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Lina Chu
復活節假期間,很多商店都擺設顏色鮮艷的復活蛋。復活蛋Easter egg,有新生的意思,多用巧克力製造。
從復活蛋聯想到很多與蛋有關的話語。
說別人不會下廚,在英文有can't boil an egg。連煮蛋也不會,就是不會煮食。
can't boil an egg:不會下廚
Her two little girls can't look after themselves; they hate housework and they can't even boil an egg.
她兩個女兒不會照顧自己,討厭家務,連煮蛋也不會(不會下廚)。
以蛋做美食,用料過多會破壞味道。凡事過了頭,會弄巧反拙。英文有句話over-egg the pudding,做布丁時放了太多蛋,畫蛇添足,過猶不及。
The stimulus package is good enough. To expand it is to over-egg the pudding.
刺激方案已經足夠。進一步擴大等於畫蛇添足。
人們通常以籃子盛蛋。後來發現把所有蛋放在同一個籃子,是很危險的事。籃子打翻了,所有蛋都會摔破,血本無歸。由此有一句格言don't put all the eggs in one basket,不要把所有蛋(財產)都放在同一個籃子(投資項目)內。
Some people put all the eggs in one basket and lost all their money in the financial crisis.
有人把所有蛋放在同一個籃子內(把錢都押在同一個投資上),在金融危機中,損失了全部金錢。
nest egg是指閒錢
所以,與其把所有蛋都放在同一個籃子裡,實在應該把幾隻放到別處,以防天有不測之風雲。這幾隻另外放開的蛋,英文稱為nest egg,中文稱為閒錢。
Some of them are careful enough to have a little nest egg tucked away for the rainy days.
一些人比較謹慎,儲起一點閒錢以備不時之需。
還有a chicken and egg situation,這是指兩件事,不知孰先孰後,哪是因,哪是果,就是雞先還是蛋先的問題。
It's really a chicken and egg situation. We don't know whether it's his personality or his background that has caused the problem.
這真是雞先與蛋先的處境。我們不知道是他的個性還是背景導致這個問題產生。
蛋除了新生之外,還有很多意思。
linachu@hkbu.edu.hk
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