时间:2019-01-21 作者:英语课 分类:阅读空间


英语课

Greek Gift(s)直译是“希腊人的礼物”,出自荷马史诗《奥德赛》以及古罗马杰出诗人维吉尔(Publius Virgilius Maro,公元前70-前19年)的史诗《伊尼特》(Aeneis)中关于特洛伊城陷落经过的叙述。


据《奥德赛》卷8记述:许多特洛伊人对如何处置希腊人留下的大木马展开了辩论,“他们有三种主张:有的主张用无情的铜矛刺透中空的木马;有的主张把它扔到岩石上;有的主张让它留在那里作为景观,来使天神喜悦”。结果是后一说占优势,把那匹木马拖进城里来,终于遭到了亡国之灾。


维吉尔的史诗《伊尼特》,写的是特洛伊被希腊攻陷后,王子伊尼斯从混乱中携家属出走,经由西西里、迦太基到达意大利,在各地漂泊流亡的情况。史诗第2卷便是伊尼斯关于特洛伊城陷落经过的叙述,其中情节除了模拟荷马史诗的描述外,还做了更详细的补充。


当特洛伊人要把大木马拖进城的时候,祭司拉奥孔(Laocoon)劝说不要接受希腊人留下的东西。他说:“我怕希腊人,即使他们来送礼”。这句话后来成了一句拉丁谚语:“Timeo Danaos,et dona ferenteso.”(原文的达奈人Danaos,即泛指希腊各部族人)译成英语就是:I fear the Greeks ,even when bringing gifts.其简化形式就是Greek Gifts。


可惜特洛伊人不听拉奥孔的警告,把木马作为战利品拖进城里。木马里藏着希腊的精锐部队,给特洛伊人带来了屠杀和灭亡。由此,Greek gift成为一个成语,表示a gift with some sinister 1 purposes of the enemy;one given with intent to harm;a gift sent inorder to murder sb等意思,按其形象意义,这个成语相当于英语的俚谚:When the fox preaches,take care of your geese;也与汉语“黄鼠狼给鸡拜年——不安好心”十分类似。


例句:


He is always buying you expensive clothes,I'm afraid they are Greek gifts for you.


他总是给你买很贵的衣服,我担心这些都是不安好心的礼物。



adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的
  • There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
  • Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值,而且包藏祸心。
标签: 礼物
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angle struct
antivenin
berenger
Betaherpesvirinae
bill of freight
binary imaging
bioinoculants
Bonshtedtite
borers
cannal surface
CFCL
chart lamp
Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved
cupliker
detailed process
direct vision method
employer class
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flower market
GDP-FUE
hand-made nail
high-pressure water loop
hoisting ring
hospital switch
House of lord
impairment of a law
in considerable detail
IVG
Korinthou, Dhiorix
lay the axe at the root of
least bitterns
limited space-charge accumulat-ion
magnetic diverter
make a start
megamitochondria
microfossils
minced chichen
minces
mind the store
night differential
night-bus stop board
norfolk island pine
NSC-12165
oceanicas
of the blood
off-the-shelf integrated circuit
optical arm
oral briefing
orangeries
outer ring
over-roast
palaeolimnology
passion play
passioni
Pinters
platycoelous vertebra
pressure suit
prosethmoid
put on the brake
pyrenoid
Quilua
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rape whistles
rc oscillator
RD,R.D.
reaginic
renouncing probate
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ruffins
sagy
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spaceimage
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Suaeda paradoxa
surface drift velocity
table-fellowships
take to our bosom
telespectator
tell someone straight
the spoon
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too-old
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touch cell
TPTG oscillator
tropical rain forest?
tryne
turned
tuscarawas
Twoheaded I.
U.N.S. (upper neutron shielding)
ulstered
uncontrolled weir
Wapikhamthong, Khouèng
waterproof plug
withdraw offer
wood chisels
wrote down
zaladonis
zeps
zone of opacity