意趣豐雋的“羊”習語言

楊春吉

與“羊”有關的習語主要來自三個方面：生產勞動實踐、圣經以及古希臘羅馬神話。sheep（綿羊）通常被認為是純潔、溫順、天真無邪的象征，而goat（山羊）生性易怒，好色，兇暴，殘忍，在傳說中是魔鬼的化身，是邪惡和罪行的象征。lamb（羔羊）常用來指天真無邪、容易上當受騙的人。由于“羊”與人們的生活息息相關，隨著生活、語言的發(fā)展，也就產生了許多與之相關的習語。下面我們來了解一下吧！

1. play the goat 舉止輕?。桓纱朗?；胡鬧。古希臘神話里的山林之神長著羊腿、羊蹄、羊鼻、長須以及羊尾巴，酷似山羊。他終日在山林里游蕩，追逐仙女，非常好色。故goat除了表示“劣等的人/物”之外，還有“色鬼；淫蕩之人”之意。old goat 是“老色鬼”的意思。

如：Mary played the goat in her daily life， so her neighbors didnt like her. 生活中瑪麗舉止輕浮，因此鄰居們都不喜歡她。

Dont play the goat like that， or you will be punished some day. 不要再干蠢事了，否則總有一天你會受到懲罰的。

2. follow like sheep 盲從。如：You shouldnt follow like sheep， and you should have your own opinions on it. 你不該盲從，應該有自己的主見。

3. get ones goat 惹某人生氣；使某人煩躁。如：Toms bad school results got his parents goat. 湯姆學習成績不好令他的父母非常生氣。

4. separate the sheep from the goats區(qū)分好人與壞人。如：As for kids， they should learn to

separate the sheep from the goats， which is very important for them. 作為孩子，他們應該學會區(qū)分好人與壞人，這一點對他們而言是非常重要的。

5. count sheep 數(shù)羊（類似于漢語習慣中睡覺前在心里數(shù)數(shù)催眠）。如：He was upset greatly and couldnt fall asleep， so he had to count sheep. 他心緒煩亂，難以入睡，只得數(shù)羊催眠。

6. return to ones sheep 回到主題；言歸正傳。如：Lets return to our sheep and get down to our own job. 我們還是言歸正傳認真干活吧！

7. make sheeps eye at sb. 向某人送秋波/拋媚眼。如：Susan often makes sheeps eye at you， maybe she really likes you. 蘇珊經常向你拋媚眼，也許她真的喜歡你。

8. lose ones goat / wool失去控制；發(fā)怒，相當于lose ones temper。如：You shouldnt have lost your goat over it. You are always being kind. 當時你不應該發(fā)火，你一向是很溫和的嘛！

9. keep ones goat / wool 別發(fā)火；息怒。如：Keep ones goat / wool！ Lets try to use another way. 別發(fā)火，咱們再試試別的辦法。

10. ride the goat 加入秘密團體/組織。如：He shouldnt have ridden the goat， and it made him in prison at last. 他不該加入秘密組織，最終落到鋃鐺入獄的下場。

11. milk the ram 緣木求魚；鉆冰求火。如：Doing it like this means milking the ram， in my

opinion. 我認為，這樣做無異于緣木求魚。

12. eat mutton cold 遭冷遇；受人白眼；讓人瞧不起。如：He used to eat mutton cold but now he is respected and loved by everyone. 過去他常常遭人白眼，而現(xiàn)在他備受大家的愛戴。

13. a sheep not in the sheepfold 尚未走上正道的人。如：The boy is like a sheep not in the

sheepfold and we should lead him to the right way. 這孩子年幼無知，我們應該好好引導他走上正道。

14. sheep without a shepherd 烏合之眾。如：They are sheep without a shepherd and Im sure we are bound to defeat them in the end. 他們是一群烏合之眾，我們必定能打敗他們！

15. a black sheep 害群之馬；敗家子；不肖之子。 如：Tom was a black sheep and his teammates dropped him out of their football team at last. 湯姆是害群之馬，他的隊友最終將他趕出了足球隊。endprint

16. a lamb 寶貝；小可愛；蘿莉。如：What a lamb the girl is！ 這女孩真是個可愛的寶貝！

17. lost sheep 本意為“迷途羔羊（指失去信仰的人），引申為“誤入歧途的人”。如：The man was a lost sheep when he was young. After being educated， he grew into a famous writer. 這個人年輕時誤入歧途，經教育后成長為一名著名的作家。

18. sheep （mutton） head 笨蛋。如：Tom has really a sheep head， and he shouldnt have done it like that. 湯姆真笨，他本不該那樣做的。

19. goal wool 不存在的東西。如：It is just goal wool， and you wont believe it. 這事根本不存在，不要相信它。

20. like sheep 無獨創(chuàng)精神的；依賴性強的。如：Children always act like sheep， and we should bring them up to be independent and creative ones. 孩子們依賴性強，我們應該把他們培養(yǎng)成獨立并具有創(chuàng)造力的人。

21. a giddy goat 舉止輕浮的人。如：Jack is a giddy goat and no wonder his colleges dont like working with him. 杰克是個舉止輕浮的人，難怪他的同事們不喜歡和他一起工作。

23. ones ewe lamb 寶貝；掌上明珠， 相當于an apple of ones eye。如：John is her mothers ewe lamb and she loves him very much. 約翰是她媽媽的掌上明珠，她非常愛他。

24. The sheep who talks peace with a wolf will soon be mutton. 羊向狼乞求和平，很快就會變成羊肉。引申為：切勿向敵人乞求和平。

25. Dont trust a goat with the kitchen garden， or a wolf with sheepfold. 不能請羊管菜園，不能請狼管羊圈。引申為：知人善用，以免誤事。

26. The life of the wolf is the death of the lamb. 有活的狼就不會有活的羔羊。引申為：萬物皆相生相克。

27. As soon goes the young lambs skin to the market as the old ewes. 老羊皮上市，小羊皮

隨之來。引申為：覆巢無完卵。

28. Crows cry the dead sheep and then eat them. 烏鴉吃死羊，先要哭一場。引申為：貓哭耗子假慈悲。

29. Go to bed with the lamb and rise with the lark. 隨羔羊就寢，與云雀同起。引申為：早睡早起。

30. It is an evil sign to see a fox lick a lamb. 狐貍舔羔羊是危險的信號。引申為：黃鼠狼給雞拜年，不安好心。

31. One sheep follows another. 羊一只跟一只。引申為：盲從。

32. As well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. 偷羊偷羔都被絞（死）；偷大偷小都是賊。引申為： 一不做，二不休。

33. The lone sheep is in great danger of the wolf. 孤羊逢狼，必然遭殃。

34. Go for wool and come back shorn. 偷雞不成反蝕把米。

35. It is a foolish sheep that makes the wolf his confessor. 蠢羊才向狼懺悔。

36. When you lose a sheep， its never too late to fix the pen. 亡羊補牢，為時未晚。

37. a sheep will be eaten by a wolf 人善受人欺，馬善受人騎。

38. as a sheep among the shears 人為刀俎，我為魚肉。endprint