“smell a rat”真的不是闻老鼠的意思！不要再理解错啦！

01

一贫如洗 ｜as poor as church mice

短语：be as poor as church mice

释义：be very poor，一贫如洗、穷得叮当响，不名一文

例句：

When we first got married, we were as poor as church mice.

我们刚结婚时穷得叮当响。

02

狸猫不在，老鼠闹债 ｜when the cat’s away, the mice will play

谚语：when the cat’s away, the mice will play

释义：这句谚语的意思是“people enjoy themselves more and behave with greater freedom when the person in charge of them is not there”，也就是中国的那句老话：山中无老虎，猴子称大王。

延伸：

法国谚语：When the cat runs on the roofs, the mice dance on the floors.

只要猫上了房，老鼠就在地上忙。

德国谚语：Cat outside the house, response for the mouse.

家里没了猫，老鼠伸懒腰。

03

欲擒故纵 ｜play a cat-and-mouse game with

短语：play a cat-and-mouse game with

释义：这句短语的意思是“to play a cruel game with somebody in your power by changing your behaviour very often, so that they become nervous and do not know what to expect”，玩儿猫戏耍老鼠的把戏，也就是中文里的“欲擒故纵”。

例句：

He thought the police were playing some elaborate game of cat and mouse and waiting to trap him.

他认为警察是在欲擒故纵，等着抓他。

04

老鼠弃沉船 ｜like rats deserting/leaving a sinking ship

短语：like rats deserting/leaving a sinking ship

释义：这句短语常常带有讽刺意味，幽默地指出了那些“leaving a place, organization, activity, etc. very quickly and in large numbers, because it is failing in some way”的人。与中文里的“大难临头各自飞”有些相似。

例句：

Former friends have deserted the couple like rats leaving a sinking ship.

从前的朋友像老鼠弃沉船般离开了这对夫妻。

05

怀疑 ｜smell a rat

短语：smell a rat

释义：当某人“suspect that something is wrong about a situation”的时候，就说这个人“smell a rat”，指其怀疑或者察觉到了什么。

例句：

If I don't send a picture, he will smell a rat.

如果我不寄出照片，他将有所察觉。

06

激烈竞争 ｜the rat race

短语：the rat race

释义：剑桥词典上把这个短语解释为“a way of life in modern society, in which people compete with each other for power and money”，现代社会中题人们为了权力和金钱而互相竞争的一种生活方式。是不是立刻想起来什么了？

例句：

He decided to get out of the rat race, and went to work on a farm.

他决定躺平了，然后去一个农场工作。