提到莎士比亞,很多人想到的是英國文豪,劇作家,四大悲劇,四大喜劇這些標(biāo)簽??墒谴蠹抑绬幔勘葋嗊€是一位“造詞專家”——他給英語語言貢獻(xiàn)了比任何人都多的詞匯,短語和表達(dá)?,F(xiàn)在我們使用的很多短語和詞匯,都是當(dāng)年莎翁自己創(chuàng)造出來的,這些用法有的需要結(jié)合一定的文化背景去理解,有的則在時(shí)代變換中融入了人們的生活,并有了新的發(fā)展。

想要學(xué)好英語,深入理解英國文化的底蘊(yùn),莎士比亞可謂是不可不讀。當(dāng)然啦,術(shù)業(yè)有專攻,為了讓大家更便捷地了解相關(guān)知識(shí),英語君特意為大家總結(jié)了一些由莎士比亞發(fā)明,實(shí)用性比較強(qiáng)的短語,并在后面進(jìn)行了注釋,趕快來學(xué)習(xí),用起來吧。

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1.A fool’s paradise

愚人的天堂,基于虛無縹緲的希望的幸福狀態(tài),假想的/自欺欺人的快樂

英文解釋:a state of happiness that is based on mistaken beliefs or false ideas

出自:在《羅米歐與朱麗葉》中,朱麗葉的nurse警告羅密歐不要把朱麗葉引入愚人的天堂:

“...but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behavior...”

e.g. We are headed for economic trouble, and anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a fool's paradise.
我們正在向經(jīng)濟(jì)困難邁進(jìn),所有不相信的人都是在自欺欺人。

下次想提醒別人,尤其是戀愛中的伙伴不要盲目地抱有幻想時(shí)就可以這么說啦。

2.It’s all one to me.

無所謂,對(duì)我來說都一樣。

英文解釋:An indifference as to the choice between options; one thing is as good as another.

出自:Troilus and Cressida 《特洛埃勒斯與克雷雪達(dá)》

Because she's kin to me, therefore she's not so fair as Helen: an she were not kin to me, she would be as fair on Friday as Helen is on Sunday. But what care I? I care not an she were a black-a-moor; 'tis all one to me.

注釋:在現(xiàn)在的用法里,更常見的是It’s all the same to me.

e.g.?—Would?you?prefer?to?go?out?for?a?meal?or?eat?in?—It's?all?the?same?to?me. / It’s all one to me.
—你想出去吃還是在家吃? ?——隨便。

當(dāng)別人讓你選擇,而你覺得無所謂的時(shí)候,就可以這么回答。

?3.All that glitters is not gold

閃光的未必都是是金子;有光鮮外表的未必都是值錢的。

英文解釋:not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so.

出自:The Merchant of Venice 《威尼斯商人》

e.g. Don’t be fooled by its shiny appearance, as a saying goes: All that glitters is not gold.
別被它華麗的外表蒙蔽了,閃光的不一定是金子。

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4.As good luck would have it

碰巧的是;幸運(yùn)(不幸)的是

英文解釋:by good or bad luck; as it turned out; by chance

出自:The Merry Wives of Windsor 《溫莎的風(fēng)流娘們兒》

注釋:現(xiàn)在最常使用的是簡(jiǎn)化版的 As luck would have it,此處的luck既可以指好運(yùn)也可以指壞的運(yùn)氣。

e.g. As luck would have it, it rained the day of the picnic.
不幸的是,野營的那天正好下雨。

5.Bag and baggage

全部財(cái)產(chǎn),完全地

英文解釋:All of one's possessions.

出自:這個(gè)短語的淵源和軍事有關(guān),”bag and baggage”指的是一支軍隊(duì)以及其中的士兵的全部物品。leave bag and baggage” 的意思是離開一個(gè)地方,什么也不留下。后來,莎士比亞在作品《皆大歡喜》中使用了這個(gè)短語。

e.g. They had a bitter quarrel last night. She left the house this morning, bag and baggage.
他們昨晚大吵了一架。她今天早上就帶著所有的東西離開了房子。

6.Comparisons are odious

人比人氣死人

英文解釋:to compare two different things or persons is unhelpful or misleading. People should be judged on their own merits. 把不同的事物放在一起比較是沒有意義的,應(yīng)該根據(jù)每個(gè)個(gè)體有獨(dú)有的優(yōu)點(diǎn)去評(píng)價(jià)。

出自:Much Ado About Nothing 《無事生非》

莎翁的這一碗人生雞湯,你喝不喝?

7.To fight fire with fire

以其人之道還其人之身

英文解釋:Respond to an attack by using a similar method as one's attacker。

出自:King John 《約翰王》

Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;

Threaten the threatener and outface the brow

Of bragging horror

注釋:表達(dá)“以牙還牙”還可以說 an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,不過這些表達(dá)在口語中還是否定的用法比較多,畢竟報(bào)復(fù)并不是理智的行為。An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

聲明:本雙語文章的中文翻譯系滬江英語原創(chuàng)內(nèi)容,轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處。中文翻譯僅代表譯者個(gè)人觀點(diǎn),僅供參考。如有不妥之處,歡迎指正。