源自寓言名著的英文典故
1.a dog in the manger占著茅坑不拉屎的人
出自《伊索寓言》(Aesop's Fables)，有一篇狗站馬槽的故事，說的是一頭狗躺在堆滿稻草的馬槽里，狗是不吃草的動物，而當馬或牛一走進稻草時，這頭狗卻朝著馬，牛狂哮，不準食草動物享用。
因此，“狗站馬槽”就成了一個家喻戶曉的成語而進入英語中，常用來比喻a person who prevents others from enjoying sth that is useless to himself; a churlish fellow who will neither use a thing himself nor let others use it，諷刺那些占據說職位或某些物質卻不做事的人。
a dog in the manger是個名詞性短語，常與系動詞連用，充當表語(主語補足語)
eg:He borrowed a lot of books from the library,but he didn't read a book.He was really a dog in the manger.
There are some officials who are only the dogs in the manger.
Smith was a dog in the manger over that roll of wire;it was no use whatever to him,but he wouldn't let us have it.
2.bell the cat自告奮勇去冒險；老虎頭上拍蒼蠅
bell the cat系成語to hang the bell about the cat's neck的簡略，愿意是“給貓的脖子上掛鈴”。它來自《伊索寓言》(Aesop's Fables)中的《老鼠會議》(The Mice in Council)
這篇寓言講的是：一群老鼠在鼠洞里舉行會議，討論如何對付兇狠的貓。白胡須老鼠提出：“我有個方法，在貓的脖子上掛一個鈴。這樣，貓一走動鈴就響，我們就可以聞鈴聲而逃避了”，群鼠一致同意這個建議，歡呼：“That's a capital idea.We will bell the cat!No more fear of the cat!”但是，誰去給貓掛鈴鐺呢？沒有一只老鼠敢去，一個個都溜掉了。老鼠會議豪無結果，它們不安全的境況當然也無法改善。
寓言所寄托的意思很明白：遇到困難的問題時候，既需要有出謀獻策的人，更需要有挺身而出的實干家。
bell the cat常用來比喻to do sth dangerous in order to save others;to step forwar bravely to face the danger;to take a risk for the good of others.
eg:Everybody made suggestion,but no one actually offered to bell the cat.
We didn't know who would put him this delicate question when my friend offered to bell the cat.
3.cry wolf虛發警報；慌報險情；危言聳聽
cry wolf來自《伊索寓言》：《牧童和狼》 (The Shepherdboy and the wolf)
有個牧童在離村子不遠的山坡上放羊，有一次，他為了開心作樂，突然大喊：“Help!Help!The wolf!”全村的人都聞聲跑來援助他時，才知道這只是開玩笑。如此惡作劇搞了兩三次。后來，狼真的來了，那個牧童再呼號求救時，誰也不理會他了。于是，狼把他的羊吃了。
這篇寓言的意義很清楚：愛說謊話的人，即或在他說真話時，也沒人相信他。由此，人們用to cry wolf 來概括這篇寓言的基本情節及其教誡意義，用以比喻to give false alarms;to warn of danger where there is none之意。按其比喻意義，這個成語相當與漢語中出自《東周列國志》的典故：烽火戲諸侯。周幽王為博得寵妃褒泥一笑，竟然把軍國大事當兒戲，烽火報警戲諸侯，使各路諸侯倉促發兵，馳援京師，結果收到嘲笑。后來犬戎進犯，幽王再舉烽火調兵，誰也不來了，結果周幽王遭到殺身亡國之禍。這2個典故的情節雖不同，寓意卻完全不一致，都是表示“一朝說假話，一世無人信”
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eg:Nobody will believe he is in trouble because he has cried wolf so many times.
Is she really sick of is she just crying wolf?
The newspaper placards that had cried "wolf" so often,cried "wolf" now in vain.
源自寓言名著的英文典故
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