英语中含有动物名称的习语（二）清单-2027届高考英语一轮复习专项

英语中含有动物名称的习语（二） 1. How do you turn this puppy off? 【句意】怎么把这东西关掉？ 【解析】this / that puppy意为“这 / 那东西（玩意儿）（尤指不知如何称呼时）”。 2. No one expected she pulled a rabbit out of the hat and saved the whole project. 【句意】没人想到她竟想出妙招，挽救了整个项目。 【解析】pull a rabbit out of the hat 意为“突然提出解决方法；突施妙计；变出妙招；出人意料地拿出解决办法；临危想出高招”。温馨提示：pull sth. out of the hat也可表达相同含义。 3. People thought she was mad as a March hare when she gave up her stable job. 【句意】她放弃稳定工作时，大家觉得她简直疯了。 【解析】(as) mad as a hatter/a March hare意为“（非正式用法）（人）发狂的；非常愚蠢的”。又如：After staying up for three nights, he was as mad as a March hare. 连续熬了三个晚上，他变得行为癫狂。温馨提示：本习语出自《爱丽丝梦游仙境》。三月是野兔的繁殖期，行为躁动狂奔，因此产生这个习语。 4. When the company faced huge losses, its staff left like rats deserting a sinking ship. 【句意】公司遭遇巨额亏损时，员工们纷纷离职，如同树倒猢狲散。 【解析】(like rats) deserting/leaving a sinking ship意为“（比喻只顾自己而离开处于困境中的机构等）（像）逃离沉船（的老鼠）；（就像是）船沉鼠先溜，树倒猢狲散（用来指公司、组织等出现困难时纷纷离去的人）”。又如：Once the project failed, many supporters went away like rats leaving a sinking ship. 项目一旦失败，不少支持者便纷纷抽身离开。 5. When he received such a-good-but-unreal offer, he smelled a rat. 【句意】当他收到这份好得离谱的邀约时，他感觉其中有猫腻。 【解析】smell a rat意为“怀疑事情不妙；感觉情况不对劲；怀疑其中有蹊跷，觉得可疑”又如：I smelled a rat when the deal seemed too perfect to be true. 这笔交易完美得不太真实，我就察觉到有点不对劲。 6. We got caught in the sudden heavy rain and looked like a drowned rat. 【句意】我们遇上突如其来的大雨，淋得活像落汤鸡。 【解析】look like a drowned rat 意为“看上去像只落水老鼠；浑身湿透，像落汤鸡一样”。又如：After running through the storm, the hiker looked like a drowned rat. 在暴风雨中奔跑过后，这位徒步者浑身淋得湿透。 7. Tired of the rat race in big cities, he moved to a quiet village to live a simple life. 【句意】厌倦了大城市无休止的激烈竞争，他搬到宁静乡村过简单生活。 【解析】the rat race意为“（大城市里的）永无休止的激烈竞争，你死我活的竞争；内卷的都市打拼生活（为钱财、地位不停奔波却很难获得满足的生活）”。又如：Many young people hope to escape the rat race and seek more inner peace. 很多年轻人希望逃离内卷，寻求更多内心的平静。 8. After years of hard work in the city, she decided to get out of the rat race. 【句意】在城市打拼多年之后，她决定跳出这种无休止的激烈竞争。 【解析】get out of the rat race意为“摆脱无休止的内卷竞争；跳出内卷的世俗打拼生活”。又如：It is not easy to get out of the rat race, for most people still need to make a living. 想要摆脱内卷并不容易，大多数人依旧需要谋生。温馨提示：quit the rat race也表达相同的含义。 9. Don’t have a cow—it’s no big deal. 【句意】别发火，没什么大不了。 【解析】have a cow意为“暴跳如雷；焦虑不安；非常生气; 非常吃惊”。 10. If you keep putting off the task, you may wait till the cows come home. 【句意】如果你一直拖延这项任务，那就不知道要等到猴年马月。 【解析】till the cows come home意为“很长时间地；永远；很久很久；无限期地，没完没了（常用来形容时间长得难以想象）”。又如：You can wait till the cows come home, but he won’t change his mind. 你可以一直等下去，可他不会改变主意。 11. You need gentle patience for this job; you cannot go through it like a bull in a china shop. 【句意】这份工作需要细致耐心，不能粗鲁莽撞地应付。 【解析】a bull in a china shop意为“（不顾环境）笨拙莽撞的人，冒失鬼；处理精细 / 敏感事情时横冲直撞、容易把事情搞砸的人”。又如：He is smart, yet when it comes to social communication, he is like a bull in a china shop. 他很聪明，但在人际交往方面，他总是鲁莽冒失，容易得罪人。 12. Nora decided to take the bull by the horns and organize things for herself. 【句意】诺拉决定挺身面对困难，由自己来安排事情。 【解析】take the bull by the horns意为“ 勇敢（挺身）面对困境（或险境）”。 13. We sat around in the bar, shooting the bull. 【句意】我们坐在酒吧里闲聊天。 【解析】shoot the bull 意为“聊天；闲聊”。温馨提示：shoot the breeze也表达相同含义。 14. As soon as he heard the news, he charged forward like a bull at a gate. 【句意】一听到消息，他就像一头公牛一样气势汹汹冲上前。 【解析】like a bull at a gate意为“猛烈地; 凶猛地；气势汹汹，横冲直撞；不顾一切地猛冲”。又如：Don’t rush into the argument like a bull at a gate. Think calmly first. 不要怒火上头就一头扎进争论，先冷静思考。 15. Mentioning that topic is a red rag to a bull for him. 【句意】提起那个话题就会激怒他。 【解析】a red rag to a bull意为“斗牛的红布；激起人怒火的事物”。又如：Such unfair words were a red rag to a bull and made him argue loudly. 这类不公的话语极易惹恼他，让他大声争辩。 16. Criticizing his plan in public is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. 【句意】当众批评他的方案，无异于故意激怒他。 【解析】like waving a red flag in front of a bull意为“故意做某事激怒别人，故意惹火对方”。又如：Don’t argue with him about that. It is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. 别和他争论这件事，这就好比在公牛面前挥舞红旗，故意惹他发火。 17. He told me a cock and bull story about missing the bus, but I knew he got up late. 【句意】他跟我编造了错过公交车的荒唐借口，但我知道他起晚了。 【解析】cock and bull story意为“荒诞无稽的故事; 编造的荒唐借口；无稽之谈；骗人的鬼话”。又如：Don’t believe his cock and bull story. He is lying to cover his mistake. 别信他那套鬼话，他在撒谎掩盖自己的错误。 18. They killed the fatted calf for their son when he returned home after ten years abroad. 【句意】儿子旅居海外十年归来，他们大摆宴席热烈迎接。 【解析】kill the fatted calf意为“设宴热烈欢迎（久别归来的亲人或贵客），盛情款待”。又如：We will kill the fatted calf for you when you come back. 等你归来，我们会好好设宴迎接你。 19. I don’t mind simple practice, but taking an exam is a horse of a different color. 【句意】我不介意简单练习，但参加考试就完全是另一回事了。 【解析】a horse of a different color意为“全然不同的事物；完全是另一回事；另当别论”。又如：It is easy to talk about the plan, but putting it into action is a horse of a different color. 谈论这个计划很容易，但落地实施就是另外一回事。温馨提示：a horse of another color 也表达相同的含义。 20. I heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth, so it must be true. 【句意】我是从当事人那里直接听到这个消息，所以一定属实。 【解析】(straight) from the horse’s mouth 意为“（非正式）（信息或消息）直接得来的；可靠的；从当事人那里直接得到的”。又如：Don’t trust the gossip. Wait until we get the story from the horse’s mouth. 别信小道消息，等我们拿到一手信息再说。 21. A little horse sense will tell you that the plan is risky. 【句意】稍微凭一点务实的常识就能看出这个计划有风险。 【解析】horse sense意为“常识（= common sense）；不靠书本，靠生活经验获得的务实、接地气的判断力”。又如：Though he received little formal education, he has plenty of horse sense. 虽然他没接受多少正规教育，但他很有生活见识。 22. Hold your horses. Don’t make a quick decision before you know all the facts. 【句意】沉住气。弄清全部事实前不要仓促做决定。 【解析】hold your horses意为“且慢；请三思；慢点！不要仓促行事！别着急；沉住气；稍安勿躁；耐心一点”。又如：Hold your horses! We still have plenty of time before the train leaves. 别着急！离火车发车还有充足时间。 23. Some people are good at management while others are good at design. It’s horses for courses. 【句意】有的人擅长管理，有的人擅长设计，各有所长，各尽其用。 【解析】horses for courses意为“知人善任；根据人的专长加以任用；各有所长，要因材施用”。又如：Don’t ask him to do this creative job. It’s horses for courses. 别让他做这份创意类工作，要因材施用。 24. You can offer him plenty of advice, but you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. 【句意】你可以给他很多建议，但你无法强迫他听从。 【解析】you can lead / take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink意为“（谚语）牵马近水易，逼马饮水难；机会可以给，做不做由人；老牛不饮水，不能强按头；外因只能提供条件，不能强迫别人主动接受”。又如：The teacher gave him all the materials and support. Yet you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. 老师给了他全部资料与帮助，但强扭的瓜不甜，他自己不想学谁也没办法。 25. If you support that candidate, you may back the wrong horse. 【句意】如果你支持那位候选人，你很可能押错宝、站错队。 【解析】back the wrong horse意为“下错赌注（支持了失败的一方或事情）；站错队，选错了支持者”。又如：He backed the wrong horse by investing in that failing project. 他投资那个注定失败的项目，算是押错了宝。 26. Don’t try to solve the result before finding the cause; you are putting the cart before the horse. 【句意】不要还没找到原因就急于解决后果，你这是本末倒置。 【解析】put the cart before the horse意为“本末倒置；因果倒置；颠倒主次”。又如：You want to get rewards without making efforts. That’s putting the cart before the horse. 还没付出努力就想要回报，这是本末倒置。 27. The project is half done. It’s risky to change horses in midstream. 【句意】项目已经进行一半，中途更换负责人风险很大。 【解析】change horses in midstream意为“中途变卦；转而支持另外的人（或事）；中途换将；在紧要关头改变人选或方案”。又如：Since we have agreed on the plan, let’s stick to it and not change horses in midstream. 既然我们已经商定方案，就坚持下去，不要中途改弦更张。 28. In the 1955 golf championship, dark horse Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan. 【句意】在1955 年的高尔夫球锦标赛上，“黑马”杰克·弗莱克击败了本·霍根。 【解析】a dark horse意为“黑马（出人意料的获胜者）；深藏不露的人”。又如：She’s a dark horse. I didn’t know she’d written a novel. 她可是深藏不露啊，我不知道她还写过一部小说。 29. This new rule will drive a coach and horses through the original agreement. 【句意】这条新规定会让原先的协议形同虚设。 【解析】drive a coach and horses through sth. 意为“ 彻底破坏（规则、法律、协议）；使（条款）形同虚设”。又如：His way of dealing with the problem drove a coach and horses through the safety rules. 他处理问题的方式完全破坏了安全守则。 30. She may be thin, but she eats like a horse. 【句意】她或许是瘦了点，但吃得却很多。 【解析】eat like a horse意为“吃得很多”。 31. You are just flogging a dead horse arguing with him; he will never change his mind. 【句意】你和他争辩纯属白费力气，他绝不会改变想法。 【解析】flog a dead horse意为“做徒劳无益的事；白费力气；做没有希望成功的事”。又如：Trying to get support for the old plan is flogging a dead horse. It has been totally rejected. 想要为旧方案争取支持是徒劳的，它已经被彻底否决。 32. It’s free, so don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. 【句意】这是免费得来的，别对这份馈赠吹毛求疵。 【解析】look a gift horse in the mouth意为“（通常与否定词连用） (非正式) 拒受馈赠；白送的马还看牙口；对礼物吹毛求疵；挑剔馈赠”。又如：He offered to help us. We shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. 他主动提出帮我们，我们不该挑三拣四。 33. Don’t be on your high horse just because you won the competition. 【句意】不要仅仅因为赢了比赛就趾高气扬。 【解析】be on your high horse意为“趾高气扬；自命不凡；自以为了不起；摆架子，目中无人”。温馨提示：get on your high horse也表达相同含义。如：He got on his high horse after being promoted and rarely listened to others. 升职之后他就摆起架子，很少听取别人的意见。 34. Repairing the system after the data leak is just closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. 【句意】数据泄露之后才修复系统，不过是亡羊补牢，为时已晚。 【解析】close the stable door after the horse has bolted意为“马跑了才去关厩门；贼走关门，为时已晚；亡羊补牢，为时已晚”。温馨提示：lock the stable door after the horse has bolted也表达相同含义。如：Don’t wait until disaster strikes to take safety measures; it’s useless locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. 不要等灾难发生才采取安全措施，事后补救已经来不及。 35. Wild horses would not drag me to take that boring job. 【句意】就算给再多好处，我也不会去做那份枯燥的工作。 【解析】wild horses would not drag (sb. to do sth.) 意为“任何事情都不能促使某人做某事；八匹马拉不了某人回头”。又如：Wild horses could not drag the secret from her. 无论如何都无法从她口中套出这个秘密。 36. Stop daydreaming about easy success. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. 【句意】别幻想轻易成功，光想是没用的。 【解析】if wishes were horses, beggars would / might ride意为“（谚语）想有不见得就有；愿望不等于现实；空想没用；光靠许愿无法实现目标”。又如：He keeps hoping the problem will disappear by itself, but if wishes were horses, beggars might ride. 他一直指望问题自行消失，但愿望不等于现实。 1 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $