much ado about nothing 無事生非。
這一成語來自于莎翁的同名劇作。例句:My sister always makes much ado about nothing.我的妹妹老是無事自擾。
gild the lily/paint the lily 畫蛇添足。
來自于《約翰王》 (The Life and Death of King John)中的詩句:To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, / To throw a perfume on the violet, / To smooth the ice, or add another hue / Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light / To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, / Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. (為純金鍍上金箔,替純潔的百合花涂上粉彩,給紫羅蘭的花瓣灑上香水,研磨光滑的冰塊,替彩虹添加一道顏色,或是企圖用微弱的燭火為太陽增光添輝,實在是多此一舉,浪費而可笑。)這一成語如今已被廣為傳誦。
Murder will out. / The truth will out. 紙包不住火。
《威尼斯商人》 (The Merchant of Venice) 中的情節(jié)早已為眾人所熟知,其中有這樣一句:Truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long. (真相終將大白;謀殺不能長久掩蓋。)
What's done is done. 木已成舟。
源自《麥克白》 (Macbeth) 中的句子:Things without all remedy should be without regard: what's done is done. (無法挽回的事,只好聽其自然;木已成舟。)
bay the moon/bark at the moon 空嚷;徒勞。
來自《尤利烏斯•愷撒》 (Julius Caesar):I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, than such a Roman. (我寧愿做一只向月亮狂吠的狗,也不愿做這樣一個羅馬人)。有的書上將其譯為“蜀犬吠日”,筆者認為不妥。“蜀犬吠日”源自我國唐代詩人柳宗元的《答韋中立論詩道書》, 蜀犬因為很少見到太陽,所以一旦日出就叫個不停。由此可見,“蜀犬吠日”用來比喻少見多怪的人,與本文討論的成語不同。
be hoist with one's own petard 作法自斃,作繭自縛。
出自《哈姆雷特》 (Hamlet):For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard. (開炮的要是給炮轟了,倒是一件好玩的事。)