英语口语学习：13个与喵星人相关的表达.docx

英语口语学习：13个与喵星人相关的表达Did you know that long before cats and kittens[baby cats] invaded the internet with their cute and funny videos (and pictures), these loveable creatures invaded the English language with idioms and expressions?你知道在小猫咪们通过它们萌萌的照片和视频入侵互联网之前，这些得意的小生物们就已经消失在英语口语中的各种成语与表达里了 Actually, cats are as much a part of the English language as they are a part of your Facebook and Youtube entertainment. 事实上，正如猫咪们是你Facebook和YouTube上的重要一局部那样，它们在英语中也占有一席之地。

In my opinion, you aren’t fluent until you know at least a few cat idioms, and today we are going to teach you the thirteen most important and popular cat expressions that every English learner needs to know. 在我看来，假如你不知道几个关于猫的习语，你就不能算是英语流利今日我们要教你十三个最重要且流行的关于猫的表达，那是每一个英语学习者都需要知道的1. Cat Got Your Tongue? (say something!)你的舌头被猫给吃了吗？（说点啥吧！）It’s very common to say “(Has a) Cat Got Your Tongue?” when you’re asking somebody why they aren’t speaking. It’s not disrespectful, and is often very effective communication. This expression originates in medieval times when kings punished liars by cutting off their tongues and then feeding it to their cats.当问某人为什么他不说话时，我们常常说：“你的舌头被猫给吃了（吗）？“。

这并不是无礼，而往往是特别有效的沟通这个表达源自中世纪国王惩处骗子的手段，他们把骗子的舌头割断，然后喂猫2. A Copycat (a person who copies/imitates another)盲目仿照者（抄袭/仿照他人的人） Kids often call each other “copy cat” when somebody copies them, and adults may joke around with this too. For example, a young boy who copies his brother’s haircut may be called a copycat. 当孩子们之间有人抄袭别人的时候，他们就会称那个抄袭的人为“copy cat”成人之间有时也会用这个开玩笑例如，一个年轻的男孩仿照他哥哥的发型就很可能被叫做“copy cat（仿照者）”3. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs (it’s raining very hard)雨下的很大 This is very commonly used to describe the weather when it’s raining hard. The origin of this expression comes from the fact that cats were once known to symbolize strong wind, and dogs symbolized rain. 这是常常用来描述下大雨的天气的。

这个表达来源于：猫曾经象征强风，狗曾经象征大雨4. Scaredy Cat/ Fraidy Cat (coward)害怕的猫（软弱的人） A fraidy or scaredy cat is someone is afraid to do something. The “y” is a diminutive used by kids. Adults may jokingly use these too. Because cats are known to back down (escape, run from) dogs, kids use this to make fun of their scared classmates.“ A fraidy or scaredy cat”用来描述某人可怕做某件事y”这个音节常常被小孩纸使用成年人也可能用这个来开玩笑由于，众所周知，猫会可怕、躲避狗，于是孩子们便用这个来取笑他们胆小的同学5. Let the Cat Out of The Bag? (accidentally tell a secret)揭开隐秘（不经意的道出隐秘）To let the cat out of the bag is to unintentionally ruin a secret. An example of this might be if you accidentally reveal a surprise birthday party to the person the party is for. The origin of the idiom is said to be in medieval markets when Piglets (baby pigs) were put in a bag to be sold, and every once in a while a seller would try to replace the piglet with a cat (which was cheaper), until somebody would open the bag and let the cat out (ruining the thief’s secret). “let the cat out of the bag”是指无意中泄露了隐秘。

举例来说，你无意中向寿星泄露了将要进行的生日派对这个成语的由来是这样的：据说是在中世纪的市场，小猪是被放在袋子里出售的，有一次卖方会试图将小猪换成小猫（更廉价），假如不是有人翻开袋子，让猫跑出来（拆穿了*商的隐秘） 6. Fat Cat (rich and powerful person)财势过人的人（有权势的人）Fat cat is a colloquial way to describe someone who has a lot of wealth and power. If you think about a stereotypical rich person (at least traditionally), the image may resemble a well-fed cat that is almost never skinny.“fat cat”是口语上用来描述那些拥有大量的财宝和权力的人假如勾画一个富人的典型形象（至少是传统的），画面很可能会是一只肥硕的猫而从来不会是精瘦的猫7. Cat Burlgar (skilled, sneaky burglar/thief)入室偷盗（偷窃惯犯、入室偷盗的老手）A Cat Burglar is a thief or robber who robs somebody’s home in a silent and sneaky way. Think of a cat walking in the dark, with ninja-like movements, almost without making a noise.“A Cat Burglar”是那种会用宁静而狡猾的方式盗窃别人家的小偷或强盗。

想象一只在黑暗中行走的猫，它有忍者般的动作，几乎不不会发出任何声响8. Play Cat and Mouse (to strategically chase, tease, torture)玩猫捉老鼠的一套（*诈的追逐，挑衅和熬煎）To play cat and mouse is for somebody or something to chase the other in a very strategic, teasing, and game-like way (like a cat chasing and playing with a mouse). Think of a superhero movie when the villain is chasing an innocent person in a cruel, strategic way.“play cat and mouse”玩猫捉老鼠的嬉戏，是指某人或某事用战略性的手段挑衅和追赶着其他人（就像猫在追老鼠）想象在一个超级英雄电影里面，反派人物在用各种残忍狡猾的方式追杀一个无辜和善的人9. Look What the Cat Dragged In! (an unpleasant surprise to see you)看看撞上了哪只厌烦猫！（见到你真让人不痛快）This is a way to express surprise, and sometimes disgust at a person who shows up. The person may very well haggard (exhausted, dirty, and/or not in the best shape). We may use this in an ironic tone to welcome somebody for a pleasant surprise too. If you have a cat that goes outside, you know that they bring back all kinds of unpleasant things. For example, just yesterday my cat Meru walked in with a pigeon [type of bird] in his mouth.这是用来表达惊异，而且有时候是厌烦的某人消失时的表达。

那个人可能是特别憔悴（筋疲力尽，肮脏，或不在状态）的我们也可以使用这种讥讽的口吻来欢送某人带给我们的惊喜假如你的猫走到外面，你确定知道他们会带回各种各样肮脏的东西例如，昨天我的猫回来的时候，嘴里含着一只鸽子10. Cat Fight (fight between two women)猫打架（两个女人之间的打架）Because women often scratch, claw, an。