「但願人長久,千里共嬋娟」,吟起《水調歌頭》,就諗起中秋節就快到喇!除咗同親朋戚友一齊賞月食月餅,共享天倫之樂,不妨學多幾句同月亮有關嘅idioms,寓「中秋」於英文!
Once in a blue moon 千載難逢/非常罕見
藍月亮除咗與字面一樣,呈藍色,普遍喺指於一個月入面嘅第二個滿月,一個月內有兩次滿月,喺大概兩三年先出現一次嘅現象,所以就成為「罕有」嘅代名詞。
e.g. It is once in a blue moon that you can meet someone as perfect as her. You must seize this opportunity.
能遇上像她一樣完美的人,是多麼難得的機會,你一定要好好把握。
To ask/ cry/ wish for the moon 異想天開
直譯就喺想要天上嘅月亮,而實際就喺指某人嘅要求不太可能達到,或指你想要卻不可能得到或做到嘅事物。
e.g. It is impossible for me to take this risk. You should stop asking for the moon and try to be reasonable.
我不會冒這個險,你亦不應該再妙想天開,而應嘗試發表合理嘅言論。
Be over the moon 欣喜若狂
直譯為「月亮那邊」,其實係出自一首童謠,後來引申成十分高興,表達興奮嘅心情之用。
e.g. When she got champion in the robotics competition, her parents were over the moon.
當她得到機械人大賽冠軍時,她的父母都欣喜若狂。
Think (someone) hung the moon and the stars 覺得(某人)無所不能
如果有人可以掛起月亮同星星,咁仲唔係超人?所以呢句idioms就可以喺你覺得某人能人所不能嘅時候用嘅︰
e.g. After seeing her strength in organizing the carnival, I think she hung the moon and the stars. It’s just extraordinary!
在見識過她籌劃嘉年華會的實力後,我覺得她真是無所不能,實在太超凡了!
To bark at the moon 枉費心機
試想像一個人對月亮喊叫,相信唔會得到回應,所以bark at the moon就喺浪費你氣力嘅意思。
e.g. Why do people take my effort as barking at the moon? It’s unfair to me.
為甚麼人們都把我的努力視作枉費心機?這對我很不公平。
睇睇下,相信大家都發現中西有咩唔同,月亮喺中國多數喺美好嘅象徵,例如滿月代表團圓,但英文嘅月亮大多解為痴心妄想、難以實現等。好啦,唔阻大家一邊賞月,一邊記低今日學嘅idioms喇!