最近壽司郎引爆全台「鮭魚改名潮 salmon name-changing craze」吸引全球主流媒體報導,百八魚場也跟進「鮭魚快閃日」,許多返鄉的鮭魚們先不用急者改回本名了。中文有很多成語都跟「魚」有關,如魚貫而入、如魚得水、魚目混珠、渾水摸魚、沉魚落雁……而英文諺語也有不少用「魚」作比喻,英文中的「紅鯡魚、金魚腦、沙丁魚」是用來形容什麼? fish for compliments、drink like a fish、fish out of water、a big fish in a small pond、have bigger fish to fry 指的又是什麼? 想知道跟「魚」相關的英文片語「事有蹊蹺、完全兩回事、上樑不正下樑歪、天涯何處無芳草」怎麼說? 今天我們來從【鮭魚之亂】學12種跟「魚」相關的英文片語。
12種跟「魚」相關的英文片語
1. to smell fishy
聞到魚腥味? 這個慣用語起源於魚市場,如果魚有難聞的氣味,就代表不新鮮,意味著魚販子是不誠實的,後來暗喻某一件事情上你覺得可疑,似乎有人在進行欺騙,也就是「感覺事有蹊蹺」。
- 劍橋字典解釋: If a situation or an explanation smells fishy, it causes you to think that someone is being dishonest.
- 例句:This house price appeared to be a real bargain, but I smelled something fishy because the man was in such a hurry to sell it. 這房子售價很便宜,但賣房那個人急著要賣,讓我感到事有蹊蹺。
2. fish for compliments
當我們形容某人是在fishing for compliments,意思就是用一種巧妙的方法來讓別人恭維或讚揚,試圖讓別人對你說好話,也就是「拐彎抹角謀求恭維」。
- 劍橋字典解釋: to try to get people to say good things about you
- 例句:When she showed me her new dress, I could tell that she was fishing for a compliment. 當她展示給我她的新衣服時,我看得出她在拐彎抹角希望我稱讚她的衣服。
3. to drink like a fish
像魚一樣喝? 魚和水緊密契合,如同成語「如魚得水」,魚在水中要喝水不僅方便,要喝多少也沒問題。to drink like a fish比喻豪飲,尤其指「飲酒過度」令人擔憂,如果你像魚喝水般天天喝酒就麻煩了。
- 劍橋字典解釋: to drink too much alcohol
- 例句:At any party that he goes, he drinks like a fish. His wife ought to control this if she can. 他在任何聚會上往往過度飲酒,如果可以的話,他的太太應該節制他。
4. to have a memory of a goldfish
擁有金魚的記憶? 常人誤以為金魚只有幾秒鐘的記憶,「金魚腦」用來形容很健忘的人。相反的,有驚人的記憶力可以說 have a memory like an elephant,研究顯示大象擁有過目不忘的超強記憶力,所以英文諺語有一句An elephant never forgets。
- Your Dictionary字典解釋: A very poor memory.
- 例句:He’s always forgetting my birthday. I swear he has the memory of a goldfish! 他總是忘記我的生日,我發誓他有金魚腦很健忘!
5. packed (in)/squashed like sardines
沙丁魚通常以小罐裝緊密包裝在一起出售,擠得像罐頭裡的沙丁魚一樣,形容「擁擠不堪」。
- 劍橋字典解釋: If people are packed or squashed like sardines, they are positioned very close together so that they cannot move.
- 例句:We were squashed like sardines in the rush-hour train. 我們像沙丁魚一樣擠在尖峰時段的火車上。
6. red herring
紅鯡魚? herring鯡魚是一種常見的食用魚,魚身為青色,古時沒有冷藏技術,故透過醃製和煙燻的方式保存鯡魚,鲱魚就會變成紅色,而且味道很重。據說當時人們用鯡魚訓練馬匹或獵犬,看它是否能抵抗燻鯡魚的味道,而繼續尋找狐狸的踪跡;也有一說認為是監獄逃犯為了誘騙警犬,在逃跑的路線放置紅鯡魚,藉此順利逃脫。如今red herring是用來比喻那些為了讓人轉移注意力而提出的不相關的觀點,甚至是錯誤的信息,也就是泛指「掩人耳目的事物」,與障眼法或聲東擊西類似。
- 劍橋字典解釋: a fact, idea, or subject that takes people's attention away from the central point being considered
- 例句:The police investigated many clues, but they were all red herrings. 警方調查了很多線索,但那掩人耳目的事物。
7. a fish out of water
想想離開水的魚會如何? 因為魚類無法在其棲息地以外的乾燥土地上長期生存,「a fish out of water如魚離水」,用來形容因環境不熟悉而感到不自在,也就是「格格不入」。
- 劍橋字典解釋: someone who is uncomfortable in a specific situation
- 例句:I felt like a fish out of water at my new school. 在陌生的新學校裡,我感覺如魚離水格格不入。
8. be a big fish in a small pond
big fish指有權力或有影響力的人,小池中的大魚,比喻僅在小範圍內很有影響力,但放到大池塘可能沒有這麼多的影響力。類似中文「寧為雞口,不為牛後」,寧願在小場面中做主,不願在大場面任人擺布 Better a big fish in a little puddle than a little fish in a big puddle。
- 劍橋字典解釋: to have a lot of influence only over a small area
- 例句:His coarse management style made it evident that he was used to being a big fish in a small pond. That attitude certainly won't be tolerated by anyone at his new company. 他粗糙的管理作風清楚顯示他習慣當小公司的大人物。在他的新公司裡,任何人都不會容忍他這種態度。
Better a big fish in a little puddle than a little fish in a big puddle
9. a/the fish rots from the head down
魚從頭部開始先腐爛? rot是腐爛的意思。這句表面意思是「魚從頭部開始先腐爛」,不過這句話只是比喻,並不符合生物學常識,因為魚應該是從內臟先開始腐爛,而不是頭。諺語可能起源於土耳其權威作家詹姆士波特(Sir James Porter)在1768年所撰寫的書寫道「魚從頭腐爛」,意味著如果僕役做事不規矩,絕對是主人出了問題。如今,被廣泛比喻大型組織或國家的失敗,一個組織出問題,通常是上層領導者或長官開始腐敗,所謂「上樑不正下樑歪」就是這個意思。
- Free Dictionary字典解釋: trouble or failure in an organization can be traced back to its leader(s)
- 例句:The company was bound to be closed sooner or later considering the kind of managers that they had hired. A fish rots from the head down after all. 依這家公司所雇用的主管類型判斷,該公司遲早將倒閉,畢竟上樑不正下樑歪。
10. there are plenty more/of fish in the sea
海裡的魚多的是? 如同「天涯何處無芳草」,何必單戀一枝花? 英文是何必單戀一隻魚,還有更多適合的人或機會。
- 劍橋字典解釋: used to tell someone whose relationship has ended that there are many other people that they could have a relationship with
- 例句:Don't cry over Tom - there are plenty more fish in the sea! 別為湯姆哭了,天下的好男人多的是!
11. be another/a different kettle of fish
kettle原意為水壺,在這個片語中的kettle指的是可以在其中煮一整條魚的鍋子。「不同鍋子的魚」比喻現在提及的事物,跟剛剛是截然不同的,完全兩回事。
- 劍橋字典解釋: to be completely different from something or someone else that has been talked about
- 例句:Having knowledge is one thing but being able to communicate it to others is another kettle of fish. 擁有知識是一回事,但能夠傳授給別人完全是另一回事了。
12. to have bigger/other fish to fry
還有更大的魚要去炸? 這個片語起源於17世紀,比喻有更重要的事情要做。
- 劍橋字典解釋: to have something more important to do
- 例句:It's really not worth my time. I've got bigger fish to fry! 真的不值得我花時間,我有更重要的事情要做!
12種跟「魚」相關英文片語總結
現在我們來總結一下,今天學到12種跟「魚」相關的英文片語:
- to smell fishy 感覺事有蹊蹺
- fish for compliments 拐彎抹角謀求恭維
- to drink like a fish 飲酒過度
- to have a memory of a goldfish 健忘的人
- packed (in)/squashed like sardines 擁擠不堪
- red herring 掩人耳目的事物
- a fish out of water 格格不入
- be a big fish in a small pond 僅在小範圍內很有影響力
- a/the fish rots from the head down 上樑不正下樑歪
- there are plenty more/of fish in the sea 天涯何處無芳草
- be another/a different kettle of fish 完全兩回事
- to have bigger/other fish to fry 有更重要的事情要做
這次「鮭魚之亂」除了凸顯台灣的戶政效率,也看到台灣的開放及自由,改名屬於個人自由,每個人價值觀不同,沒有什麼對錯,只要能愛惜食物,不要造成食材浪費就好。隨著「鮭魚之亂」落幕,未來業者可能還會推出不同魚類的相關企劃,英文有句諺語「You are what you eat.人如其食」,小心吃什麼像什麼,不曉得大家有沒有越來越像鮭魚了呢?
希望今天的文章讓你有收穫,歡迎留言跟我分享「鮭魚之亂」的有趣現象或看法,如果想要進一步學習今天Podcast節目的內容,歡迎寫信給我 entogo666@gmail.com我會把今天節目的講稿email給你!
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