來自聖經的英文成語（三）

2022年02月09日

這些來自比喻和故事的成語都很形象化，很生動。好好運用的話，令你的文字語言生色不少。

17. To Have A Beam In One’s Eye

眼中的梁木
意思：自己有重大缺陷，反過來指責別人的小毛病
出處：耶穌說的比喻，「你為什麼盯著弟兄眼中的刺，卻不留意自己眼中的梁木呢？ 看！你自己眼中有梁木，又怎能對弟兄說，『讓我除掉你眼中的刺』呢？ 虛偽的人！你先除掉自己眼中的梁木，然後才能看清楚怎樣除掉弟兄眼中的刺。」（馬太福音7:3-5）

You can not give what you don’t have. How can you remove a speck from another person eye when they have a beam in your eye? (BBC)

18. To Be On The Straight And Narrow

走一條又窄又直的路
意思：竭力過正直的生活
出處：耶穌說：「通往生命的門是窄的，路是狹小的，找到的人也少。」（馬太福音7:14）

Andrew Bolt says trying to keep the ABC on the “straight and narrow” is a “long, long row to hoe”. (Harald Sun)

19. To Have Feet Of Clay

陶泥造的腳
意思：有一個致命的弱點
出處：巴比倫王夢中看見一個巨像，有金頭銀胸銅腹鐵腿，但腳卻是半泥半鐵，結果被擊倒。（但以理書2:41-43）

Market behaviour is so complex that there are no real market analysts – the best are merely gifted amateurs, so if you do follow an oracle, just be aware that they also have feet of clay. (South China Morning Post)

20. A Fly In The Ointment

膏油中的蒼蠅
意思：幾隻死蒼蠅，能使芬芳的油發臭冒泡；一點點愚蠢，也能蓋過智慧和榮耀。（傳道書10:1）
出處：所羅門王的金句

But will there be a fly in the ointment, courtesy of the formidable tycoons? (The Northern Echo)

21. To Be A Thorn In One’s Flesh.

身上被扎了一根刺
意思：令人困擾，無法除去的痛楚
出處：使徒保羅談到自己的痛苦。（哥林多後書12:7）

Since his youth, Hachalu Hundessa was a thorn in the flesh of successive governments. (BBC)

22. A Crown Of Thorns

荊棘冠冕
意思：同時令人痛苦和得到尊榮的事
典故：耶穌被處死前，被士兵戲弄，用荊棘編了個冠冕戴在他頭上，還給他披上紫色袍子。（約翰福音19:2）

Mike Tyson, describes the heavyweight title as a “crown of thorns” given all that comes with it. (BBC Sports)

23. Straining at a Gnat, But swallowing a Camel

把蚊蟲濾出來，卻把駱駝吞下去
意思：只挑剔小毛病，卻隱瞞重大過失
出處：耶穌抨擊當時的宗教領袖的虛偽行為：「蚊蟲你們就濾出來，駱駝反倒吞下去！」

The QC, who was representing Gina Miller – the investment manager challenging the government’s Brexit strategy – likened Parliament having to accept its authority being undermined “not to it straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel”. (BBC)

24. A Leopard Cannot Change It’s Spots

豹子改變不了皮上的斑紋
意思：本性難移
出處：耶利米先知抨擊那些不肯悔改的人。（耶利米書13:23）

While they were able to come back and bring the game to overtime, a leopard cannot easily change its spots. (Machigan Daily)