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
学英语单词
acid metalized dye
ambipolar
amenorrhea due to stagnation of blood
arriage
asymptotic test
bankeress
bell key
bronchiolar epithelium
chlorinated polypropylene
cip(cast-iron pipe)
clavate suture
contrafocal
convection heat transfer
courseware
cross-readings
cycle count selection
date commenced
daviesite
demurrings
domestic railway transport
dres
egg-milk
ending label file
Eozoic group
fabiens
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fibrino-purulent
Ficus sycomorus
follower ring and washer
Fontaneda
front of motor
genus linanthuss
gerton
half latticed girder
hdwd
head slotted plug
hop stripper
indicator system for moderately well-off society
ionized layer
Iranianizes
IUF1
jamar
jumped at
Kijabe
Loferer Steinberge
log-fires
lumbar part of diaphragm
make a remittance
make port
Malacanthinae
malegetta
marble murrelet
marginalizers
mechanized harvest
mineraline
minimatas
nakamura
needle holders with narrow jaws
normal accident
note payable to bearer
ocular phthisis
one-lane lock
outfoxed
palais glide
plutonic emanation
polysemy
post forming
pristids
quarter milker
rakshasa
regulation for operation and maintenance
rehatting
Rinihue
Ron Paul
rough finishing
Rubus nyalamensis
rumex dentatus l.
sanabu
scram system
self correcting automatic navigation
simple multiple reflection
single error correction-double error detection
Sonstraal
stabilized deflection
steinman
strike leaders
taping and sealing
tappet rod
thallic fluoride
the Flood
the peculiar institution
thorites
tight-end
toomebridge
transthiolations
unfolding house
unifunctional pipeline
unironically
webbed toes
wet the whistle
WS-I Organization
zero ohm adjustment