杂志精选》与病毒共存还是收紧管控 台湾防疫「进退两难」英文要用tiger

杂志精选》与病毒共存还是收紧管控 台湾防疫「进退两难」英文要用tiger（示意图/shutterstock达志影像）

老虎在中国生肖排行第三，被视为具有力量、美丽、勇气的动物，经常被视为威严与权势的象征。例如我们会说「一山不容二虎」，但有趣的是，英文的对应句子是用马来形容，如：If two ride on a horse, one must ride behind。本次就来学各种老虎相关英文，跟外国朋友聊天超实用。

phrases related to tigers 老虎的英文用语

1. paper tiger纸老虎：形容虚有其表、外强中干的人或团体。

Many people see North Korea as nothing more than a paper tiger, despite its threats against other countries.（即便北韩对其他国家构成威胁，许多人认为北韩不过就是个纸老虎。）

2. ride the tiger骑虎难下、处于险境：比喻事情迫于情势，进退两难，不得已只能一直持续下去。

It has now become obvious that our country has been riding a tiger with our military intervention in this region— it was foolish to get involved, but it would be catastrophic to leave now.（我们国家武力干涉这个区域很显然地变成了骑虎难下的局势—要跟着搅和实在愚蠢，但是现在抽身也是个灾难。）

3. holding a tiger by the tail进退两难：抓住老虎尾巴是一件非常危险的事情，意思是面临着很大的困难或威胁，一时找不到解决办法。

Once you start using drugs, you'll have a tiger by the tail. If you get hooked, you'll need more and more; it'll cost you more money, and you might have to steal to support the habit.（你一旦开始吸毒，就很难找到退路。如果你上瘾了，就需要越来越大的用量，会让你花更多钱，甚至还要为了满足毒瘾去偷窃。）

4. The tiger cannot change its stripes江山易改，本性难移。虽然这句话最多的说法是A leopard cannot change its spots「花豹无法改变花纹」，但也有人用老虎的意象作变化。

He's a conservative, no matter what he says; the leopard cannot change its spots and the

tiger cannot change its stripes.（他是个保守派，无论他说了什么，反正江山易改，本性难移。）

5. Venturing into the tiger's den to catch cubs不入虎穴，焉得虎子。类似的说法也有No pain, no gain或是Nothing ventured, nothing gained。

If you don't venture into the tiger's den, you'll never achieve anything.（如果你不冒险，你就无法成功。）

facts about tigers 老虎小常识

1. tiger's roar老虎重低音砲般的吼声

When tigers roar, the sound can be heard nearly two miles away. Why are a tiger's pipes so powerful? It turns out they can stretch their vocal cords in a special way that pumps up the volume of their vocalizations.（当老虎吼叫时，在两英里外就可以听到吼声。为何老虎的低音管这么低沉有力？原来是老虎可以用特殊方式延展声带，提高吼声的音量。）

2. tiger's stripes老虎斑纹表里如一

No two tigers have the same stripe pattern on their coats. So the animals' fur is sort of like a human fingerprint. What's more, a tiger's skin is striped identical to its coat—fur real!（如同人类的指纹，每只老虎的斑纹都是独一无二的。此外，老虎皮肤上的虎纹就跟毛上的纹路一模一样，毛皮大衣里外如一，千真万确呢！）

＊注：fur real改编自英文for real，表示「是真的！」

文／吴诗绮