年輕的加拿大電影人張僑勇(Yung Chang)的新作《水果獵人》(Fruit Hunters)是一部關於熱愛、追踪和試圖保留一些奇異水果(exotic fruit)的紀錄片。There is a story behind every fruit,導演盼望觀眾通過水果,找回他們和大自然的聯繫。
水果之外,fruit 還有兩個解釋:the harvest gathered from land 農產品;the effect or result of an activity 成果。Fruitfulness = fertility 繁殖豐碩;fruition = fulfillment 取得成果。
Apple, Banana, Cherry and Grape
蘋果對洋人來說,健康之外,有文化、歷史、宗教的象徵特質(symbolic attributes),比喻和諺語的涵蓋面,既廣泛又多姿。The apple of discord 是希臘神話中引起爭吵(quarrels in mythology)之原因;the apple of one’s eyes 是心肝寶貝、珍愛之物(a thing of great value);temptation of the forbidden fruit in the biblical story of the creation 《聖經・創世紀》之禁果誘惑;and homeliness in the American fondness for apple pies 美國人蘋果餡餅般典型之生活方式。
蘋果的成語,還有 a bad apple:對四周產生壞影響的人,不誠實、不道德、討人厭的傢伙:a troublesome person that has a corrupting influence on others;而壞蘋果和好蘋果儲放在一時,可以令本來的好蘋果也變成 a rotten apple 壞蘋果:a bad person that has a bad effect on the rest of the group。
井井有條、齊整有序,可以用 apple-pie order 來形容。Upset the apple cart,即是帶來煩惱或破壞大計:to cause trouble and do something that spoils somebody’s plans or to ruin an event by surprise or accident。
Adam’s apple 指喉結;Big Apple 指紐約市;apples and oranges,指截然不同的兩碼子事。
Banana republic 香蕉共和國,指政府無能、事事依賴外援的貧窮國家。Slip on a banana skin 是喜劇和漫畫常見的滑稽窘相,成語的本意是:做了某些事或說了某些話,顯示自己愚蠢,當眾出醜。To go bananas is to become angry, crazy or silly 發怒、發瘋、犯傻。
來自電影的名句:Life is just a bowl of cherries,表示生活簡單,無憂無慮:life is easy and uncomplicated;失敗之後,再有第二個機會,可用 a second bite of the cherry,即是 a second chance to do something,例如:I failed the exam, but I will get a second bite of the cherry next month.
櫻桃又紅又甜;葡萄,對某些人,卻可以是酸的,sour grapes are something that you really want but you can’t have, and so you say that you don’t like it。《伊索寓言》著名的故事:一隻狐狸多次伸手想抓着垂懸的葡萄,都沒有成功,終於放棄,牠安慰自已說道:葡萄是酸的,不好吃,不吃也吧!另一方面,you hear something through the grapevine,你從認識的人聽到非經正式渠道的流言或小道消息。Grapevine 是美國最早期電報系統的暱稱,電報的電線,經常像蔓藤亂絪在一起。當美國南北戰爭時,政府利用電報,作為戰爭情況的宣傳工具,充斥虛假消息和失實新聞,美國國民認為從電報聽來的流言和小道消息,都不可靠。
Beans and Nuts
Beans 和 nuts 的成語,相當有趣:full of beans 表示喜氣洋洋,興奮無比,精力充沛,happy,excited and full of energy。這句成語的出處,源於吃得很飽而活力充沛的馬匹。Spill the beans 表示揭露秘密的或私人的真相:to let secret information become known;a hard nut to crack is a problem difficult to solve or a person hard to deal with,棘手的問題、難對付的人;to put the matter in a nutshell is to express it in a few words,簡而言之;the nuts and bolts are the basic practical details of a subject,基本要點;an old chestnut is a statement, story or idea that that has been repeated so often that it is no longer interesting,說話、故事、觀點,經過覆述多次之後,變得陳腐,不再新鮮有趣。
Carrot and Stick
另一個最常見的蔬菜成語 carrot and stick。嘗試影響某人做某事時,給他的報酬或威脅:rewards and punishments that influence someone’s behaviour。我們可以用胡蘿蔔,吊在動物面前,鼓勵驢子向前面走,或者用大棒子,隨時拷打牠;carrot 胡蘿蔔,代表向前走的誘惑,stick 大棒子,代表懲罰你的威脅。
本專欄逢周二、五刊登