10句英語諺語和它們奇怪來歷
This is a list of phrases we are all familiar with and most likely use from time to time. The origins of these phrases are often unexpected and strange. As you will see on this list, some of them originate in places you simply wouldn’t believe. If you know of any others be sure to share them in the comments. The source for this list was The Book of Beginnings (out of print).
以下列出的是一些我們熟悉的並且經常使用的短句。然而其中一些短句的出處卻是出乎人們意料之外的。從這個列表中你們可以看到，一些短語的出處是你們不敢相信的。如果你們知道其他短語和出處，請不要忘了在評論中與我們分享。這張列表的來源是The Book of Beginnings。
10 Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride 總是伴娘，永遠不是新娘。
This phrase, surprisingly, was used to sell Listerine mouthwash! To promote their product, the manufacturers of Listerine employed the personal experience of girls at the time, who desperately wanted to settle down but seemed always to be left on the shelf. First used in the 1920’s, it portrays a situation and a possible explanation for the lack of success these girls had. Here is the transcript of the ad:
令人吃驚的是，這個短句是李斯德林漱口水的廣告語！爲了促進他們的產品，李斯德林的生產商在當時僱用了一些想要安定下來卻一直被掛起的有個人經驗的女孩。1920年，廣告第一次放映，它描述了一個場景解釋了這些女孩爲什麼沒有成功的可能的原因。以下是廣告的全部：
Poor Edna was getting on for thirty and most of her girlfriends were either already married, or about to tie the knot. How she wished that, instead of being their bridesmaid, she could be the bride! However, any romance of hers invariably ended quickly. There was a reason. Unbeknownst to her, she suffered from bad breath and no one would tell her, not ever her closest friends. The advertisement sold millions of bottles of mouthwash and also gave the English language a new saying!
可憐的艾德娜快要30歲了，她的很多女朋友要麼已經結婚了要麼快要喜結良緣了。她也是多麼希望步入婚姻的殿堂做新娘而不是伴娘啊！~ 然而，所有的浪漫與她總是迅速終結。有一個原因。大家都瞞着她，她有口臭，沒有人會告訴她，即使是她最親密的朋友也沒有告訴她。 這個廣告幫助工廠銷售了百萬瓶漱口水，並且這個新興的英語也流傳了下來。
9 Bark up the wrong tree 錯怪了某人
Originating back when hunting was still a major sport, this phrase came from when animals were used to track, catch or retrieve prey. This applies, not least, to dogs. Dogs were used in the chasing of raccoons, which was chiefly undertaken at night and were trained to indicate the tree in which the animal had taken refuge by barking at it. Of course, even dogs can err and, at times, barked up the wrong tree.
這句話要追溯到以打獵爲主要運動的時代，這時的動物們被用來追蹤、捕獵和取回獵物。這個應用，尤其針對狗。狗在當時被用來追蹤浣熊，一般都在夜晚進行。狗是被訓練過的，可以在浣熊的藏身之樹前大叫。當然，狗也有犯錯的時候，它可能對着錯誤的樹大叫...
8 Be on a good footing 有一個良好的基礎
A pleasant relationship with other people, not least those in a superior position, is portrayed as being ‘on a good footing’ with them. There are two thoughts as to where this saying came from. Some say the phrase goes back to a practice of early apprenticeships. It was the custom, on the first day at work, for apprentices to invite all their workmates for drinks. The new apprentice ‘footed the bill’. If proved a generous host, he made friends for keeps. The hospitality would never be forgotten.
與其他人，尤其是和那些身處高位的人有良好的人際關係表明了你和他們“有良好的基礎”。對於這個短語是從哪來的，有兩種說法。有人說這句話可以追溯到早期學徒的實踐。這是一個傳統，作爲學徒工作的第一天，他要邀請他所有的同事喝飲料。這個新學徒付賬。如果大家認爲他是一個慷慨的東道主，他就會交到朋友。他的朋友們永遠也不會忘記他的盛情款待。
Recalling how much it had cost, it was said the novice gained ‘a good footing’. A second derivation links the phrase with an early and bizarre interpretation of human anatomy, the importance given to the length of one of a person’s digits. At one time, the dimension of the middle toes determined a person’s ‘standing’ in the community. Thus, the measurement of their foot decided their status in the eyes of others. Those whom nature and genes had endowed with large feet were lucky to be ‘on a good footing’. Draw your own conclusions on this one!
當回顧這花銷了多少錢時，被說成是初學者得到了“良好的基礎”。第二個來歷與一個早期的人類解剖學的怪異解釋有關，尤其是一個人的足趾的長度。在某一時期，人的中腳趾的長度決定着他在社會中的“地位”。因此，他們腳的尺寸決定着他們在其他人眼中的地位。那些天生具有大腳的人就被幸運的稱爲“有良好基礎”的人。對於這個短語的來歷，請讀者們自己得出結論吧。
7 Beat around the bush 兜圈子
Someone who doesn’t get to the point is said to ‘beat around the bush’. The origin of this phrase is, undoubtedly, from hunting, and more specifically from the hunting of boars. A ferocious animal, it often hid in the undergrowth and beaters were employed and ordered to go straight in to chase it out. But very much aware, and afraid, of the animals’ sharp tusks, they much preferred to merely ‘beat around the bush’ a practice strongly disapproved of by their masters.
那些講話不說重點的人都在“繞圈子”。這個詞的來歷無疑是來自打獵，特別是打獵公豬。一種兇猛的動物，它經常躲在灌木叢裏，於是人們請來了公豬的剋星，讓它筆直的衝進灌木將公豬逐出。但是出於對公豬鋒利的長牙的警惕和恐懼，他們更喜歡繞着灌木“兜圈子”，嚴重違反了主人的指令。
6 Best foot forward 伸最好的那隻腳（展示最好的一面）
When you are trying to make a good impression it is said that you should put your ‘best foot forward’. There are many options as to where this phrase came from, one being that it was believed that ‘the left’ was the realm of the devil, of evil and misfortune. After all the Latin word sinister means left, and in English sinister has kept its ominous meaning. Hence, it was advisable to keep the left foot behind and step forward with the best, the right, foot first.
如果你想要給人留下一個好印象，也就是說你需要“展示最好的一面”。對於這個詞的來歷有很多個觀點，其中的一個是：人們覺得左腳是惡魔、邪惡和不幸的領域。畢竟在拉丁語中“邪惡”這個詞也意味着“左側”，所以在英語中這個詞還保持着它不幸的含義。所以，人們建議把左腳放在後面，而第一個伸最好的，右腳。
But this phrase seems to have come from the fashion world, rather than the occult. The saying can be traced to male vanity, particularly apparent in the late eighteenth century, the period of the dandy. His desire to attract people’s attention and admiration took strange and elaborate forms. At the time, people imagined that their two legs differed in shape and that ‘normally’ one was more becoming than the other. To draw attention to it they kept the worse one in the background, literally putting ‘their best foot forward’, and with it, of course, their leg.
但是這個詞好像來自時尚界，而不是民間。這個詞可以追溯到男性虛榮心尤其明顯的18世紀末期，那是個花花公子的時代。他用奇怪和巧妙的形式來吸引人們的注意力和讚賞。在當時，人們想象他們的兩條腿在形狀上是不同的，“正常的”一條比另一條要更適宜。爲了使它引人注意，人們把不好的那條腿放在後面，字面上來說就是把“他們的好腳放在了前面”，當然並上這條腿。
5 Bite the bullet 咬住子彈
A person who ‘bites the bullet’, without any sign of fear, acts with great courage in the face of adversity. The phrase recollects a dangerous army practice in the 1850s. Soldiers were then equipped with the British Enfield rifle. Prior to using it, they had to bite off the head of the cartridge to expose the explosive to the spark which would ignite it. The procedure was fraught with danger, particularly so in the heat of battle. It needed firmness and courage, as even the slightest deviation or hesitation would endanger the soldier.
一個“咬住子彈”的人，在逆境中表現得毫無畏懼和勇敢。這詞組回顧了發生在1850年的一次軍隊的危險做法。士兵們全都裝備上了英國Enfield步槍。在使用它之前，士兵們不得不咬掉槍彈頭，使爆炸性物質暴露在火花下，使其點燃。這個過程充滿着危險，特別是在戰爭的氣氛中。這需要沉着和勇氣，因爲即使是輕微的偏差或猶豫都會危及士兵的生命。
4 Blow Hot and Cold 搖擺不定
People who waver in their opinions and quickly change from being enthusiastic to showing disinterest are said to ‘blow hot and cold’. The saying can be traced to one of Aesop’s Fables. It was a cold winter’s day, and the freezing traveler was blowing on his stiff fingers.
那些搖擺於他們的意見中，並迅速由熱情變爲毫無興趣的人叫“搖擺不定”。這成語可以追溯到一篇伊索寓言。這是一個寒冷的冬日，一個凍僵着的旅行者正對着他僵硬的手指哈氣。
Mystified, a satyr wanted to know what he was doing. The man explained to him that, with his breath, he was warming his chilled fingers. Taking pity on him, the satyr invited the man to his home for a hot meal. This time, he watched him blowing on the food, which intrigued him all the more. Inquiring why he did so, his guest explained that he was blowing on the stew to cool it down. There and then the satyr told the traveler to leave at once. He was not prepared to entertain, or even mix with, someone who could ‘blow hot and cold from the same mouth’.
一個森林之神大惑不解，他想知道男子在做什麼。該名男子向他解釋說，他正用他的呼吸溫暖他冰冷的手指。森林之神可憐這個男子就邀請他到他家中吃點熱的食物。這一次，森林之神看見他更感興趣的對着食物吹着氣。又詢問他爲什麼這樣做，他的客人解釋說，對着燉菜吹可以使熱菜涼下來。之後，森林之神要求這個旅行者立即離開。他沒有準備好招待，甚至沒有準備好和那些可以“從同一張嘴裏既吐出冷氣又吐出熱氣”的人相識。
3 Break a leg 斷一條腿 (好運)
To wish an actor prior to his going on stage to ‘break a leg’ is a well-known practice. A pretty strange wish, actually it is meant magically to bring him luck and make sure that his performance will be a success. From the superstitious age it was thought that jealous forces, always present, are only too anxious to spoil any venture. A good luck wish would alert and provoke them to do their evil work, whilst a curse will make them turn their attention elsewhere. The underlying principle is the belief that if you wish evil, then good will come. I’m sure it’s called reverse psychology these days.
在一個演員上臺之前預祝他“斷一條腿”是一個衆所周知的行爲。這是一個奇怪的祝福，事實上，這意味着神奇般的帶給他好運和確保他的演出成功。在迷信的歲月裏，人們認爲一直存在的嫉妒的力量是十分急躁的，它會破壞任何冒險。一個好運的祝福會警惕並促使他們做邪惡的工作，然而詛咒會轉移他們的注意力。最基本的理論就是，如果你的祝福邪惡，好運反會來臨。我覺得這個現在叫做逆反心理。
2 Bury the hatchet 埋了斧頭（放下屠刀）
To bury the hatchet means to create peace. With hostilities at an end, the hatchet was no longer needed, and therefore could be disposed of. Now a merely figurative expression, the phrase is based on an actual practice of North American Indians. When negotiating peace, they buried all their weapons; their tomahawks, scalping knives and clubs. Apart from showing their good faith, simultaneously it made it impossible for them to go on fighting.
"埋了斧頭“意味着創建和平。敵意已經到頭了，斧頭也沒有了用武之處，所以應該擱置起來了。這是個形象化的表達，這個俗語是建立在北美印地安人的實際做法上的。當和平談判時，他們會把所有的武器：斧鉞勾叉，棍棒等全部掩埋。除了顯示他們的誠意外，同時，這樣做他們也不可能繼續戰鬥。
1 By hook or by crook 用各種鉤子（不擇手段）
The achievement of a goal with determination, by fair means or foul, is described as getting things done ‘by hook or by crook’. The origin of this phrase is linked with an early British practice, at a time when forests were still the exclusive property of royalty. For any unauthorized commoner, then, to gather firewood in them was a crime, poor people being the only exception. Though they were not permitted to cut or saw off branches, they were free to remove withered timber from the ground or even a tree, doing so by means of either a hook or a crook.
不管用正義還是非正義的手段來實現決定的目標被描述爲“不擇手段”。這個成語的來由是和早先英國的一個行爲有關，那時候森林還是皇家的專屬財產。對於任何未經授權的平民，收集木柴是犯罪的，唯獨窮人是個特例。雖然他們不被允許砍伐或運送木材，但是他們可以自由的從地上或是樹上“用各種鉤子”把枯萎的樹枝拉走。
