What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“Thoroughbreds are beneficiaries of hundreds of years of exquisite breeding that has produced horses of great speed, strong spirit, and a puzzling capacity for galloping misfortune.”
「由於數百年來精湛的育種法，純種馬速度極快、性情強健，還有疾馳的厄運這項令人不解的特色。」
“Galloping” is a gait usually associated with horses and is characterized by rapid movement, both of the legs and of the entire body of the horse as it is propelled forward. It is the fastest mode of running for a horse, the slower modes being walk, trot, and canter. Race horses usually are walked to the starting gate, but once the gates are sprung open, galloping immediately ensues. Thoroughbred horses are primarily bred for racing, with their large chests, powerful leg muscles, and delicate hooves cleaving the air at speeds up to 55 mph as they gallop.
“Galloping”（疾馳）通常指馬的步伐，馬匹向前疾馳時，腿部和整個身軀都迅速地運動。馬匹奔跑以疾馳的速度最快，步行、小跑、慢跑則較慢。賽馬時，騎師一般先騎馬走到柵門口，柵門一彈開，馬匹隨即撒腿疾馳。純種馬一般用來競賽，有寬闊的胸肌、強壯的腿部肌肉，以及構造精巧的馬蹄，疾馳時馬蹄劃破空氣，時速可達 55 英里。
The author of the sentence used the phrase “galloping misfortune” as something of a double entendre. It alludes to the tendency of thoroughbreds to break down for no apparent reason, with legs fracturing, lungs issuing blood, and undersized hearts pumping too little blood for the needs of the large animals. The “galloping” adjective also infers that the health crises can occur suddenly, often while the horses are speeding along the inside rail of a track. The phrase “galloping misfortune” neatly ties together the breed’s chief characteristic and its chief hazard.
“Galloping misfortune”（疾馳的厄運） 是雙關語，暗指純種馬有時莫名其妙就倒下了，可能腿部骨折、肺出血，或是心臟太小，打出的血液不夠馬匹龐大的身軀使用。“Galloping”（疾馳）也用來形容馬匹身體健康突然發生問題，通常發生在馬匹沿著跑道內圈加速時。“Galloping misfortune”「疾馳的厄運」巧妙連結了純種馬的主要特徵與主要問題。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“Thoroughbreds are beneficiaries of hundreds of years of exquisite breeding that has produced horses of great speed, strong spirit, and a puzzling capacity for galloping misfortune.”
「由於數百年來精湛的育種法，純種馬速度極快、性情強健，還有疾馳的厄運這項令人不解的特色。」
“Galloping” is a gait usually associated with horses and is characterized by rapid movement, both of the legs and of the entire body of the horse as it is propelled forward. It is the fastest mode of running for a horse, the slower modes being walk, trot, and canter. Race horses usually are walked to the starting gate, but once the gates are sprung open, galloping immediately ensues. Thoroughbred horses are primarily bred for racing, with their large chests, powerful leg muscles, and delicate hooves cleaving the air at speeds up to 55 mph as they gallop.
“Galloping”（疾馳）通常指馬的步伐，馬匹向前疾馳時，腿部和整個身軀都迅速地運動。馬匹奔跑以疾馳的速度最快，步行、小跑、慢跑則較慢。賽馬時，騎師一般先騎馬走到柵門口，柵門一彈開，馬匹隨即撒腿疾馳。純種馬一般用來競賽，有寬闊的胸肌、強壯的腿部肌肉，以及構造精巧的馬蹄，疾馳時馬蹄劃破空氣，時速可達 55 英里。
The author of the sentence used the phrase “galloping misfortune” as something of a double entendre. It alludes to the tendency of thoroughbreds to break down for no apparent reason, with legs fracturing, lungs issuing blood, and undersized hearts pumping too little blood for the needs of the large animals. The “galloping” adjective also infers that the health crises can occur suddenly, often while the horses are speeding along the inside rail of a track. The phrase “galloping misfortune” neatly ties together the breed’s chief characteristic and its chief hazard.
“Galloping misfortune”（疾馳的厄運） 是雙關語，暗指純種馬有時莫名其妙就倒下了，可能腿部骨折、肺出血，或是心臟太小，打出的血液不夠馬匹龐大的身軀使用。“Galloping”（疾馳）也用來形容馬匹身體健康突然發生問題，通常發生在馬匹沿著跑道內圈加速時。“Galloping misfortune”「疾馳的厄運」巧妙連結了純種馬的主要特徵與主要問題。
Posted at 2011-10-07 10:13:21
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