cat's paw出自《伊索寓言》。一只猴子想吃火中的栗子,但自己不去取,却抓起猫爪子去取,结果烧坏了猫爪子。后来人们便用cat's paw来比喻很容易受骗或为别人做危险事情的人、替死鬼、替罪羊。
例:
The stupid fellow never realized that he was a mere cat's paw in the hands of his enemy.
这个笨蛋根本不知道他只不过是敌人手中一个被利用的工具。
I have no intention of becoming a cat's paw to pull the chestnuts out of fire.
我可不愿意做一个火中取栗的替死鬼。
另外,还可以说
make a cat's paw of sb.
利用某人做爪牙,
serve as a cat's paw
充当爪牙
这个短语的意思就是too be dominated andor nagged by another person, typically one s wife 被另一个人(通常是妻子)控制或唠叨,就如同生活在猫的脚下一般。在口语中表示“惧内”、“怕老婆”
例:
He lives under the cat's foot, and always does as her wife told.
他很惧内, 总是对他老婆言听计从。
从字面上看就是在猫的脖子上挂铃铛,它的引申义为:自告奋勇去冒险、挺身而出。它源自《伊索寓言——老鼠会议》(Aesop’s Fables The Mice in Council):一群老鼠在鼠洞里举行会议,讨论如何对付凶狠的猫。白胡须老鼠提议可以在猫的项下挂一个铜铃。群鼠一致同意这个建议,可是,谁去给猫套铃铛呢?没有一只老鼠敢去,他们一个个都溜掉了。后来短语bell the cat就用来喻指“挺身而出,担当风险”。
例:
The task is really complicated. Anyway, there has to be someone to bell the cat.
这个任务真的很复杂,但是,总得有人去啊。
All the workers agreed that they wanted a pay raise, but nobody offered to bell the cat and talked to their boss.
所有工人都认为要加薪,但却没人自告奋勇去跟老板谈。
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