1.a dog in the manger佔着茅坑不拉屎的人
出自《伊索寓言》(Aesop"s Fables)，有一篇狗站馬槽的故事，説的是一頭狗躺在堆滿稻草的馬槽裏，狗是不吃草的動物，而當馬或牛一走進稻草時，這頭狗卻朝着馬，牛狂哮，不準食草動物享用。
因此，“狗站馬槽”就成了一個家喻户曉的成語而進入英語中，常用來比喻a person who prevents others from enjoying sth that is useless to himself; a churlish fellow who will neither use a thing himself nor let others use it，諷刺那些佔據説職位或某些物質卻不做事的人。
a dog in the manger是個名詞性短語，常與系動詞連用，充當表語(主語補足語)
eg:He borrowed a lot of books from the library,but he didn"t read a was really a dog in the manger.
There are some officials who are only the dogs in the manger.
Smith was a dog in the manger over that roll of wire;it was no use whatever to him,but he wouldn"t let us have it.
the cat自告奮勇去冒險;老虎頭上拍蒼蠅
bell the cat系成語to hang the bell about the cat"s neck的簡略，願意是“給貓的脖子上掛鈴”。它來自《伊索寓言》(Aesop"s Fables)中的《老鼠會議》(The Mice in Council)
這篇寓言講的是：一羣老鼠在鼠洞裏舉行會議，討論如何對付兇狠的貓。白鬍須老鼠提出：“我有個方法，在貓的脖子上掛一個鈴。這樣，貓一走動鈴就響，我們就可以聞鈴聲而逃避了”，羣鼠一致同意這個建議，歡呼：“That"s a capital will bell the cat!No more fear of the cat!”但是，誰去給貓掛鈴鐺呢?沒有一隻老鼠敢去，一個個都溜掉了。老鼠會議豪無結果，它們不安全的境況當然也無法改善。
寓言所寄託的意思很明白：遇到困難的問題時候，既需要有出謀獻策的人，更需要有挺身而出的實幹家。
bell the cat常用來比喻to do sth dangerous in order to save others;to step forwar bravely to face the danger;to take a risk for the good of others.
eg:Everybody made suggestion,but no one actually offered to bell the cat.
We didn"t know who would put him this delicate question when my friend offered to bell the cat.
wolf虛發警報;慌報險情;危言聳聽
cry wolf來自《伊索寓言》：《牧童和狼》 (The Shepherdboy and the wolf)
有個牧童在離村子不遠的山坡上放羊，有一次，他為了開心作樂，突然大喊：“Help!Help!The wolf!”全村的人都聞聲跑來援助他時，才知道這只是開玩笑。如此惡作劇搞了兩三次。後來，狼真的來了，那個牧童再呼號求救時，誰也不理會他了。於是，狼把他的羊吃了。
這篇寓言的意義很清楚：愛説謊話的人，即或在他説真話時，也沒人相信他。由此，人們用to cry wolf 來概括這篇寓言的基本情節及其教誡意義，用以比喻to give false alarms;to warn of danger where there is none之意。按其比喻意義，這個成語相當與漢語中出自《東周列國志》的典故：烽火戲諸侯。周幽王為博得寵妃褒泥一笑，竟然把軍國大事當兒戲，烽火報警戲諸侯，使各路諸侯倉促發兵，馳援京師，結果收到嘲笑。後來犬戎進犯，幽王再舉烽火調兵，誰也不來了，結果周幽王遭到殺身亡國之禍。這2個典故的情節雖不同，寓意卻完全不一致，都是表示“一朝説假話，一世無人信”
eg:Nobody will believe he is in trouble because he has cried wolf so many times.
Is she really sick of is she just crying wolf?
The newspaper placards that had cried "wolf" so often,cried "wolf" now in vain.
in Troubled Waters渾水摸魚;趁火打劫;陷於混亂
Fish in Troubled Waters直譯是：“渾水裏捕魚”，出自《伊索寓言·漁夫》
這篇寓言江的是：有個漁夫在河裏張網捕魚，他把魚網橫欄在河道里，然後拿了一條縛着石塊的繩子，不停的拍擊河水，使泥沙泛起，河水渾濁，魚兒在慌亂中紛紛自投羅網，漁夫用這個方法捕得了好多魚。但住在附近的人指責漁夫説：“我們飲水全靠這條河，你把水搞得這麼渾，叫我們到哪裏去找清水飲用呢?”漁夫回答説：“可是，我若不把水搞渾，那就非餓死不可了”
因此，人們常用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.並因此產生了諺語it’s good fishing in troubled waters(混水好摸魚)。
在英語中，to fish in troubled waters 也可寫成to fish in the muddy waters，而且water必須做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.
"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“貓爪子”，出典17世紀法國著名的寓言作家拉·封丹的《猴子與貓》。
講的是狡猾的猴子哄騙頭腦簡單的貓兒，替它從爐火中取出烤熟的.栗子來。貓兒應命去做，結果貓爪子被火燒傷了，而取出的栗子卻被猴子吃光了。
追根嗍源，遠在公元前3世紀的《伊索寓言》中就有這個故事，不過沒有題目。
cat"s paw常用來比喻a person used as a tool by another;one who is used merely for the convenience of a cleverer or stronger person之意。按其內涵，這個成語與漢語成語“為虎作倀”所比喻的意義相似，僅是動物的形象不同
cat"s paw除了單獨做複合名詞使用外，還構成to make a cat"s paw of sb(利用某人做為工具或爪牙)
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.
the chestnuts out of the fire火中取栗;替別人冒險
Pull the chestnuts out of the fire來自法國著名的寓言作家拉·封丹的《猴子與貓》。
cat"s paw與Pull the chestnuts out of the fire是同源成語，但兩個成語無論在結構上或意義上都不相同，前者比喻充當別人的工具或爪牙，後者常用來表示to do sth dangerous for others的意思。
這個成語也作to pull sb"s chestnuts,或者to put the chestnuts for sb.
eg:I had pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for him on several occasions and was unwilling to do it again.
They are pulling chestnuts out of the fire for the imperialists without knowing it
You can"t make me your catspaw to pull your chestnuts out of the fire...
7. attic salt優雅的俏皮話;妙語
attic salt的字面意思是“阿提卡的鹽”。阿提卡洲(attica)是希臘東南部的一個州，其首府是雅典。阿提卡州是個半島，工商業發達，特別盛產海鹽，相傳，阿提卡州的鹽比希臘其他地方出產的鹽精細有味，深受歡迎。阿提卡人機智風趣，善於説俏皮話，以幽雅的詼諧著稱於世。
這個成語出自古羅馬著名的作家和演説家西塞羅 (Marcus Tullius Cicero,公元前106-前43)。他的論文和演講詞，都是文體和標準拉丁語的典範，在其作品中論述了古希臘人精心研究的雄辯術理論，特別提到以口齒鋒利著稱的阿提卡人。公元前55年，西塞羅以文藝對話形式寫的主要著作《辯論》(De oratore)，探討了演講藝術中的詼諧問題。他説，妙語應當含有“鹽味”，象“阿提卡的鹽”那樣有味。
在現在英語中，salt一詞含有“風趣”，“興味”等轉義。成語attic salt常用來表示poignant delicate wit;wit of a refined quality。因此也可寫attic wit.
eg: Yesterday Mrs Williams gave a talk to the Women"s Institute on her travels in was full of Attic Salt.
A talk full of attic salt is worth listening to.
They are in the habit of speaking with attic wit.
文萃咖
