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FISH AND WATER
( 2012-12-14 )



      As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler. (Izaak Walton). 釣魚是一門藝術。Fishing is an art. Go angling is go fishing.
      魚類是冷血動物。Nearly all fish are cold-blooded creatures. We have the expression a cold fish for an unemotional individual. 說法最初出現於莎士比亞的作品:Winter's Tale冬天的故事:"It was thought she was a woman and was turned into a cold fish"。 A cold fish is a person who is distant and unfeeling and does not seem very friendly. She does not show her emotions. 一個人看來很像沒有感情,很不友善,冷漠無情,沒有同情心,可以用a cold fish來形容她。Mary is so dull—a real cold fish. She hardly ever speaks to anyone. She's a cold fish.
      Fish come in many shapes and sizes. 成語中,魚的形象鮮明,一個古怪或荒唐的人,可以說a queer fish。小魚在大海很渺少,大魚在小魚塘聲價不同凡響,有權有勢的大人物是 a big fish,  an important or powerful person in a group or organization。小圈子裏的大人物是a big fish in a small pond,即是小型組織或弱勢團體中,最重要或最有影響力的人物:  one of the most important people in a small group or organization who would have much less power and importance if they were part of a larger group or organization. 例如As the manager of a local company, Peter enjoys being a big fish in a small pond.
      海裏的魚多的是。There are plenty more fish in the sea:雖然你現在戀愛失敗,世界上還有很多俊男美女,可能是你未來追求成功的對象,不必沮喪,還有很多一樣美好的人或事物供你選擇there are other things or people for you to choose from。
魚不可以離開水生存。假如你在陌生環境不得其所,非常不習慣,渾身不自在,你的感覺最洽當的說法是like a fish out of water: you feel awkward because you are not familiar with a situation or you are very different from the people around you。另一句成語a different kettle of fish稍有不同,意思指截然不同的人,或者別外一回事: something quite different. A kettle of fish is also a metaphor for a mess or difficult predicament惡劣困境。
      魚用鰓呼吸,almost all fish breathe  by means of gills, 早期,人們一度相信魚用口不停飲水,習慣性飲酒過度,說法drink like a fish,即是豪飲,縱飲,habitually or excessively drinking large quantities of alcohol。
      FISH 用作動詞,有search的意思,to fish for something is to try to get or find out something旁敲側擊;fishing for compliments means trying to get compliments轉彎抹角地謀取恭維;fishing for information打聽情況;to fish out is to pull out or remove取出,拿出;to fish in troubled waters means to take advantage of turbulent times渾水摸魚,趁火打劫。
FISHY等同FISHLIKE,有strange, dubious or suspicious值得懷疑的含羲。The most fishy thing you ever see can be described as a suspicious circumstance。There is something fishy going on here這兒情況有點不對勁。A fishy smell is fishlike魚腥味, smelling or tasting like a fish。


      WATER本身也有不少非常流行又有趣的成語:
      Blood is thicker than water 血濃於水
      People who are related have stronger obligations to each other than to people outside the family.  例句If you ever need help, don't ask your friends. Come home and ask us, your family. Blood runs thicker than water.
      test the water 摸清底細
      to check what people think about something before you start to use it. 例句I mentioned my idea to a couple of friends as a way of testing the water and they were very enthusiastic about it. 
      in hot water 惹上麻煩
      in trouble; in a difficult situation in which you are likely to be punished. 例句Peter got himself into hot water by being late and the boss is very unhappy.
      tread water 裹足不前;徘徊觀望
      to be active without making progress. 例句 I'm just treading water until I get an opportunity to try for a job with more responsibility.
      dead in the water 人或計劃失敗;無成功希望
      without any chance for success. 例句 The project is out of funds and dead in the water for the time being.
      water something down 加水沖淡;摻水稀釋
      1. to dilute and make something weaker. 例句Jim watered down the orange juice.
      2  to reduce the effectiveness or force of something. 例句 The new laws watered down the power of the president.

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