希臘神話中的英語典故(4)
16.Sell One's Birthright for a Mess of Pottages因小失大；見利棄義
Sell One's Birthright for a Mess of Pottages直譯是:“為了一碗紅豆湯而出賣了長子繼承權(quán)”。
《舊約。創(chuàng)世紀(jì)》第25章記述了這樣一個(gè)故事傳說:猶太族長以撒的妻子利百加懷孕期間,感覺到2個(gè)胎兒在她腹內(nèi)互相踢打,就去問耶和華,耶和華對(duì)她說:“兩國在你腹內(nèi),兩族要從你身上出來,這族必強(qiáng)于那族,將來大的要服小的?！?/p>
后來,利百加果然生下一對(duì)孿生兄弟,哥哥叫以掃,弟弟叫雅各。兩兄弟長大后,以掃好動(dòng),常外出打獵；雅各則常在家里幫助料理家務(wù)。有一天,以掃打獵回來,又饑又渴,看見弟弟雅各在熬豆湯,就對(duì)他說:“我餓極了,給我喝點(diǎn)紅豆湯吧！”雅各說:“你要喝湯,就把你的長子權(quán)賣給我?！币話哒f:“你都要餓死了,要這長子權(quán)有什么用呢？”于是,他便按雅各的要求,對(duì)天起誓,把長子權(quán)賣給雅各,換來餅和紅豆湯。以掃吃飽喝足后,起身走了。他哪里想到,為了這碗紅豆湯,他的后裔便注定要服事雅各的后裔。
由此,人們用to sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage短語,來比喻to exchange something of lasting value for something that is of value for a short time only；to suffer a big loss for a little gain.這個(gè)成語?？s略為for a mess of pottage的形式。有時(shí)也可用to sell one's birthrights.
eg:It was argued that joining the Common Market……would be giving away her national rights and advantages for a mess of pottage.
There are many,many people who are willing to prostitute their intelligence for a mess of pottage.
17.The Apple of Ones' Eye
The Apple of Ones' Eye的字面意思是“某人眼里的蘋果”,在這里,apple指的是the pupil（瞳孔,眼珠）,大概因眼珠圓的象蘋果之故。瞳孔是眼睛最重要的部分,失去瞳孔,光線就無法通過虹膜中心的圓孔進(jìn)入眼內(nèi)而變成了瞎子。所以,這個(gè)成語常用來比喻象愛護(hù)眼珠一樣愛護(hù)某個(gè)最心愛的人或珍貴的東西,即表示a cherished person or object；sth extrmely precious to one； sb dearly loved等意
這個(gè)成語來字《舊約。申命記》（Deuteronomy）第32章“耶和華遇見他在曠野荒涼、野獸吼叫之地,就環(huán)繞他,看顧他,保護(hù)他如同保護(hù)眼里的瞳人?！痹谑ソ?jīng)其他地方也有類似的話。英文版《舊約。詩篇》（Psalm）第17章有這樣的句子:"Keep me as the apple of the eye,hide me under the shadow of the wings"
成語the apple of one's eye是固定結(jié)構(gòu),不得寫成the apple of the eye of…的形式；在搭配上,它常與動(dòng)詞be,keep,care for等連用。按其想象意義,它與漢語成語“掌上明珠”頗相似,但其比喻的對(duì)象較漢語“掌珠”更廣,因“掌珠”通常指心愛的女兒,而不能用與其他場(chǎng)合。
eg:Little Mary is the apple of her father's eye
Mind the reputation of your school as you care for the apple of your eye.
18.The writing/Finger on the Wall不詳之兆；大禍臨頭
這個(gè)成語的字面意思是“墻上的文字（或手指）”,而實(shí)際含義是a sign or warning of impending disaster（迫在眉睫的兇兆）；a sign that sth bad will happen； a feeling that ones number is up；等等。其語言外殼與內(nèi)涵是怎樣聯(lián)系起來的呢？還是出自《圣經(jīng)》
據(jù)《舊約。但以理書》（Daniel）第5章記述:有一次古巴比倫（Babylonian）的國王伯沙撒（Belshazar）正在宮殿里設(shè)宴縱飲時(shí),突然,不知從哪里出現(xiàn)了一個(gè)神秘的手指,當(dāng)者國王的面,在王宮與燈臺(tái)相對(duì)的粉墻上寫西了四個(gè)奇怪的單詞:MENE（彌尼）、MENE（彌尼）、ＴＥＫＥＬ（提客勒）、ＵＰＨＡＲＳＩＮＧ （烏法珥新）。國王張皇失措,驚恐萬分,誰也不懂墻上所寫的字是什么意思。后來叫來了被虜?shù)莫q太預(yù)言家但以理,才明白了這幾個(gè)字的意思就是大難臨頭。他說:“彌尼就是上帝已經(jīng)數(shù)算你國的年日到此為完畢；提客勒就是你被稱在天平里顯出你的虧欠；烏法珥新就是你的國分裂,歸與瑪代人和波斯人?！惫?當(dāng)夜伯沙撒被殺,又62歲的瑪代人大利烏取而代之。
依次,“墻上的文字（或手指）”就表示身死國亡的兇兆。英語中這個(gè)成語有幾種表達(dá)方式:the writing/handwriting on the wall或a finger on the wall,通常與be,like等系動(dòng)詞連用；有時(shí)寫成see/read the writing on he wall的句型,表示提出警告,such as :Don't you see the writing on the wall, 有時(shí)候也可省略on the wall,只說Don't you see the writing？意思也是一樣的。
eg:This inexplicable incident seemed,like the Babylonian finger on the wall,to be spelling out the letter of my judgement……
In this house of his there was writing on every wall.His business-like temperament protested against a mysterious warning that she was not made for him.
John's emplyer had less and less work for him；John could read the writing on the wall.
The writing on the wall is clear:if man behaves like an animal and allow hs population to increase while each nation steadily increases he coplexity and range of its environment,nature will take her course and the law of the Jungle will prevail.
When Bill's team lost four games in a row,he saw the handwriting on the wall.
19.Not an iota of沒有一點(diǎn)點(diǎn),絲毫也不
iota是希臘字母表中第9個(gè)字母“Ｉ”的名稱。not an iota of 出自《新約。馬太福音》第5章:“律法的一點(diǎn)一畫都不能廢去,都要成全。”因?yàn)閕ota是希臘字母表中最小的一個(gè)字母,它有時(shí)可以寫作一短橫置于其他字母之上；遺漏這一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)對(duì)發(fā)音并無什么影響,只按規(guī)則不能減少而已?！陡Ｒ魰匪f的律法,系指“摩西律”,意即無論何人都不允許隨便廢去這戒律哪怕是最小的一條,甚至其中的一個(gè)字母,一個(gè)小小短橫也不得更動(dòng)或遺漏。
由此,在語言中遺留下來這個(gè)成語,轉(zhuǎn)義表示not a bit of ；not one jot or little；not at all等意思。iota在這里,相當(dāng)于漢語“小不點(diǎn)兒”的意思。
Eg:Science deals with things in a practical way.Science means honest,solid knowledge,allowing not an iota of falsehood,and it involves herculean efforts and gruelling toil.
There is not an iota of truth in the story.
20.The Salt of the Earth社會(huì)中堅(jiān)；民族精華；優(yōu)秀份子
The Salt of the Earth這個(gè)成語,字面意思“世上的鹽”
鹽是飲食中不可缺少的調(diào)味品,人體若缺鹽,健康就會(huì)受到影響,出現(xiàn)種種疾病。鹽還有殺菌、解毒、消炎、除污等多種功用,它既是“百藥之王”,又是工業(yè)之母,確是值得珍視的東西。在許多民族的習(xí)俗匯總,鹽被當(dāng)作敬客的高貴禮品。
The Salt of the Earth一詞出自《圣經(jīng)》,據(jù)《新約。馬太福音》（Matthew）第5長記載:耶穌對(duì)他的門徒說:"Ye are the salt of the earth:but if the salt have lost his savor,wherewith shall it be salted？ " 在這里,salt用于轉(zhuǎn)義,表示flavor；of the earth即of the world.這是耶穌登山垂訓(xùn)論"福",所講福音結(jié)尾的話,他把門徒比做“世上的鹽”,這是極高的稱贊。這句話在后世不斷引用變成了一個(gè)典故性成語,轉(zhuǎn)義為the most valuable members of sociey；the finest type of humanity；a person or a group of people having the best character 之意
eg: He does a lot of good jobs and is considered to be the salt of the world.
You all are the salt of the earth.Our hope is placed on you
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