick me in the stomach. (如果你給我50元,你就可以踢我的肚子)
  • Last night a guy grabbed a bat and beat me in the face. (昨晚有個傢伙手持球棒毆打我的臉)
  • He punched the man on the nose. (他揮拳重擊那名男子的鼻樑)
  • The woman walked up to him and slapped him in the face twice. (那位婦女走上前去打了他兩記耳光)
    = The woman walked up to him and slapped his face twice.
  • You shouldn’t criticize your husband so much. Why don’t you pat him on the back occasionally? (你不該老是責備你先生,何不偶爾也誇獎他一下呢?) — 句中的 “pat someone on the back” 是個成語,意為「讚揚,誇獎」。

近廟欺神;親暱生狎侮;過度親密,易生侮慢之心

英譯:
familiarity breeds contempt

例句:
The movie star doesn’t let anyone get to know him, because he knows that familiarity breeds contempt. (這位電影明星不讓任何人跟他混得太熟,因為他知道過度親密,易生侮慢之心)

You two are going to find it difficult living and working together. Familiarity breeds contempt, you know. (你們兩人將會發現生活和工作都在一起是有困難的。親暱生狎侮嗎!)

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驕兵必敗;驕者必敗

英譯:
pride goes before a fall

例句:
You must learn to be modest because pride goes before a fall. (你必須學習謙虛,因為驕兵必敗)

Susan: I’m the best student in my history class. I’m sure I can pass the exam without studying very hard. Sam: Be careful. Pride goes before a fall, you know. (蘇珊:我是我們班上歷史課最優秀的學生。我確信我不用太用功就可通過考試。山姆:當心哦! 驕者必敗)

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否極泰來;苦盡甘來;雨過天晴

英譯:
after a storm comes a calm; after the storm comes a calm; the calm after a storm

例句:
Don’t worry again, Tom, after a storm comes a calm. All bad things are gone, and everything will get better and better. (湯姆,別再擔心了,否極泰來。所有不好的事情都已過去,未來一切將會越來越好)

John: I can’t believe how peaceful the office is today, when yesterday everyone was threatening to quit. Jane: After a storm comes a calm. (約翰:我不敢相信今天辦公室會這麼平靜,昨天大家不是還揚言要辭職嗎! 珍:雨過天晴)

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