圣经、希腊神话中的短语_希腊神话短语

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Bible-related phrases

1.AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR 在最后一刻

Do something at the eleventh hour, and you do it at the very last minute.It’s poible that this phrase might have appeared in the language without any Biblical intervention, but the OED neverthele credits it to the Parable of the Labourers in the Gospel of St Matthew(20:1-16), which metaphorically advises that no matter what time you start work the reward will always be the same.2.AT YOUR WIT’S END 束手无策；无计可施

The earliest reference to being at your wit’s end in English dates back to the late 14th century.The phrase comes from Psalm 107, in which “they that go down to the sea in ships,” namely sailors and seafarers, are described as being thrown around by a storm at sea so that, “they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end”(107: 23-27).3.THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND 问道于盲，外行引导外行

The Roman poet Horace used his own version of the blind leading the blind in the 1st century BC, suggesting that it was already a fairly well known saying by the time it appeared in the New Testament: “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch”(Matthew 15:14).Neverthele, its inclusion in early editions of the Bible no doubt popularized its use in everyday language—and even inspired a famous painting by Pieter Brueghel literally interpreting the original quote.4.BY THE SKIN OF YOUR TEETH 险些错过

The Old Testament Book of Job records how Job is put through a series of trials, but eventually escapes “with the skin of my teeth”(19:20).Although precisely what Job meant these words to mean is debatable(and not helped by the fact that teeth don’t have skin), the usual interpretation is the one we use today—namely, that he escaped only by the narrowest of margins.5.TO CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE 白费好意；对牛弹琴

Meaning “to offer something of value to someone unable to appreciate it,” to cast pearls before swine comes from the New Testament: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet”(Matthew, 7:6).6.EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY 人生短暂，及时行乐；今朝有酒今朝醉

This popular sentiment is outlined several times in the Bible(Luke 12:19, 1 Corinthians 15:32), but appears first in the Book of Ecclesiastes: “man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry”(8:15).7.TO FALL BY THE WAYSIDE 半途而废

If something falls by the wayside(i.e.by the side of the road), then it fails to be seen through to completion or is side-lined in favor of some other project or endeavor.The earliest use of this phrase in English comes from William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible in 1526, and in particular his version of the Parable of the Sower, who “went out to sow his seeds, and as he sowed, some fell by the way side;and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it”(Luke 8:5).8.FEET OF CLAY 致命的弱点

Feet of clay has been used in English since the 19th century to refer to a fundamental weakne that has the potential to lead to the downfall of something(or someone)otherwise great and powerful.It comes from the Book of Daniel(2:31-45), in which the prophet Daniel interprets a dream that the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar has had of an enormous, imposing statue.“This image’s head was of fine gold,” Daniel writes, “his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of bra, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” As the dream continues, suddenly a huge stone strikes the clay feet of the statue, causing it to collapse and break up into pieces.Daniel interprets the golden head of the statue as representing Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, while the silver torso represents an inferior kingdom that will follow his.The bra stomach and thighs represent a third and even more inferior kingdom that will follow that, and a fourth and final kingdom, partly strong like iron but partly weak like clay, is represented by its legs and feet.And it is this weakne, Daniel predicts, that will lead to the downfall of the entire structure.9.A FLY IN THE OINTMENT 美中不足之处

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour,” advises the Book of Ecclesiastes(10:1).The modern wording, a fly in the ointment, first appeared in the language in the early 1700s.10.HE THAT TOUCHETH PITCH 近朱者赤,近墨者黑

The old adage that he that touches pitch shall be defiled advises that anyone who has even the slightest contact with someone who’s up to no good cannot avoid becoming corrupted themselves.The line comes from Ecclesiasticus, a book in the Biblical Apocrypha written in the 2nd century BC that warns that, “He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith, and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him”(13:1).11.THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY 肥沃而丰裕的土地；鱼米之乡

In Exodus(3:1-22), Moses is told by the vision of the burning bush to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into Canaan, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” The phrase has since come to be widely used of any location promising great prosperity, respite, and comfort.12.THE LAND OF NOD 梦乡

Another famous Biblical land is the Land of Nod, lying “east of Eden” according to the Book of Genesis, to which Cain is exiled after he murders his brother, Abel(4:16).As a metaphor for falling asleep however, the Land of Nod was first used by Jonathan Swift in 1738 and is probably nothing more than a pun on a drooping or “nodding” head.13.A LEOPARD CANNOT CHANGE ITS SPOTS 江山易改，本性难移

Implying that you cannot alter who you are innately meant to be, the old saying that a leopard cannot change its spots is a rewording of a verse from the Book of Jeremiah(13:23), that asks “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?”

14.LIKE A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER 怯弱无助，服服帖帖

If someone is blifully unaware of the disaster about to befall them, then they’re like a lamb to the slaughter.The phrase is touched on a number of times in the Bible, mostnotably in the Book of Isaiah: “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth”(53:7).15.A MILLSTONE AROUND YOUR NECK 沉重的负担

The image of having a millstone around your neck, in the sense of having some kind of oppreive burden or responsibility, has been a cliché in English since the early 18th century.It comes from a famous New Testament speech in which Jesus explains that anyone who takes advantage of a child would be better of having “a millstone … hanged about his neck and be cast into the sea” than to try to enter into Heaven(Luke, 17:2).16.TO MOVE MOUNTAINS 愚公移山

The idea that faith can move mountains is repeated a number of times in the Bible, including in one of the letters of St Paul: “though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains … I am nothing”(1 Corinthians 13:2).His words have been used as a familiar expreion of achieving something impoible since the 16th century.17.THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN 事物没有什么意义,枯燥,只是单纯的重复 As an expreion of world-wearine and a tiredne of a lack of new ideas, the old adage that there is nothing new under the Sun is often wrongly attributed to Shakespeare, who used a similar line as the opening of his 59th sonnet.In fact, the phrase comes from the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes, which explains “that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the Sun”(1:9).18.THE WRITING ON THE WALL 不祥之兆

In English, the writing on the wall has been a proverbial omen of misfortune since the early 18th century.It comes from the Old Testament tale of Belshazzar’s Feast, a grand banquet hosted by the Babylonian king Belshazzar for a thousand of his lords.As recounted in the Book of Daniel(5:1-31), in middle of the feast a ghostly disembodied hand supposedly appeared behind the king and wrote on the wall “menemenetekelupharsin.” Unable to interpret the text himself(the words are literally a list of different Hebrew measurements), Belshazzar called on the prophet Daniel, who quickly explained that the meage meant the king’s kingdom was soon to be “numbered, weighed, and divided.” That night, Belshazzar was killed, and Babylon was claimed by the Persians.Words and phrases related to the Greek Mythology1、Flora：古希腊罗马神话中的花神。她嫁给了西风之神Zephyr，丈夫送给她一座满是奇花异草的园子。春天时，Flora和丈夫Zephyr手挽 手在园子里漫步，他们一路走过的地方百花齐放。Flora在现代英语里指代“植物”。衍生词:flower，flour，flourish，floral，florist。

2、Muses(缪斯)：希腊神话中掌管艺术的诸神。共九位，分别是历史、抒情诗、喜剧(牧歌、田园诗)、悲剧、歌舞、爱情诗、颂歌、天文、史诗。Muses的艺术衍生出单词music，Muses收藏艺术品的地方就是museum。艺术带来的快乐便是amuse，amusement。

3、Pan(潘)：牧神和森林之神，受打扰时会大声吼叫。衍生词panic(惊慌，恐慌)。

4、Titan(泰坦)：曾统治世界的巨人族的一员。Titan在现代英语里指代高大强壮的人，重要人物。衍生词titanic意指巨大的，极大的。“泰 坦尼克号”即以此命名。

5、Zephyrus(泽费罗斯)：西风之神。衍生词zephyr(西风，和风，微风)。

6、Atlas：希腊神话中Titans(泰坦)巨神之一，因背叛Zeus(宙斯)被罚在世界的西边尽头以双肩扛天。16世纪地理学家麦卡脱把Atlas擎天 图作为一本地图册的卷首插图。后人争相效仿，atlas从此有了地图、地图集、身负重担的人的含义。其他衍生词：Atlantic。

7、Ceres：庄稼保护神。古罗马遭受大旱，教士们求助女巫占卜，占卜的结果是要立一位新的女神Ceres，向她供奉，这样她就会给大地带来雨水。此 后，Ceres就变成了庄稼的保护神。cereal从拉丁语变化而来，意即“of Ceres”属于谷物女神的。衍生词：cereals(谷类，早餐麦片)。

8、Cronos：宙斯的父亲。害怕子女反抗自己，曾吞食自己的后代。就像无情的时间，吞噬一切。因此字根“chron”意指“time”。衍生 词：chronic(耗费时间的，慢性的)：chronology(年代学，年表)。

9、Eros(厄洛斯)：爱神。是一位生有双翼的美少年，相当于罗马神话中的Cupid(丘比特)。不管是Eros还是Cupid，成天无所事事，在天上飞来飞去练习射箭，搞得大家人心 惶惶。所以他们衍生出的单词都含贬义:erotic色情的：cupidity贪心，贪婪。

10、Hygeia：希腊健康女神，其形象为年轻女子，身着白色长衣(白大褂)，头戴祭司冠，用饭碗喂着一条蛇。衍生词：hy-giene。

11、Morpheus：希腊神话中的梦神。梦神是睡神Hypnos的儿子，掌管人们的梦境。衍生词：morphine(吗啡)，marijuana(大麻)，两者都是opium(鸦片)的提取物。morphine有麻醉镇定的作用。

二 源于希腊神话的英语习语

1、Pandora’s box(潘朵拉的盒子)：普罗米修斯(Prometheus)为人类盗来了天火，激怒了宙斯(Zeus)。Zeus决定惩罚人类，于是他命令火神造出一个美貌的女人 Pandora，让她去勾引Prometheus的弟弟埃比米修斯(Epimetheus)。结果Epimetheus上当，接近了 Pandora，Pandora于是就将手中的盒子打开，放出了里面的罪恶、灾难、疾病、不幸，只留下了“希望”在盒子里。于是Pandora’s box就成了“灾难的根源”的代名词。

2、the sword of Damocles(达摩克利斯之剑)[3]：Damocles是叙拉古王朝的一位大臣，非常羡慕帝王的荣华富贵。一天，国王让他坐在王位上，在 Damocles的头上用一根头发悬一把利剑，告诉他王权的危险就象那把剑一样，随时可能降临。因此the sword of Damocles就成了“富贵中隐藏的危险”的同义语，也可以指形势危急，千钧一发。

3、Damon and Pythias[3] ：Damon和Pythias是好朋友。Pythias出事被判了死刑，为了使他能够回家探视亲人，Damo留在牢中作人质，如果Pythias不按时返 回，就处死Damon。当期限满，临处刑之际，Pythias及时赶回。国王深受感动，将二人全部释放，因此，Damon and Pythias意思就是“生死之交”。

4、Penelop’s web：源自史诗《奥德赛》(Odyey)[4]。泊涅罗珀(Penelop)是奥底修斯(Odyeus)的妻子，以忠贞而著称。特洛伊战争持续 了十年，Odyeus在返家的途中又耽搁了十年。在这漫长的二十年中，许多王公贵族向Penelop求婚，她都托辞说必须等织完布后才能予以考虑，一 到晚上，她又将白天织好的布再拆开。因此Penelop’s web就成了一项永远也完不成的工作。

5、apple of discord[5]：意思是“不和的根源、发生纠纷的事端”。佩琉斯和忒提斯举行婚礼时忘记了邀请不和女神厄里斯(Eris)。这位女神大为恼火，留下 一个刻有“献给最美者”的金苹果，引起了雅典娜、赫拉和阿芙罗狄忒的纷争。此事导致漫长的特洛伊战争(Trojan War)。

6、Judgment of Paris[5]：意思是“不爱江山爱美人”。Eri不请自来到众神的聚会，离开时留下金苹果。三位女神为了争夺金苹果不分高下，决定让Zeus决定，宙 斯无法在自己的妻子、智慧女神和爱与美的女神之间抉择。为难之际，Zeu拨开云雾向人间看去，看到了Troy的二王子Paris正在牧羊于是将决定权交给 了Paris。三个女神分别以“最大的疆土”，“最智慧的头脑”和“最美丽的女人”作为诱惑，而最终Paris放弃了江山选择了Venus，获得了最美丽 的女人海伦。

7、Helen of Troy：由于是Helen导致特洛伊城的沦陷，“Helen of Troy”就成了“红颜祸水，倾国尤物”的代名词。

8、The Trojan horse[4]：意思是“用以使敌方或对手上当误以为于自己有益的破坏性的事物或人”。在特洛伊战争中，希腊人为了攻打特洛伊城，造了一匹巨大的木马，其中藏有希腊士兵。他们故意装出弃木马逃走的样子，特洛伊人将木马作为战利品请进城。半夜，士兵们从木马内爬出，将城中的人杀死。特洛伊城陷落。The Trojan Horse经过不断引用已成为一个广泛流传的成语，常用来比喻the hidden danger(暗藏的危险)； the covert wreckers(内奸)：to engage in underhandactivities等意义。

9、Stables of Augeas(奥革阿斯的牛圈)：意思是“最肮脏的地方：积累成堆难以解决的问题”。厄利斯国王奥革阿斯有牛数千头，牛圈三十年未扫。赫剌克勒斯(Heracles)用一天时间将其打扫干净。

10、Achilles’heel:希腊勇士，人与神的结晶。出生之后被母亲倒提着在冥河中浸过，除了足跟之外，全身刀枪不入。最终在特洛伊战争中死于 Paris箭下。Achilles’heel意指“金无足赤，人无完人”，特指唯一致命弱点、缺点。

11、Swan song[3]：字面译做“天鹅之歌”，源于希腊成语Kykneionasma。在古希腊神话中，天鹅是阿波罗的神鸟，故常用来比喻文艺。传说天鹅平素不唱歌，而在它死前，必引颈长鸣，高歌一曲，其歌声哀婉动听，感人肺腑。这是它一生中唯一的，也是最后的一次唱歌。因此，现代英语中这个习语比喻某诗人、作家、作曲家临终前的一部杰作，或者是某个演员、歌唱家的最后一次表演。早在公元前6世纪，古希腊寓言作家伊索(Aisopos)的寓言故事中，就有“天鹅临死才唱歌”的说法。在英国，乔叟、莎士比亚等伟大诗人、剧作家，都使 用过这个成语典故。如:莎翁的著名悲剧《奥赛罗》(Othello)中塑造的爱米莉娅形象，她在生死关头站出来揭穿其丈夫的罪行。她临死时把自己比做天 鹅，一生只唱最后一次歌[6]。

12、Under the rose：直译“在玫瑰花底下”。源自古罗马神话故事。爱神丘比特(Cupid)是爱与美之神维纳斯(venus红杏出墙和战神玛斯(Mars)所生的儿 子。为了维护其母的声誉，丘比特给沉默之神哈伯克拉底(Harpocrates)送了一束玫瑰花，请他守口如瓶，不要把维纳斯的风流韵事传播出去。哈伯克 拉底接受了玫瑰花就缄默不语了，成为名副其实的“沉默之神”。由于这个神话传说，古罗马人把玫瑰花当作沉默或严守秘密的象征，并在日常生活中相尚成风。人 们去串门做客，当看到主人家的桌子上方画有玫瑰，客人就了解在这桌上所谈的一切均不应外传。Under the rose于是有了“秘密地，私下地，暗中”的意义。