2016年雅思阅读题型一点通(1)
cat's paw 被他人利用的人;受人愚弄者
cat's paw 也坐cat's-paw或catspaw,字面意思“猫爪子”,出典17世纪法国著名的寓言作家拉·封丹的《猴子与猫》。讲的是狡猾的猴子哄骗头脑简单的猫儿,替它从炉火中取出烤熟的栗子来。猫儿应命去做,结果猫爪子被火烧伤了,而取出的栗子却被猴子吃光了。
追根嗍源,远在公元前3世纪的《伊索寓言》中就有这个故事,不过没有题目。
cat's paw常用来比喻a person used as a tool by another;one who is used merely for the convenience of a cleverer or stronger person之意。按其内涵,这个成语与汉语成语“为虎作伥”所比喻的意义相似,仅是动物的形象不同
cat's paw除了单独做复合名词使用外,还构成to make a cat's paw of sb(利用某人做为工具或爪牙)
eg:It is easy for him to be used as a cat's paw of evil-doing.
I am afraid that he is making a cat's paw of you.
Fish in Troubled Waters浑水摸鱼;趁火打劫;陷于混乱
Fish in Troubled Waters直译是:“浑水里捕鱼”,出自《伊索寓言·渔夫》
这篇寓言江的是:有个渔夫在河里张网捕鱼,他把鱼网横栏在河道里,然后拿了一条缚着石块的绳子,不停的拍击河水,使泥沙泛起,河水浑浊,鱼儿在慌乱中纷纷自投罗网,渔夫用这个方法捕得了好多鱼。但住在附近的人指责渔夫说:“我们饮水全靠这条河,你把水搞得这么浑,叫我们到哪里去找清水饮用呢?” 渔夫回答说: “可是,我若不把水搞浑,那就非饿死不可了”
因此,人们常用to fish in trouble waters 比喻to try to win advantages for oneself from a disturbed state of affairs; to make use of sb's misfortune to serve one's own ends.并因此产生了谚语it’s good fishing in troubled waters(混水好摸鱼)。
在英语中,to fish in troubled waters 也可写成to fish in the muddy waters,而且water必须做waters。
eg:The man who interferes in South American politics is fishing in troubled waters
I refused to let them come here because i knew they only wanted to fish in troubled waters
Those who made large profits out of illegally selling rationed goods during World War II were fishing in troubled waters.