Americans use many expressions about fish and fishing. For example, if something sounds fishy, it may not be true. Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water when I go to a party and everyone but me is doing the latest dance. When I ask my friend if she likes my new dress, I would like her to say something nice. In other words, I am fishing for a compliment.
You might tell someone to fish or cut bait if he repeatedly attempts to do something he is unable to do.
美国人使用很多和鱼或捕鱼相关的表达。例如,如果什么事情听上去fishy(可疑的),它可能不是真实的。有时当我去参加聚会,除我以外的每个人都在跳最新潮的舞蹈,我感觉就像是a fish out of water(离水的鱼,指格格不入、不自在)。如果我问朋友她是否喜欢我的新衣服,我希望她说点好听的。换句话说,我在fishing for a compliment(寻求恭维)。如果某人一直在重复尝试他力所不能及的事,你可能会告诉他fish or cut bait(当机立断,要么全力以赴,要么放弃)。
Sometimes a lawyer will ask a witness many questions in an effort to discover the facts of a court case. This is called going on a fishing expedition.
有时,一个律师会询问证人很多问题,以求发现案件真想。这被称为going on a fishing expedition(进行盘问摸底)。
Some expressions involve different kinds of fish. Information that is used to draw attention away from the real facts of a situation is called a red herring. If you want to express a feeling of surprise, you might cry "holy mackerel!" although we do not know why a mackerel is holy.
有些表达包含不同种类的鱼。用于转移注意力的信息被称为red herring(题外话)。如果你想表达惊喜,就可以大喊“holy mackerel”。虽然我们不知道为什么鲭鱼神圣的。