喵星人经常用的英语[1]_日常英语_英语口语-查字典英语网

喵星人经常用的英语[1]

5. A cat may look at a king.

“猫也可以傲视国王”，意思是，“既然猫都可以傲视国王，那么人人平等更是理所当然，小小老百姓也应该有说话的权利。”这一成语来源于德国。据说16世纪巴伐利亚国王马克西米利安一世曾造访一家木雕作坊。作坊主的猫一直懒洋洋地卧在桌上看着这个国王，脸上满是猜疑的神情。这只猫能肯定想不到，一句谚语会因它而生——“猫也能傲视皇帝”（Darf doch die Katze den Kaiser ansehen. "Even a cat may look at an Emperor."）。到了法国，这句话成了“狗也能傲视主教”（Un chien regarde bien un eveque. "Even a dog may look at a bishop."）

6. A cat has nine lives.

英语国家的人相信，猫这种动物命大，福大，造化大。2001年，美洲动物医疗协会杂志刊登过一份研究报告，研究人员调查了132起猫从高空坠地的事件，坠地的平均高度是六层楼，结果百分之九十的猫坠地后都存活下来了。它们在空中灵活地翻转身体，四肢着地，爪子上的肉垫大大缓解了坠地时的冲力。古人对此肯定也有所了解，认为“猫有九条命”（A cat has nine lives.）。下面这段故事讲一条名叫“船长”的小猎狗如何命大，就以“猫有九条命”做对照：

Mischief was Captain's middle name. One time, I remember he decided to take a look at the roof of the conservatory. Portly little Captain found his way out on to the roof much to Mr Woolley's dismay. He then followed in the Captain's foot-step, or should I say paw prints, in order to rescue his poor hound. Unfortunately Mr Woolley slipped and spent the next a few days unconscious in hospital. But Captain was fine. Talk about a cat's nine lives!