在英文中,關(guān)于“蛇”有不少帶有負(fù)面或正面含義的表達(dá):
負(fù)面表達(dá)
a snake in the grass:字面意思是“草叢中的蛇”,實(shí)際用來(lái)比喻陰險(xiǎn)、不可信任的人,指那些表面友好,實(shí)則暗中使壞、會(huì)帶來(lái)危險(xiǎn)的家伙。如:Don't trust him. He's a snake in the grass. 別相信他,他是個(gè)陰險(xiǎn)的人。
snake oil:直譯為“蛇油”,常用來(lái)指那些聲稱(chēng)有神奇功效,但實(shí)際上是虛假、騙人的東西,尤指假藥或虛假的產(chǎn)品、想法等。例如:That salesman is selling snake oil. Don't buy it. 那個(gè)推銷(xiāo)員在賣(mài)假藥,別買(mǎi)。
as slippery as an eel / snake:像鰻魚(yú)/蛇一樣滑,形容人非常狡猾,難以捉摸或抓住。如:The thief was as slippery as a snake and managed to escape again.這個(gè)小偷非常狡猾,又一次成功逃脫了。
正面表達(dá)
wise as a serpent:出自《圣經(jīng)》,“像蛇一樣聰明”,這里的蛇象征著智慧、機(jī)敏。例如:You need to be wise as a serpent in this complex situation. 在這種復(fù)雜的情況下,你需要像蛇一樣機(jī)敏。
The snake sheds its skin.:從蛇蛻皮的現(xiàn)象引申出“蛻變、重生”的積極含義,意味著擺脫舊的束縛,獲得新的開(kāi)始和成長(zhǎng)。如:After going through so much hardship, he finally shed his old self like a snake shedding its skin. 歷經(jīng)諸多艱難困苦后,他終于像蛇蛻皮一樣,擺脫了過(guò)去的自己。
在向外國(guó)人傳播中國(guó)蛇年文化的時(shí)候,我們盡量引用正面的形象,比如把蛇比喻成小龍,這樣更符合我們的文化理解,也可以避免外國(guó)人對(duì)蛇年的誤解。