蘋果(apple)廣受許多人喜愛,營養價值很高。相信大家都聽過這諺語:「An apple a day keeps the doctor away.」(一日一蘋果,醫生遠離我)這句話很流行,意謂每日吃一個蘋果可使人保持健康。
好的蘋果當然味美而有益,但壞了的蘋果不但無益,反為有害。英文就有用壞蘋果(bad apple)或腐爛的蘋果(rotten apple)比喻一些行為表現令人不滿的人或對他人有壞影響的人。
Are you sure that he is the bad apple in the department? I don't think he has the ability to influence the other people.
你肯定他對部門有壞的影響嗎?我不覺得他有能力影響別人。
The police are now trying to find out who is the big bad apple in the recent match fixing case.
警方現正調查誰是近日打假波事件中影響最壞的人。
The class is mostly well-behaved, but there are a few rotten apples who cause troubles from time to time.
這班的學生大都行為良好,但有少數幾個不時會製造麻煩的學生。
眼中「apple」實瞳孔
另一句與「apple」有關且常用的短語是「apple of one's eye」,意謂某人眼中最愛的,最珍惜的,通常指人,亦指物品。
He has five sons but the youngest is always the apple of his eye and the center of his attention.
他有5個兒子,但最年幼的一個是他最喜愛的,亦是他關注的中心。
Because of her excellent performance in studies as well as sports, she has always been the apple of the teachers' eye.
由於她的學業成績和運動表現都很好,她常常是老師眼中的寵兒。
Among the many collections, this French painting is the apple of his eye.
在眾多收藏品中,這幅法國油畫是他的至愛。
「中心點」喻心中至愛
起初以為這句短語中的「apple」是用蘋果比喻心愛的人或物,後來才知道原來這個「apple」說的並不是蘋果,而是眼睛的瞳孔,英文是「pupil」,即是在眼睛的中心部位見到的人或物,亦即最受注目、最喜愛的。
不過,無論如何,我們都只希望成為別人眼中的最愛(apple of someone's eye),而不是別人心目中的壞蘋果(rotten apple)。■Lina CHU
[ linachu88@netvigator.com ]
逢星期三見報
|