「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!
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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。
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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。
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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。
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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!
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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!