圣经、希腊神话中的短语.docx

圣经、希腊神话中的短语
Bible-related phrases
1. AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR
在最后一刻
Do something at the eleventh hour, and you do it at the very last minute. It’s possible that this phrase might have appeared in the language without any Biblical intervention, but the OED nevertheless credits it to the Parable of the Labourers in the Gospel of St Matthew (20:1-16), which metaphorically advises that no matter what time you start work the reward will always be the same.
2. AT YOUR WIT’S END
束手无策；无计可施
The earliest reference to being at your wit’s end in English dates back to the late 14th century. The phrase
popularized its use in everyday language—and even inspired a famous painting by Pieter Brueghel literally interpreting the original quote.
4. BY THE SKIN OF YOUR TEETH
险些错过
The Old Testament Book of Job records how Job is put through a series of trials, but eventually escapes “with the skin of my teeth” (19:20). Although precisely what Job meant these words to mean is debatable (and not helped by the fact that teeth don’t have skin), the usual interpretation is the one we use today—namely, that he escaped only by the narrowest of margins.
5. TO CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
白费好意；对牛弹琴
Meaning “to offer something of value to someone unable to appreciate it,” to cast pearls before swine comes from the New Testament: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet” (Matthew, 7:6).
6. EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
人生短暂，及时行乐；今朝有酒今朝醉
This popular sentiment is outlined several times in the Bible (Luke 12:19, 1 Corinthians 15:32), but appears first in the Book of Ecclesiastes: “man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry” (8:15).
7. TO FALL BY THE WAYSIDE
半途而废
If something falls by the wayside (. by the side of the road), then it fails to be seen through to completion or is side-lined in favor of some other project or endeavor. The earli