eg:Poor little Hans only grinned like a Cheshire cat when he was scolded.
Mamma is smiling with all her might.In fact Mr. Newcome says..."that woman grins like a Cheshire cat."Who was the naturalist of the cats in Cheshire?
It is no good smiling at me like a Cheshire cat,Mr.Lubin.
11.A storm in a Teacup杯水风波;小题大做;大惊小怪
A storm in a Teacup字面意思“茶杯里的风暴”;美国英语为“a tempest in a teapot/barrel”,也作tea-pot tempest.
A storm in a Teacup出自法国著名作家巴尔扎克(Honore de Balzac,1799-1850)记述,这句话出自18世纪法国哲学家和思想家孟德斯鸠的名言。
有一次,他听说圣马力诺发生了政治动乱,就用“茶杯里的风暴”来评论。因为圣马力诺是欧洲最小的共和国,只有一万人口,孟德斯鸠认为那里的动乱对整个欧洲局势无足轻重。
探源搠流,远在公元前古希腊了罗马的名人著作中就有过类似的形象比喻。如古罗马著名作家和演说家西塞罗(Cicero)在其著作《论法律》中就有这样的话:excitare fluctus in simpulo,意即to stir up waves in a ladle。此外,还有a storm in a cream-bowl;a storm in a wash-hand basin等说法。尽管它们比喻的形象不同,但都是用来表示much excitement about something trivial;a lot of fuss about a trifle之意。按其比喻意义,相当与“小题大做”大惊小怪。
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