意趣丰隽的“羊”习语言

杨春吉

与“羊”有关的习语主要来自三个方面：生产劳动实践、圣经以及古希腊罗马神话。sheep（绵羊）通常被认为是纯洁、温顺、天真无邪的象征，而goat（山羊）生性易怒，好色，凶暴，残忍，在传说中是魔鬼的化身，是邪恶和罪行的象征。lamb（羔羊）常用来指天真无邪、容易上当受骗的人。由于“羊”与人们的生活息息相关，随着生活、语言的发展，也就产生了许多与之相关的习语。下面我们来了解一下吧！

1. play the goat 举止轻浮；干蠢事；胡闹。古希腊神话里的山林之神长着羊腿、羊蹄、羊鼻、长须以及羊尾巴，酷似山羊。他终日在山林里游荡，追逐仙女，非常好色。故goat除了表示“劣等的人/物”之外，还有“色鬼；淫荡之人”之意。old goat 是“老色鬼”的意思。

如：Mary played the goat in her daily life， so her neighbors didnt like her. 生活中玛丽举止轻浮，因此邻居们都不喜欢她。

Dont play the goat like that， or you will be punished some day. 不要再干蠢事了，否则总有一天你会受到惩罚的。

2. follow like sheep 盲从。如：You shouldnt follow like sheep， and you should have your own opinions on it. 你不该盲从，应该有自己的主见。

3. get ones goat 惹某人生气；使某人烦躁。如：Toms bad school results got his parents goat. 汤姆学习成绩不好令他的父母非常生气。

4. separate the sheep from the goats区分好人与坏人。如：As for kids， they should learn to

separate the sheep from the goats， which is very important for them. 作为孩子，他们应该学会区分好人与坏人，这一点对他们而言是非常重要的。

5. count sheep 数羊（类似于汉语习惯中睡觉前在心里数数催眠）。如：He was upset greatly and couldnt fall asleep， so he had to count sheep. 他心绪烦乱，难以入睡，只得数羊催眠。

6. return to ones sheep 回到主题；言归正传。如：Lets return to our sheep and get down to our own job. 我们还是言归正传认真干活吧！

7. make sheeps eye at sb. 向某人送秋波/抛媚眼。如：Susan often makes sheeps eye at you， maybe she really likes you. 苏珊经常向你抛媚眼，也许她真的喜欢你。

8. lose ones goat / wool失去控制；发怒，相当于lose ones temper。如：You shouldnt have lost your goat over it. You are always being kind. 当时你不应该发火，你一向是很温和的嘛！

9. keep ones goat / wool 别发火；息怒。如：Keep ones goat / wool！ Lets try to use another way. 别发火，咱们再试试别的办法。

10. ride the goat 加入秘密团体/组织。如：He shouldnt have ridden the goat， and it made him in prison at last. 他不该加入秘密组织，最终落到锒铛入狱的下场。

11. milk the ram 缘木求鱼；钻冰求火。如：Doing it like this means milking the ram， in my

opinion. 我认为，这样做无异于缘木求鱼。

12. eat mutton cold 遭冷遇；受人白眼；让人瞧不起。如：He used to eat mutton cold but now he is respected and loved by everyone. 过去他常常遭人白眼，而现在他备受大家的爱戴。

13. a sheep not in the sheepfold 尚未走上正道的人。如：The boy is like a sheep not in the

sheepfold and we should lead him to the right way. 这孩子年幼无知，我们应该好好引导他走上正道。

14. sheep without a shepherd 乌合之众。如：They are sheep without a shepherd and Im sure we are bound to defeat them in the end. 他们是一群乌合之众，我们必定能打败他们！

15. a black sheep 害群之马；败家子；不肖之子。 如：Tom was a black sheep and his teammates dropped him out of their football team at last. 汤姆是害群之马，他的队友最终将他赶出了足球队。endprint

16. a lamb 宝贝；小可爱；萝莉。如：What a lamb the girl is！ 这女孩真是个可爱的宝贝！

17. lost sheep 本意为“迷途羔羊（指失去信仰的人），引申为“误入歧途的人”。如：The man was a lost sheep when he was young. After being educated， he grew into a famous writer. 这个人年轻时误入歧途，经教育后成长为一名著名的作家。

18. sheep （mutton） head 笨蛋。如：Tom has really a sheep head， and he shouldnt have done it like that. 汤姆真笨，他本不该那样做的。

19. goal wool 不存在的东西。如：It is just goal wool， and you wont believe it. 这事根本不存在，不要相信它。

20. like sheep 无独创精神的；依赖性强的。如：Children always act like sheep， and we should bring them up to be independent and creative ones. 孩子们依赖性强，我们应该把他们培养成独立并具有创造力的人。

21. a giddy goat 举止轻浮的人。如：Jack is a giddy goat and no wonder his colleges dont like working with him. 杰克是个举止轻浮的人，难怪他的同事们不喜欢和他一起工作。

23. ones ewe lamb 宝贝；掌上明珠， 相当于an apple of ones eye。如：John is her mothers ewe lamb and she loves him very much. 约翰是她妈妈的掌上明珠，她非常爱他。

24. The sheep who talks peace with a wolf will soon be mutton. 羊向狼乞求和平，很快就会变成羊肉。引申为：切勿向敌人乞求和平。

25. Dont trust a goat with the kitchen garden， or a wolf with sheepfold. 不能请羊管菜园，不能请狼管羊圈。引申为：知人善用，以免误事。

26. The life of the wolf is the death of the lamb. 有活的狼就不会有活的羔羊。引申为：万物皆相生相克。

27. As soon goes the young lambs skin to the market as the old ewes. 老羊皮上市，小羊皮

随之来。引申为：覆巢无完卵。

28. Crows cry the dead sheep and then eat them. 乌鸦吃死羊，先要哭一场。引申为：猫哭耗子假慈悲。

29. Go to bed with the lamb and rise with the lark. 随羔羊就寝，与云雀同起。引申为：早睡早起。

30. It is an evil sign to see a fox lick a lamb. 狐狸舔羔羊是危险的信号。引申为：黄鼠狼给鸡拜年，不安好心。

31. One sheep follows another. 羊一只跟一只。引申为：盲从。

32. As well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. 偷羊偷羔都被绞（死）；偷大偷小都是贼。引申为： 一不做，二不休。

33. The lone sheep is in great danger of the wolf. 孤羊逢狼，必然遭殃。

34. Go for wool and come back shorn. 偷鸡不成反蚀把米。

35. It is a foolish sheep that makes the wolf his confessor. 蠢羊才向狼忏悔。

36. When you lose a sheep， its never too late to fix the pen. 亡羊补牢，为时未晚。

37. a sheep will be eaten by a wolf 人善受人欺，马善受人骑。

38. as a sheep among the shears 人为刀俎，我为鱼肉。endprint