我國有一句諺語:“前門拒虎,后門進(jìn)狼?!敝V語里的狼、虎自然都是比喻災(zāi)害。英文成語keep the wolf from the door(拒狼門外)也是用了狼來做比喻,不過,這只狼只是一只饑餓的狼。
古時(shí)英國常有狼群四處覓食,襲擊人畜,所以,在英國人眼中,狼往往是饑餓的象征,比如說have a wolf in one's stomach(肚里有狼)是指“饑腸轆轆”,have a wolfish appetite是“有狼一般的食欲”,to wolf down one's food是“狼吞虎咽的吃東西”。Keep the wolf from the door,當(dāng)然就是“得免饑寒”的意思了,例如:We were in those days very poor,and keeping the wolf from the door proved no easy task(那時(shí),我們很窮,求溫飽很不容易。
古時(shí)英國常有狼群四處覓食,襲擊人畜,所以,在英國人眼中,狼往往是饑餓的象征,比如說have a wolf in one's stomach(肚里有狼)是指“饑腸轆轆”,have a wolfish appetite是“有狼一般的食欲”,to wolf down one's food是“狼吞虎咽的吃東西”。Keep the wolf from the door,當(dāng)然就是“得免饑寒”的意思了,例如:We were in those days very poor,and keeping the wolf from the door proved no easy task(那時(shí),我們很窮,求溫飽很不容易。