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今年是鼠年,在汉语中老鼠口碑不佳,关于老鼠的成语数以百计,几乎都带有贬义色彩,例如,胆小如鼠、鼠目寸光、首鼠两端、鼠肚鸡肠、抱头鼠窜等,人们常用这些成语形容一些人胆小怯懦、目光短浅、犹豫不决、心胸狭窄、狼狈不堪等不良品质。老鼠在英语中对应的是mouse和rat,两者在英语中的习语也很多,通过总结这些习语,可以窥见老鼠在西方国家所代表的文化内涵。
1.as poor as a church mouse 一贫如洗,赤贫的
It?蒺s impossible for you to borrow money from him, for he is as poor as a church mouse. 他一贫如洗,你不可能从他身上借到钱。
2.as quiet as a mouse 不声不响,非常安静
I?蒺m wondering why Tom was just sitting there as quiet as a mouse.我搞不懂汤姆为什么不声不响地坐在那里。
3.as timid as a mouse 胆小如鼠
He was as timid as a mouse in real life, andhis cowardice caused his wife to divorce him. 在现实生活中,他胆小如鼠,使得妻子离开了他。
4.to play(a game of ) cat and mouse(with somebody) 玩猫戏老鼠的把戏,欲擒故纵
The police have played cat and mouse with the thief. 警察对小偷采用的是欲擒故纵的策略。
5.mickey-mouse无关紧要的,微小的
We?蒺re talking about a respected organization here―not some mickey-mouse outfit.我们正在讨论一个很重要的组织,并不是一个微不足道的机构。
6.to look like a drowned rat(湿的)像落汤鸡,浑身湿透
I had to cycle home in the rain and came in looking like a drowned rat. 我不得不冒雨骑自行车回家,结果回来淋成落汤鸡。
7.smell a rat 感觉不对劲,感到可疑
She smelled a rat when she phoned his husband at the office where he was supposed to be working late and he wasn?蒺t there. 他丈夫本该在加班,但她往办公室里打电话他却不在,她便觉得不对劲。
8.a rat race卑鄙、激烈的竞争(尤其为保住职位或地位)
Jim was the winner in a rat race, and he was promoted to be the director of the marketing department. 吉姆在激烈的竞争中胜出,他被提拔为市场部主任。
9.rat-arsed 酩酊大醉的,烂醉的
He came home totally rat-arsed last night. 昨天晚上他回到家的时候已完全烂醉如泥。
10.a pack rat 囤积狂,收集一大堆自己不需要的东西的人
I was listening to my wife ask me about my fifteen-year-old collection of comic books and I realized I am a pack rat. 当在听我妻子打听我15年收集的连环画书时,才意识到自己是囤积狂。
11.like a rat in a hole 瓮中之鳖,陷于绝境
Saddam was caught like a rat in a hole. 萨达姆已成瓮中之鳖被捉。
12.to die like a rat被毒死
He would rather take his chances and flee than die like a rat, choking on poisonous gas and ash. 他宁愿孤注一掷逃离而不在毒气中窒息而死。
13.a rat fink 卑鄙之人,下贱之人(尤指告密者)
If I find the rat fink who informed on me, he will be punished. 如果给我找出哪个卑鄙小人出卖我,他会受到惩罚的。
英语中mouse与rat在基本意义上存在着一定的差别,从以上习语可以看出,两者所代表的比喻意义也存在较大差异,人们常用mouse比喻胆小怕羞的人,而用rat表示卑鄙之人,言而无信的、狼狈不堪的人,有明显的贬义色彩。与汉语中老鼠所代表的意义相比,存在着一定的共性,都带有贬义色彩,都有胆小怯懦、狼狈不堪等含义,但在两种语言中也存在较大差异,在汉语中可以用老鼠形容人目光短浅、犹豫不决,在英语中,可以用rat来形容人卑鄙下贱,两者的不同之处也反映了中西文化的差异。