sour grapes
字面意思:酸葡萄
引申意思:吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸(的心理/行为等) ;一般是物做主语
【解释】
If you describe someone's attitude as sour grapes, you mean that they say something is worthless or undesirable because they want it themselves but cannot have it.
【来源】
In Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes, the fox, unable to reach the tempting bunch of grapes, comforts himself with the thought that they are probably sour anyway.
在《伊索寓言》的《狐狸和葡萄》中,狐狸因无法够到诱人的一串葡萄,便安慰自己说葡萄可能是酸的,不好吃。
【例句】
He always mocks sports cars / as being really impractical, but it's just sour grapes, if you ask me.
他总是嘲笑跑车不实用,但要我说呀,他只是吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸。
a bad/rotten apple
字面意思:坏苹果
引申意思:坏蛋;害群之马;一颗老鼠屎
【解释】
A person whose own words or actions negatively impacts an entire group of people.
【来源】
Taken from the proverb "a bad apple spoils the (whole) bunch/barrel."
源自谚语“一个坏苹果毁了一(整)串/筐苹果”
【例句】
Jeremy is really a bad apple. After he spends five minutes with my usually well-behaved kids, they're all acting out.
Jeremy真是个坏蛋。他和我那些平时很乖的孩子待了五分钟后,他们就开始胡闹了。
a couch potato
电视迷
(大部分时间都在家看电视、不运动或没有其它兴趣爱好的人)
【解释】
A couch potato is someone who spends most of their time watching television and does not exercise or have any interesting hobbies.
【来源】
有两种说法:
1. 第一种说比较复杂,但最权威:
tube = 电视
那么看电视的人就叫tuber
但同时,tuber还有“块茎(某些植物的肉质地下茎)”
而土豆就是很多“块茎”
所以后来就用土豆“potato”指代看电视的人,前边加上个couch,更加形象的形容人们躺在沙发上看电视的画面。
2. 第二种说法比较流行,因为相对通俗易懂,但不一定权威:
couch potato源自于“人们习惯一面看电视一面吃薯片”的画面。
【例句】
He is a typical couch potato / who keeps flicking through endless TV channels / all day long.
他是个典型的电视迷,整天在无数个电视频道之间来回换台。
nice