和十二生肖有關的習慣用語趣談

習語是約定俗成、習慣通用的特殊語言，其形式簡潔生動、與眾不同，折射出民族文化的特色。“生肖”是中國文化特有的表達人出生年份的方式，在英語中也有以十二生肖中的動物構成的習語，非常有趣。

Rat 鼠

1. smell a rat 覺得可疑

E.g. I smelt a rat when he started being so helpful！

2. play cat and mouse with sb. 欲擒故縱；（像貓抓耗子似地）欺負（折磨、虐待）某人

E.g. The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman stealing the dress in the store.

Ox 牛

1. a bull in a china shop 經常闖禍的人，笨手笨腳的人

E.g. He’s like a bull in a china shop， always knocking things over.

2. kill the fatted calf 熱情款待，設宴歡迎

E.g. He welcomed me at home by killing the fatted calf.

Tiger 虎

1. paper tiger 貌似強大而實質虛弱的人，紙老虎

E.g. As long as we are not afraid of this kind of threat， the paper tiger’s true face will come out in the wash.

Hare 兔

1. hunt with the hounds and run with the hare 同時支持相對立的兩派；腳踩兩只船

E.g. Which team are you going to support？ Make up your mind now. You can’t hunt with the hounds and run with the hare.

Dragon 龍

1. sow （the） dragon’s teeth 挑起糾紛或引起爭端

E.g. Wherever he went， he sowed（the） dragon’s teeth by preaching racial （種族的） segregation （隔離）.

Snake 蛇

1. a snake in the grass 潛伏的危險或敵人，陰險而偽善的朋友

E.g. How could I ever trust that snake in the grass？

Horse 馬

1. hold your horses 忍耐，克制，別急躁

E.g. Don’t get so angry. Just hold your horses and find an appropriate

solution.

2. flog a dead horse 徒勞，浪費精力

E.g. You’ll just be flogging a dead horse if you try to make her change her mind about it.

Sheep 羊

1. a wolf in sheep’s clothing 披著羊皮的狼，偽裝善良的壞人

E.g. Mrs. Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

2. a black sheep 害群之馬，敗家子

E.g. There is a black sheep in every flock.

Monkey 猴

1. monkey about / around 胡鬧，惡作劇

E.g. The boys were monkeying about on the playground， and one of them got hurt.

2. get（have） one’s monkey up 生氣，發脾氣

E.g. Don’t get your monkey up for nothing.

Cock 雞

1. cock up 把……弄糟

E.g. They completely cocked up the arrangements for our holiday.

Dog 狗

1. a dog in the manger 占著茅坑不拉屎的人，自私自利的人

E.g. Don’t be such a dog in the manger. Lend your bicycle to him since you will not go out this afternoon.

2. lead a dog’s life 過困苦的生活

E.g. Many new immigrants in the U.S. led a dog’s life.

Pig 豬

1. pigs might fly 無稽之談

E.g. “The management might offer us a decent pay rise.” “Pigs might fly！”

2. buy a pig in a poke （未見實物而）亂買東西（吃了虧）

E.g. You’ll have to show me the car； I don’t intend to buy a pig in a poke.