《英语词汇背后的故事》笔记

《英语词汇背后的故事》笔记 A

A-1两个“第一”，表示“第一流的”、“头等的”、“顶呱呱的” He's an A-1 lawyer.

Yesterday I was ill but today I'm feeling A-1.

a baker's dozen十三

相传英国古代买一打面包，面包师常给13个

另外，a devil's dozen, a printer's dozen也表示“十三”

Although we had ordered only twelve, the storekeeper gave us a baker's dozen.

a blue streak一闪而过的东西，连珠炮似的讲话

指一个人话说的天花乱坠或唠叨不休，也可用talk off a donkey's (a dog's, a horse's)hind leg把驴、狗或马的后腿都讲断了；或用talk one's head off把某人的头讲断，talk one's ears off说到烦死人，喋喋不休

Once she starts talking, she's talk a blue streak.

a bull in a china shop鲁莽闯祸的人 源于1816年英国到中国交涉贸易惨遭失败

She accidentally broke the coffee pot, she really is like a bull in a china shop.

academy学院，研究院，学术协会

Academus农庄外的小树林，后来柏拉图讲学的地方

She was from the Royal Academy of Arts.皇家艺术学会

according to Cocker正确可靠

爱德华?寇克(Edward Cocker,1631~1675)英国著名数学家。此短语意为：根据公认的准则、严格地、正确无误地

It's all right, according to Cocker.

Achilles' hell(The heel of Achilles)致命弱点

阿基里斯之踵，典故出自荷马史诗《伊利亚德》(Iliad)

The enemy's Achilles' heel was his castle defenses.城堡防务

Adam's apple喉结 亚当(Adam)的苹果

Adam's apple can be more clearly seen on men than women's throats.

a feather in one's cap荣誉，值得骄傲的事 在头饰上插羽毛，以示夸耀，cap帽子

It is no small feather in a man's cap if he is no worse than his friends.一个人如果不比朋友差，就是一件值得骄傲的事。

a freedom of Pan逍遥自在

潘(pan)是希腊神话中的一个牧羊神

We found a freedom of Pan in the great nature.

after us the deluge身后之事，与我何关 我们身后洪水泛滥，deluge n.洪水，泛滥

Let's go for an outing. After us the deluge！快快活活玩玩吧

Aladdin's lamp阿拉丁神灯，能实现一切愿望的法宝 Knowledge is the true Aladdin's lamp to everyone.

Althaea's brand风云难测

王后阿尔泰娅(Althaea)之子美尔利佳(Meleager)怒杀两位舅舅。Meleager也指“行动矫健的人”

Althaea's brand exists in the course of human life while mutability of weather the nature.天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福。

Ambitious as Phaeton自命不凡，骄傲自大

费顿(Phaeton)是太阳神阿波罗与人间女子克里曼(Clymene)之子 How can we trust a Paeton to do this?

amuse娱乐，消遣，使发笑

希腊神话中，掌管文艺、音乐、天文等的九位缪斯(Muses)女神，据说是记忆女神的女儿。 She is amused at reading novels.

an albatross round somebody's neck(The albatross about somebody's hang)引咎自责的警物

出自英国诗人柯律芝（1772~1834）的《老水手之歌》，“把信天翁套在某人的脖子上”表示“提醒某人不要再犯错的警示”，有时也表示“把责任推到某人头上”。

The killer has an albatross round his neck for the rest of his life.这名凶手的下半辈子都难辞其咎

an ass in a lion's skin虎皮羊质，外强中干，色厉内荏 出自《伊索寓言》两则与驴有关的故事

Everybody knows that he is an ass in a lion's skin.

Annie Oakley优惠券，免费入场券

安妮?奥克利(Annie Oakley)是美国著名神枪手菲比?安妮?奥克利??摩西(Phoebe Annie Oakley Mozee,1860~1926)的艺名

He gave me two annie oakleys to the concert.

apple苹果

早先的欧洲人把所有的果实都称为apple。pineapple（菠萝）其实是the apple of pine;另外love apple指“番茄”。peach（桃子）是由Persian（波斯）传入欧洲，即Persian apple。香蕉banana在阿拉伯语中是“手指头”，葡萄grape在法语中则是“一连串”

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

apple of discord不和的种子，祸根

希腊神话中引发“特洛伊战争”(the Trojan War)的金苹果 He is an apple of discord wherever he appears. discord n.冲突

apple pie order有条不紊，井然有序

做事有条有理，制作苹果馅饼(apple pie)时，都把苹果片(apple slices)切得大小相当 The house was in apple pie order, ready for immediate occupation.立即搬进去住

apple polishing(To polish the apple)

送苹果给老师的学生被称为apple polisher，后来称为送礼巴结、讨好奉承的人 也可说：to soft soap涂软肥皂，讨好巴结，to butter up涂上黄油，逢迎奉承 Susan is the boss's pet because she always polishes the apple. polish n.&v.磨光，擦亮

Ariadne's thread在困惑中得到指点

阿里亚德妮的线，雅典王子赛修斯(Theseus)借此逃出迷宫

We need an Ariadne's thread to guide us through all these difficulties. thread n.线

armed to the teeth武装到牙齿，全副武装

They went into the examination room, armed to the teeth with pens, pencils, and rulers.

as shy as Daphne羞羞答答

爱神丘比特(Cupid)对太阳神阿波罗射了一只爱情神箭，却对露水神黛芬妮(Daphne)射了一只拒绝爱情的铅箭

Would you please tell me the name of that girl who looks as shy as Daphne?

atmosphere空气，大气

sphere是指球体，岩石圈(lithosphere)、水圈(hyrosphere)，在希腊语中atmos（蒸汽）加上sphere

atom原子

古希腊语中atomos代表“不可分”

Attic salt典雅而意义深刻的妙语

阿提卡(Attica)位于希腊半岛东南部，此处产的盐别具风味。也可写做Attic wit Mr.Marshall's writings were full of Attic wit. wit n.智慧，才智 B

bank河岸，银行

bank源自拉丁语bancus，原指“平坦的东西”，平坦的木制长凳叫bench，另外：blood bank血库，fishing bank渔场 from bank to bank (矿工)从入坑到出坑(时间)

bark at the moon(Bay the moon)枉费心机 “狂犬吠月”比喻徒劳无益

I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, than such a Roman.（莎士比亚戏剧《尤里斯凯撒》第四幕）

We are baying at the moon.我们真是枉费心机

bark up the wrong tree看错目标

猎犬对着没有猎物的树乱叫，比喻“精力花在不该花的地方”、“找错地方”、“认错人”、“看错目标”等

If he thinks he can fool me, he is barking up the wrong tree.

Barmecide口惠而不实的人 出自《一千零一夜》，吝啬的巴格达王子巴梅塞(Barmecide)，巴梅塞宴会(Barmecide's feast)表示“画饼充饥的酒宴”、“虚假的殷勤”、“佯装的好意”

His boss is a Barmecide. She promised to raise his salary, but I think it was only a Barmecide's feast.

barnstorm各地巡回演出，四处游说

过去的表演艺人在乡村的谷仓进行表演“大闹谷仓” ，后比喻政客“四处游说”

be a Diana抱独身主义的女子

太阳神阿波罗的孪生妹妹——月亮女神戴安娜(Diana)，是处女的保护神和狩猎女神。 -I've not seen her huaband although we've been colleagues for a long time. -Of course not!Don't you know she is a Diana?

be a Jason负心汉，薄情郎

希腊神话故事中，伊阿宋(Jason)夺得王位，却忘恩负义抛弃美狄亚(Medea)公主 Why can you fail in love with a Jason?

bear a Bellerophon letter找死，自寻死路 源自希腊神话，贝洛方被陷害未成，a Bellerophon letter指“对送信人十分不利的信件”，引申为“自寻死路”

You’re just bearing a Bellerophon letter if you do so.

bell the cat采取冒险行动 《伊索寓言》在猫的脖子上系铃铛(bell the cat)，比喻说得容易做来难(speaking is easier than doing)，后演变成“冒险犯难”或“在危险中挺身而出”

bite on the bullet忍辱负重，忍气吞声

战场上受伤士兵咬住一颗子弹来减轻痛苦

Bite on the bullet. Don’t let them think you are afraid.勇敢一点

black黑色

“物之相异如黑与白”(Things are as different as black and white.)，在古英语中，blaec指“黑”，blac指“白”，如：漂白bleach、苍白的bleak、空白的blank

black dog沮丧

歌德的《浮士德》中，魔鬼引诱浮士德时会化身为一只黑狮子犬 “Shake the black dog from your back,” he told me.振作起来

Black Friday黑色星期五 比喻“倒霉的日子”，黑色星期一“Black Monday”也有此意。如果专指“耶稣受难日”写作“Good Friday”

blackmail n.&v.敲诈，讹诈，勒索

早期的苏格兰方言中，mail指“地租”或“租金”，今天在苏格兰语中“佃农”仍然可称为mailer

Supposing he tried to blackmail you?

black ox年纪衰老，噩运当头

源自希腊罗马神话，人们用黑色公牛(black ox)祭祀主宰冥王普鲁托(Pluto)，后指“年老体衰”、“已近暮年”、“遭受不幸” The black ox has trampled on them. Two robbers killed all family members and ra away. trample v.践踏，蹂躏

black sheep害群之马，败家子

英国古代人们认为养黑羊是一件倒霉的事 She was the black sheep of the company.

black swan凤毛麟角

黑天鹅稀有罕见，还可以表达为white crow白乌鸦 He is a black swan, an honest lawyer!

blow hot and cold拿不定主意 出自《伊索寓言》：寒冷的旅行者一会儿吹吹(blow)热(hot)汤，一会儿吹吹冰冷(cold)的手 Mary blow hot and cold about her job; every day she changed her mind.玛丽对于工作的事情拿不定主意，她今天想这样，明天又想那样。

blue law严格的法律 清教徒法规

bluestocking n.女学者，装作有学问的女人 18世纪，蓝袜俱乐部(Bluestocking Club)

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