No.01
Like a duck in a windstorm and a fart in a windstorm
无关紧要
Meaning:
Metaphorically describe something or an act as insignificant, unimportant, and having no influence.
比喻某件事情或行为微不足道，不重要，没有影响力。
Origin:
Both of these phrases use figurative language, vividly expressing certain abstract concepts or emotional states through specific natural phenomena. “Like a fart in a windstorm” emphasizes the insignificance of something, while “like a duck in a thunderstorm” emphasizes someone's panic and uneasiness.
这两个短语都使用了比喻的手法，通过具体的自然现象来形象地表达某种抽象的概念或情感状态。“like a fart in a windstorm”强调了某事的无关紧要，而“like a duck in a thunderstorm”则强调了某人的惊慌和不安。
Exempli gratia:
His efforts to change the situation were like a duck in a windstorm, having almost no impact.
他为改变局势所做的努力就像暴风雨中的鸭子，几乎没有任何影响。
No.02
Eat no fish 诚实可靠
Meaning:
An honest and trustworthy person.
一个诚实可信的人。
Origin:
The origin of this phrase can be traced back to the time of Elizabeth I of England. After Elizabeth I ascended the throne, she faced the task of dealing with religious issues. At that time, the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and turned to Protestantism. To show loyalty to Protestantism, many people in England began to not eat fish on Fridays, because Catholics usually ate fish as a fast on Fridays.
This habit later became a symbol representing loyalty to the government. Over time, “eat no fish” gradually evolved into a synonym for a person who is loyal and reliable.
这个短语的起源可以追溯到英国伊丽莎白一世时期。伊丽莎白一世即位后，面临着处理宗教问题的任务。当时，英国国教会与罗马教廷决裂，转向新教。为了表明对新教的忠诚，英国的许多百姓开始在星期五不吃鱼，因为天主教徒在星期五通常会吃鱼作为斋戒。
这个习惯后来成为了一种象征，代表着对政府的忠诚。随着时间的推移，“eat no fish”逐渐演变成了表示一个人忠诚可靠的同义词
Exempli gratia:
He is a man who eats no fish and is always loyal to his friend.
他是一个正直忠诚的人，总是对朋友忠心耿耿。
No.03
A cat nap 打盹
Meaning:
Take a nap.
打了个盹。
Origin:
Cats' sleeping habits during the day are mainly light sleep. They frequently take short naps. This sleep pattern is called “catnap”. This phrase may originate from this napping habit of cats during the day. People created this phrase based on this characteristic of cats to describe a short sleep or nap of humans.
猫在一天中的睡眠习惯以浅睡为主，它们会频繁地进行短暂的睡眠，这种睡眠模式被称为“catnap”。这个短语可能源自于猫在白天的这种小睡习惯，人们根据猫的这一特性创造了这个短语，用以形容人类的短暂睡眠或打盹。
Exempli gratia:
I took a cat nap in the afternoon to refresh myself.
我在下午小睡了一会儿来恢复精神。
No.04
A slam dunk 轻而易举
Meaning:
Something easily accomplished.
一些轻而易举能完成的事。
Origin:
The origin of the term “A Slam Dunk” can be traced back to the basketball court in the 1970s, especially in the game commentary of the Los Angeles Lakers. According to search results, this phrase was invented by on-site game commentator Chick Hearn and is used to describe the dunking action in basketball games. Initially, the dunking action in basketball was called”dunk”, and the term “slam dunk” was created by Hearn to increase the intensity and exciting atmosphere of the description.
“A Slam Dunk”这一术语的起源可以追溯到1970年代的篮球赛场，特别是在洛杉矶湖人队的比赛解说中。根据搜索结果，这个短语是由现场比赛解说员Chick Hearn发明的，用来描述篮球比赛中的扣篮动作。最初，篮球的扣篮动作被称为“dunk”，而“slam dunk”这个说法是Hearn为了增加描述的力度和激动人心的氛围而创造出来的。
Exempli gratia:
Winning this debate will be a slam dunk for him as he is extremely well-prepared.
赢得这场辩论对他来说将是轻而易举的事，因为他准备得极为充分。
部分图片来源于网络
文字 | 凌惜刘
排版 | 高语泽
审核 | 赵悦 朱博阳 王奕忱
