[俚語] 跟wall有關的（中英觀念不同）

正如中文說「掌上明珠」，英文卻說是「眼中的蘋果」(apple in the eye)，
許多片語、俚語雖可直接對譯，但中文跟英文使用的比喻，卻不相同，
因此，容易產生誤會。


例如：

climbing the walls

乍看之下，會想：這不就是中文的「狗急跳牆」嗎？




不不不，這是

形容某人非常緊張，擔心，或者是感到無聊。（BBC英倫網）

I've been sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring all day - I'm climbing the walls.

I was climbing the walls to get back to work. (FREE Dic)


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確實，wall 跟困難、困境有關，
例如：

• up against the wall 陷入困境 ( = cornered 走投無路) 

Fig. in serious difficulties. (*Typically: be ~; get ~; push someone ~.) Let's face it, we're up against the wall this time. It's when you're up against the wall that your true character shows.

• hit a/the (brick) wall  (informal) 遇到瓶頸

if you hit the wall when you are trying to achieve something, you reach a situation where you cannot make any more progress We've just about hit the wall in terms of what we can do to balance the budget.

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但是「狗  急跳牆」並沒有跟wall有關的相對英語習語，而是跟蟲  有關：

• 狗急跳墙: Even a worm will turn.

其意思就是 When you are up against the wall (when you have your back against the wall), you might  do something desperate.  

• 向外國人解釋此成語時可說：A cornered dog will leap over a wall (in desperation). 

另外，
狗急跳牆隱含「別把他逼急了、別欺人太甚、忍耐是有極限的」之意：

參考以下例子（出自網路翻譯家）：

•  You’d better stop maltreating Nina. She’s a mild-mannered woman, but even a worm will turn. (你最好停止虐待妮娜。她是個溫文爾雅的女性，但忍耐總有限度)
• Even a worm will turn; you had better give her a way out. (人急造反，狗急跳牆；你最好給她一條出路 － 別逼人太甚)

其他跟wall 有關的習語

• go to the wall

(informal) (of a company or an organization) to fail because of lack of money

Many firms have gone to the wall in this recession.

• off the wall

(informal) unusual and amusing; slightly crazy

Some of his ideas are really off the wall.

~~ off-the-wall ideas

• walls have ears

(saying) used to warn people to be careful what they say because other people may be listening

• up the wall

(informal) crazy or angry

That noise is driving/sending me up the wall.

I mustn't be late or Dad will go up the wall.

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講到 up the wall (crazy / angry)，讓我聯想到另一個詞

要形容「怒火中燒」怎麼講？

我看到這麼一個俚語 fire in the belly

但、是，並、不、是、那、回、事！

fire in the belly 是指 「心中充滿了鬥志、熱情、很強的動機等等」

<FREE Dic> if you have fire in your belly, you are ready to fight with energy and determination for what you believe is right  滿腔熱血而躍躍欲試
>> He will approach the committee with plenty of fire in his belly. (He's got the emotional stamina and vigor, strong passion, or inner drive to do this)



至於怒火中燒呢？ 也許可以用 to get steamed up、to flare up、my blood boils!  
(同樣的，This made my blood boil! 也不是讓我熱血沸騰，而是我氣炸了)

• degrees of anger (in increasing intensity) <BBC Learning English>

to be / get steamed up - feel annoyed
to be / get hot under the collar - feel irritated
to be on the warpath - prepare to vent one's anger
to be up in arms - protest strongly
to be hopping mad - feel very angry
to fly off the handle - suddenly lose one's temper
to throw a wobbler - become suddenly angry with someone and break down in tears
to do one's nut - totally lose one's temper
to hit the ceiling / roof - comprehensively lose one's temper
to blow one's top / a fuse / a gasket - totally lose one's temper
to rant and rave - to argue loudly and energetically

另可參考這裡：Angry Idioms: Figurative Language Examples that Describe Anger



也就是說：

熱血沸騰，應該是 I have fire in my belly.

This made my blood boil. 則是 怒火中燒。


哈哈哈，真是太好玩了！


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補充：

當然還是有一些中英成語可以巧妙對應的，

例如：我把他惹毛了：I ruffled his feathers again. He's so easily ruffled.

<OALD>  ruffle somebody's/a few feathers
(informal) to annoy or upset somebody or a group of peopleThe senator's speech ruffled a few feathers in the business world.