西方文化喻指
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183.跟水兵说去吧

[词语]Tell it/that to the marines!

[含义]谁信你那一套!我不才不信呢!胡说!

[趣释]【经典喻指】这个典故出自17世纪英国日记作家兼海军行政长官塞缪尔·佩皮斯(Samuel Pepys)的记述。有一次他向国王查理二世(Charles Ⅱ)讲他从海军中搜集来的故事,当说到“飞鱼”时,在座群臣无不惊讶、怀疑,唯有海军陆战队一军官说,他曾见过这种鱼。国王表面上称许,实际上也认为海军陆战军官无知,盲目听信奇谈怪论。在英国皇家海军中,海军陆战队官兵历来受海员们蔑视。典故“跟水兵说去吧!”(Tell it to the marines! )源自“跟骑马的水兵说去吧,水手不信这个!”(Tell it to the horse-marines, the sailors won't believe it! )。骑马的水兵(horse-marines)是一个诙谐的说法,实际并无此兵种,也可能是讥讽海军陆战队(marine corps/marines)。现在,典故“跟水兵说去吧!”(Tell it/that to the marines! )被用来喻指谁信你那一套!我才不信呢!胡说!英国作家约翰·高尔斯华绥(John Galsworthy)在其小说《银匙》(The Silver Spoon)中就引用了这个典故。

[运用]The Climate's all right when it isn't too dry or too wet—it suits my wife fine, but, sir, when they talk about making your fortune all I can say is tell it to the marines. 气候很好,既不干燥也不潮湿——对我妻子很合适;可是,先生,当他们说能发财时,我只能说:“鬼话!”(高尔斯华绥语)

“I'll never smoke again! ”“Yeah? Go, tell that to the marines! ”“我再也不抽烟了!”“是吗?骗鬼去吧!”

Oh and tell that to the marines.I'm tired of hearing these tales from you. 哼,休想糊弄我!你的那套谎话我已经听厌了。

If you think I'll accept that excuse, you can tell it to the marines. 如果你认为我会接受你那个理由,那么你错了,我才不信呢!