如何记住英文成语俚语和谚语（十二）dog = person （1）

Answer 1

英语里dog经常用来指人，比如说在《趣味英文成语（八）dog and lion》里，提到的old dog就指老人，后来引申为顽固的不容易改变的人。

这个谚语被翻译成“人非圣贤，孰能无过”。也就是说，如果打算找某人的麻烦，总能找到事儿责备某人。

I know it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog, but you need to stop criticizing your son—he's not being malicious, he's just a child!

不管在漫画书里，还是在电视上，当人们看到坏蛋用脚踢狗的时候，总是觉得这个人怎么连狗都踢？英语里就用这种不可理喻的说法指故意找别人的麻烦。尤其是当对方很无辜的时候

吹毛求疵，找人责备／惩罚／撒气=To seek out someone to blame or castigate, especially someone who is not at fault. (Usually said in the continuous tense.)

例子：

My dad had a famously short fuse when we were growing up, so we soon learned to get out of his way when he was looking for a dog to kick.

The troubled economy is the result of many factors, but the president is usually the first one blamed by voters looking for a dog to kick.

类似的说法还有

例子：

This cold I got shouldn't happen to a dog.

What a hideous disease! I wouldn't wish that on a dog.

例子：Jane’s my dawg. We cruise together.

人们很少否定自己的朋友，如果一旦发生这种事情，那就有麻烦了。

例子：So what! It doesn't matter! Not my dog.

现在养狗的人越来越多，所以人多的地方狗也多。

例子：I'm so jealous, everybody and his dog is going on a vacation this summer except for me.

Now，everybody and their dog has a cell phone.

我记得曾经有人在网上写过一篇文章，大概就是主人什么德行这个狗也什么德行。主人温和狗也温和，主人愿意找事儿，养个狗也讨厌。所以法国有句谚语：

类似的

而换种说法，则不是一个意思了

例子

In showbusiness it's dog eat dog - one day you're a star, the next you've been replaced by younger talent.

It's a dog-eat-dog industry （竞争异常激烈，没有职业道德的行业）

而对这种行为的否定，就显得非常理智，有职业道德。不过也都指不好的事情发生。

Prov.  Ellen: My lawyer did such a bad job that l want to hire another lawyer to sue him. Jane: You'll never find a lawyer to take on that job. Dog does not eat dog.

所以学短语和谚语是一件很有趣的事。希望你读我的系列文章不仅能够记住这些英文短语和谚语，而且能够从相关的故事中体会到异国文化，一些书本上没有，生活里必知的知识。