「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!