SJ 猴年英文教室:Monkey有關的英文詞語

猴年來到,說說英文中同monkey 有關的詞語,你們知嗎?

 

Monkey business 

什麼樣的business,能算得上是馬騮把戲?

This means causing problems or getting into trouble.

中文可理解為“胡鬧”、“惡作劇”。

 

Example:Our teacher warned us not to try any monkey business while she was out of the room.

老師警告過我們,她不在時別搗蛋。

不難發現,猴子總是攀上爬下、扎扎跳,似乎忙得不亦樂乎,卻又搞不出什麼名堂,而這一頑皮氣質也常常被智慧的人類拿來說打比喻。

 

Monkey around

這裡的monkey是動詞,外國人利用它作比喻 to waste time or procrastinate by doing something unproductive or unhelpful; to fool around or spend time idly

中文意為“閒混,搗蛋”,是不是很形象呢?

例:Would you quit monkeying around and give me a hand cleaning the house?

你能不能不要再調皮搗蛋了,幫我收拾一下屋子好不好?

I should have started this essay last week, but I’ve been monkeying around with my new video game console.

我本來上週就要開始寫這篇論文了,但我一直在玩新的遊戲機。

 

Have a monkey on your back

背上有隻猴,難道要玩甚麼馬戲?這詞句並沒有這麼簡單,它指的是難以擺脫的重擔。

Example:It was like having a monkey on your back that you just can’t get rid of.

這種感覺就像是身上背負著無法擺脫的重擔。

 

Monkey see, monkey do

Monkey see, monkey do is a pidgin-style saying that appeared in American culture in the early 1920s. The saying refers to the learning of a process without an understanding of why it works. Another definition implies the act of mimicry, usually with limited knowledge or concern of the consequences.

Monkey see, monkey do意思是“有樣學樣”。

源於西非馬里的民間故事。一個商人把所有的帽子都摞在頭上去街上賣帽子,中午他坐在樹下打盹,醒來後卻發現頭上的帽子被一群猴子偷走了,只剩下自己的那一頂。不管商人怎麼叫罵,猴子都只是在樹上靜靜地模仿他。氣急之下,商人把自己的帽子摔在地上,猴子也跟著模仿,把帽子扔到了商人的腳邊。

 

例:I don’t let my children watch TV programs that show kids being disrespectful to their elders. I know what would happen if I did: monkey see, monkey do.

在有些電視節目中,孩子在大人面前沒大沒小,這類節目我從不讓我的孩子看,因為孩子經常會有樣學樣。

 

Also on SJ: 初4返工比email客人「年年有餘」英文點講?

 

Monkey’s uncle

這個詞表示“我很震驚”!

The term monkey’s uncle, most notably seen in the idiom “(well) I’ll be a monkey’s uncle”, is used to express complete surprise, amazement or disbelief. It was originally a sarcastic remark made by Creationists. The notion “that people were descended from apes was considered blasphemous…by Darwin’s contemporaries”, and it was for this reason that the sarcastic phrase came into use.

這種說法與達爾文的進化論有關。1859年,達爾文出版《物種起源》,書中提到人和猴子出自共同的祖先。這一說法讓人們驚訝不已,尤其是神創論者。於是,有人驚訝地說,“Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!”後來,這種說法就成了人們表達驚訝的一種方式。

例:Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. I never thought Bill would remarry.

天啊!我從來都沒想過Bill會再婚。

 

More fun than a barrel of monkeys

這是一種誇張的說法,外國人用它來形容“to be very funny or enjoyable”, 表示一件事非常有趣。類似的表達還有as much fun as a barrel of monkeys.

Example:Roger always makes me laugh! He is as much fun as a barrel of monkeys.

Roger 總是能讓我開懷大笑!他很有趣。

 

Cheeky monkey

字面意思是“頑皮的猴子”,其引申義為a silly, impudent, or mischievous person。Usually said as a mild, playful rebuke, 相當於我們口語中常說的“淘氣的孩子”。

Example:You ate all the cookies, you cheeky monkey!

你這淘氣的孩子,你把所有的餅乾都吃完了。

 

Make a monkey (out ) of someone

這個詞的實際意義是“把某人當馬騮玩,讓某人出洋相”。類似的英文表達還有make a fool (out) of someone.

Example:John made a monkey out of himself while trying to make a fool out of Jim.

John本想愚弄Jim,卻讓自己出了洋相。

 

 

學識了嗎?

 

 

 

 

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