漲知識 13個讓你看不懂的英文習語的起源
Have you ever had to "separate the wheat from the chaff"? Or "fly by the seat of your pants"?
你曾經“把糠從小麥裏篩出來”（separate the wheat from the chaff）過嗎？或者“讓屁股蛋來引領飛行方向”（fly by the seat of your pants）過嗎？
Linguistic researchers found the origins of these and other everyday phrases that don't make sense to non-English speakers in a study commissioned by Privilege Insurance.
在一項由Privilege保險公司委託開展的研究中，語言學家發現，這些以及其它日常習語的起源在非英語使用者看來並說不通。
Keep scrolling to see the 12 origins of everyday phrases, as well as one bonus phrase no one can agree on.
來看看以下這12個衆說紛紜的日常習語的起源，最後還有一個附贈的習語哦。
If you are very drunk, you may be "three sheets to the wind." The phrase comes from having a ship's sails properly fastened.
如果你喝得酩酊大醉，也許你就成了“三條風中凌亂的帆繩”（three sheets to the wind）。這一習語來自於適度拉緊的船帆。
According to researchers, "sheets" refer to the ropes that fasten a sail. If one of your sheets isn't properly tied down, the ship would become difficult to control and would be "to the wind," or moving erratically.
研究者稱，sheets指的是固定船帆的繩索。一旦一條繩索沒有綁緊，船便會變得難以控制，隨風行駛，或者飄搖不定。
To "fly by the seats of your pants," or improvise without a clear plan, was popularized after Douglas Corrigan's 29-hour flight from Brooklyn to Dublin in 1938.
“讓屁股蛋來引領飛行方向”（fly by the seats of your pants），即沒有清晰計劃只憑感覺做事。1938年道格拉斯•科里根從布魯克林飛行了29個小時到都柏林，隨後這一短語便流行起來。
The phrase was used in a 1938 headline in The Edwardsville Intelligencer to describe Corrigan’s off-book flight. He was meant to fly to California, but diverted his plane to Dublin instead.
1938年，《愛德華茲維爾訊報》的頭條標題使用的就是這個短語，來形容科里根這次計劃外的飛行。他本來要飛到加利福尼亞，可卻掉頭去了都柏林。
"Corrigan had filed for a transatlantic flight two days earlier but it was rejected because his plane was not considered fit for the job," the researchers wrote. "Upon landing in Dublin he claimed his compass had packed up."
“兩天前科里根提交了飛越大西洋的申請，但是被拒絕了，因爲他的飛機被認爲不適宜進行這樣的任務，”研究員寫道，“到了都柏林一着陸，他就說他的指南針壞了”。
One mechanic said Corrigan "flies by the seat of his pants," which was said to be an old flying expression for going aloft without instruments or radio.
一位機械師說科里根“讓屁股蛋來引領飛行方向”，這是一個古老的飛行用語，用來指代不憑藉任何儀器或無線電的飛行。
"Bite the bullet," or doing something unpleasant, comes from when soldiers would bite a bullet when they were being operated on without anesthetic.
“咬子彈”（bite the bullet），即做令人不愉快的事。這一習語來源於過去士兵們做手術不打麻藥，只能咬子彈忍痛。
There is some debate over whether or not this is true. The phrase has been in use since 1796 and has always meant to have a "stiff upper lip" before doing something you don't want to do.
關於這一來源是不是真的還存在爭議。這一短語從1796年就開始使用了，總是用來指在做不願做的事情時咬緊牙關（have a stiff upper lip）。
It may have come from a belief that people can derive courage from biting a bullet, according to researchers.
研究者稱，這也許來自於一種信仰，認爲人們能從咬子彈中獲得勇氣。
A very close-up or right-on target is "point blank." It comes from the French "point blanc," and refers to the center of the target for shooting or archery practice.
一個閉合的或正中央的靶心就是“白點”（point blank），來自於法語point blanc，指代用來射擊或射箭練習的靶子的中心。
"Point blanc" literally translates as a white point, and refers to the dead center of the target.
Point blanc字面上譯作白點，指靶子的正中心。
The original meaning of "right on target" then evolved to mean something close up, making it easier to hit the middle of the target.
這個短語最初的意思“正中靶心”（right on target），就演變成某種閉合的圓圈的意思，這樣的圓圈可使打中靶心變得更容易。
If you're "separating the wheat from the chaff," you're distinguishing between quality and worthlessness. The phrase actually comes from the Bible.
如果你在“把糠從小麥裏篩出來”（separating the wheat from the chaff），那麼你就在甄別精華和糟粕。這個習語其實來源於《聖經》。
Chaff is the protective casings of the seeds of cereal grain. Humans can't eat it, but livestock can. It's not as important as, say, wheat.
糠是保護穀物種子的外殼，人不能吃，但牲畜可以。它只是沒有小麥等穀物那麼重要而已。
In Matthew 3:12, John the Baptist says, "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
在《馬太福音》第三章第12節中，施洗約翰說道：“他手裏拿着簸箕，要揚淨麥場，把麥子收進倉裏，卻用不滅的火將糠秕燒盡。”
In the Old Testament the image of winnowing is also used in Psalm 1:4 :"…the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away."
揚穀的畫面也出現在《舊約》裏《詩篇》的第一章第四節：“…惡人！他們就像糠秕被風吹散。”
We can thank Shakespeare for committing the phrase "Carry your heart on your sleeve" — or being transparent — to paper. Iago famously says it in "Othello."
我們應該感謝莎士比亞，因爲是他將“把心戴在袖子上”（carry your heart on your sleeve）寫在紙上，意思是輕易表露感情，是《奧賽羅》中伊阿古的名言。
In Othello Act 1 Scene 1, Iago says “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve…” meaning he would be exposed.
《奧賽羅》第一幕第一場，伊阿古說：“但是我會把心戴在袖子上”，意味着他會敞開心扉。
Aside from Shakespeare's genius brain, other possible origins include the tokens knights would wear from ladies during jousting matches and a marriage festival from the Middle Ages.
除了天才的莎士比亞，這句話還有可能來源於中世紀馬上長矛比武中貴婦贈與騎士令牌，或婚禮場合，等等。
If you do something by the "skin of your teeth," you're barely managing to do it. One of the first recordings of this phrase is from the Bible.
如果你通過“牙齒的皮膚”（skin of your teeth）來做某件事，這說明你勉勉強強有能力做這件事。這個短語最早出現在《聖經》中。
In Job 19:20, Job says, "My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, / And I have escaped by the skin of my teeth."
在《約伯記》第19章第20節中，約伯說：“我的皮肉緊貼骨頭，我只剩牙皮逃脫了。”
Teeth don't have skin, so it was likely an allusion to something small or so thin that it was insubstantial.
然而牙齒並沒有皮膚，所以這一說法可能代指小、纖薄而不重要的東西。
"Bob's your uncle" is a British exclamation that means you've achieved something simply. Although its origin is debated, many researchers believe it derives from the nepotism of Lord Salisbury.
“鮑勃是你叔叔”是一句英國習語，意爲輕而易舉地做成某事。儘管關於此習語的起源衆說紛紜，但很多研究者認爲它來源於索爾茲伯裏勳爵的裙帶關係。
In 1886, Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (Lord Salisbury) surprisingly made Arthur Balfour Chief Secretary of Ireland; Balfour was ‘Bob’s’ favorite nephew.
在1886年，英國首相•加斯科•塞西爾（索爾茲伯裏勳爵）任命亞瑟•貝爾福爲愛爾蘭布政司；而貝爾福是鮑勃最喜愛的侄子。
There are a few other phrase origin possibilities, but this is the likeliest of the bunch.
也許這句話還有其它來源，但這種解釋的可能性最大。
A "kangaroo court" means that there has been a fast and unfair legal procedure. It likely comes from during the Gold Rush when American courts would skip procedures for quick sentencing.
“袋鼠法庭”（kangaroo court）指的是美國潦草而不公正的審判程序。這句話有可能來源於淘金熱時期，因爲那個時期的法庭爲了快速判決會省略掉一些程序。
Even though Kangaroos are native to Australia, this phrase dates back to the 19th century Gold Rush in America.
儘管袋鼠是澳大利亞獨有的動物，但這句話始見於19世紀美國淘金熱時期。
The most likely origin of the phrase, according to researchers, is that people who saw the quick sentencing in American courts during this time likened it to kangaroos hopping or skipping.
研究者稱，在淘金熱時期，人們在法庭上會經常見到快速潦草的審判，而袋鼠是蹦跳着走路的，因此人們把袋鼠的蹦跳比作法庭省略程序的做法。
If you "win hands down," you're winning without a great effort.
如果你“垂着雙手取勝”（win hands down），說明你輕而易舉地贏得了勝利。
In horse racing, a jockey who's winning by a wide margin doesn't need to whip his horse to go faster, and can win with his "hands down. "The phrase soon caught on outside the sporting world.
在賽馬中，如果一名騎手覺得自己勝券在握，就不需快馬加鞭，而是可以“垂着雙手”就贏得勝利。這句習語迅速在體育圈之外流行了起來。
