跟莎士比亞學口語:莎翁創造的短語(1)
提到莎士比亞,很多人想到的是英國文豪,劇作家,四大悲劇,四大喜劇這些標籤。可是大家知道嗎,莎士比亞還是一位“造詞專家”——他給英語語言貢獻了比任何人都多的詞彙,短語和表達。現在我們使用的很多短語和詞彙,都是當年莎翁自己創造出來的,這些用法有的需要結合一定的文化背景去理解,有的則在時代變換中融入了人們的生活,並有了新的發展。
想要學好英語,深入理解英國文化的底蘊,莎士比亞可謂是不可不讀。當然啦,術業有專攻,爲了讓大家更便捷地瞭解相關知識,英語君特意爲大家總結了一些由莎士比亞發明,實用性比較強的短語,並在後面進行了註釋,趕快來學習,用起來吧。
1.A fool’s paradise
愚人的天堂,基於虛無縹緲的希望的幸福狀態,假想的/自欺欺人的快樂
英文解釋:a state of happiness that is based on mistaken beliefs or false ideas
出自:在《羅米歐與朱麗葉》中,朱麗葉的nurse警告羅密歐不要把朱麗葉引入愚人的天堂:
“ first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behavior...”
e.g. We are headed for economic trouble, and anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a fool's paradise.
我們正在向經濟困難邁進,所有不相信的人都是在自欺欺人。
下次想提醒別人,尤其是戀愛中的夥伴不要盲目地抱有幻想時就可以這麼說啦。
’s all one to me.
無所謂,對我來說都一樣。
英文解釋:An indifference as to the choice between options; one thing is as good as another.
出自:Troilus and Cressida 《特洛埃勒斯與克雷雪達》
Because she's kin to me, therefore she's not so fair as Helen: an she were not kin to me, she would be as fair on Friday as Helen is on Sunday. But what care I? I care not an she were a black-a-moor; 'tis all one to me.
註釋:在現在的用法裏,更常見的是It’s all the same to me.
e.g. —Would you prefer to go out for a meal or eat in?—It's all the same to me. / It’s all one to me.
—你想出去吃還是在家吃? ——隨便。
當別人讓你選擇,而你覺得無所謂的時候,就可以這麼回答。
that glitters is not gold
閃光的未必都是是金子;有光鮮外表的未必都是值錢的。
英文解釋:not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so.
出自:The Merchant of Venice 《威尼斯商人》
e.g. Don’t be fooled by its shiny appearance, as a saying goes: All that glitters is not gold.
別被它華麗的外表矇蔽了,閃光的不一定是金子。
good luck would have it
碰巧的是;幸運(不幸)的是
英文解釋:by good or bad luck; as it turned out; by chance
出自:The Merry Wives of Windsor 《溫莎的風流娘們兒》
註釋:現在最常使用的是簡化版的 As luck would have it,此處的luck既可以指好運也可以指壞的運氣。
e.g. As luck would have it, it rained the day of the picnic.
不幸的是,野營的那天正好下雨。
and baggage
全部財產,完全地
英文解釋:All of one's possessions.
出自:這個短語的淵源和軍事有關,”bag and baggage”指的是一支軍隊以及其中的士兵的全部物品。leave bag and baggage” 的意思是離開一個地方,什麼也不留下。後來,莎士比亞在作品《皆大歡喜》中使用了這個短語。
e.g. They had a bitter quarrel last night. She left the house this morning, bag and baggage.
他們昨晚大吵了一架。她今天早上就帶着所有的東西離開了房子。
arisons are odious
人比人氣死人
英文解釋:to compare two different things or persons is unhelpful or misleading. People should be judged on their own merits. 把不同的事物放在一起比較是沒有意義的,應該根據每個個體有獨有的優點去評價。
出自:Much Ado About Nothing 《無事生非》
莎翁的這一碗人生雞湯,你喝不喝?
fight fire with fire
以其人之道還其人之身
英文解釋:Respond to an attack by using a similar method as one's attacker。
出自:King John 《約翰王》
Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;
Threaten the threatener and outface the brow
Of bragging horror
註釋:表達“以牙還牙”還可以說 an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,不過這些表達在口語中還是否定的用法比較多,畢竟報復並不是理智的行爲。An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
聲明:本雙語文章的中文翻譯系原創內容,轉載請註明出處。中文翻譯僅代表譯者個人觀點,僅供參考。如有不妥之處,歡迎指正。