straight from the horse's mouth to flog a dead horse 翻译

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straight from the horse's mouth to flog a dead horse 翻译
1个回答 分类:英语 2014-11-12

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1.“straight from the horse's mouth”(绝对可靠),其渊源确实与阿P的“可靠资料”有关.
“Straight from the horse's mouth”最早出现于上世纪20年代,常用来形容“消息绝对可靠”.据说,马的乳门齿、乳中齿会随着年岁的增长被永久门齿、永久中齿依次顶落,而且马的切齿由于采撷食物也会受到磨损,所以,有经验的驯马师常“从马的嘴巴里”(from the horse's mouth)——马的乳齿数或马的切齿磨损程度——获知马的年龄.
日常生活中,“straight from the horse's mouth”(绝对可靠)更常用来形容“(消息等)直接来自当事人”,有时该短语也可写做“from the horse's mouth”,看下面一个例句:
Say,did you hear that Sally and Bob are going to get married.Honest,I'm not joking.I heard it from Bob himself,so it's straight from the horse''s mouth!(喂,听说了没?萨利和鲍勃要结婚了.我可不是开玩笑,我说的是实话.鲍勃亲自告诉我的,因此这消息是绝对可靠!)
2.“To beat a dead horse”出自古罗马戏剧,在喜剧大师Plautus(普劳图斯约B.C.250-184)的剧作里,主人公狠命抽打一匹已经死掉了的马,希望能把“它”激活,让它站起来继续为主人托货物.试想,马都已经死掉了,你还想把它打活?除非有回天之术,否则,简直是“白费力气,枉做无用功”.这正是理解该片语的契机所在.
日常生活中,“to beat a dead horse”常用在如下语境:1)你试图去讨论没人感兴趣的旧事(炒冷饭);2)你试图说服对方改变已经做好的决定(白费口舌)3)你试图扭转已成定局的事态(徒劳无功).
此外,“to beat a dead horse”也可写做“to flog a dead horse”.
看下面一个例句:
--"Dad,are you sure we can't get a new computer?" (“爸爸,你真的决定我们不再添新电脑了吗?”)
--"Son,we talked about this and the decision was 'no'.You are beating a dead horse."(“孩子,这事儿我们已经谈过了,答案是‘不添’.不要再白费口舌了.”)
 
 
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