今天在格大家介绍一个和猫有关的习语:look like the cat that ate the canary。Canary就是金丝雀。Look like the cat that ate the canary这个俗语是用来形容一个人显得非常满足,就像一只猫终于实现了它长期来的愿望,把鸟笼打开,把里面那只可怜的金丝雀吃了一样地感到满足。下面的例子说的是两个朋友去赛马,其中之一是个老手,可是却输了,而那个新手却赢了。这个老手说:
"My friend didn't listen to my advice and he bet twenty dollars on the horse. Why, I couldn't believe my eyes! The horse won by a nose and my friend came back with the two thousand bucks he'd just won, looking like the cat that ate the canary."
他说:“我的朋友没有听我的劝告,在那个马身上压了二十美元。我真是难以相信我的眼睛。那匹马跑得快了一点点就赢了。我那朋友拿了他刚赢的二千块美元回来,得意非凡。”
我们再来看看一个刚被提升的人是如何的得意:
"Say, I think Mister Green in Personnel just got that promotion he's been wanting so much. I saw him walk out of the boss's office like the cat that just ate the canary."
这是一位同事在说话:“喂,人事处那个格林先生好像升了一级,这是他迫切期望的。我看见他从老板的办公室出来,一副心满意足的样子。”
canary
n.(动)金丝雀
(非洲)加那利群岛白葡萄酒
淡黄色
例:
I coaxed the canary into the cage.
我巧妙地使金丝雀进出笼子。