今年是蛇年。英語表示“蛇”,有 snake(蛇), serpent(巨蛇), viper(蝰蛇), cobra(眼鏡蛇)等對應詞。例如:1. A snake is a crawling animal with a very long thin body and no legs.蛇是一種身體非常細長而無足的爬行動物。在西方文化中,蛇常使人聯想到陰險、兇惡和奸詐。例如: 2. Everyone knows the story of how Eve was tempted by the Serpent in Eden.人人都知道夏娃如何被伊甸園之蛇誘惑的故事。snake/viper in one's/the bosom源自伊索寓言,字面意思是“懷中的蛇”,比喻意義是“忘恩負義的人”。例如:3.Never cherish a serpent in your bosom. 永遠不要施惠于忘恩負義之徒。 snake in the grass的比喻意思是“陰險小人”。例如:4. A snake in the grass reported me to my boss.有個陰險小人在老板那里給我打小報告。漢語中有些帶“蛇”的成語,如蛇蝎心腸(have a heart as malicious as snakes and scorpions),毒如蛇蝎(to be as venomous as snakes and scorpions),牛鬼蛇神(all sorts of bad characters, wicked people of all descriptions),地頭蛇(local villain, local bully )等,具有陰險兇惡的含義。另有些帶“蛇”的成語則與陰險兇惡無關。虎頭蛇尾( fine start and poor finish),比喻先緊后松、有始無終的明顯反差。人心不足蛇吞象(to be greedy like a snake that tries to swallow an elephant)比喻人心的貪婪。畫蛇添足(to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous)和蛇足(sth superfluous)比喻多余的事物。杯弓蛇影(to be extremely nervous or suspicious)比喻緊張猜疑的心情。蛇并不總是負面的。中國民間故事和傳統戲曲《白蛇傳》(A Tale of the White Snake)塑造了白蛇(the White Snake)和青蛇(the Black Snake)兩個動人的正面藝術形象。在埃及和印度等國家,耍蛇(snake charming)是一種傳統的民間技藝。這些國家具有與蛇相關的文化。▲ (本欄目供稿:王逢鑫教授)
環球時報2013-01-14