迷你對話學地道口語第574期:化干戈爲玉帛

Subject:Let’s beat our swords in to plowshares.

迷你對話

A: I cannot stand this situation anymore. Let’s beat our swords into plowshares.

我不能再忍受這種情形了，讓我們化干戈爲玉帛吧。

B: OK. I have the same idea with you.

好的，我和你想的一樣。

地道表達

beat one’s swords into plowshares

1. 解詞釋義

Beat one’s swords into plowshares中的sword是指“戰爭”，plowshares是指“和平”。字面意思是把戰爭休止，讓情況處於和平狀態。那麼漢語中的“化幹帛爲玉帛”就是比喻戰者能捨棄紛爭，追求和和平的行動。其英文解釋爲：If people beat swords into plowshares, they spend money on humanitarian purposes rather than weapons.

2. 例句拓展

e.g. The prime minister would like them to beat their swords into plowshares and abandon all plans for war.

該國首相希望雙方能夠化干戈爲玉帛，放棄所有的戰爭計劃。

e.g. After years of quarreling we at last sent our cousins a Christmas card to beat our swords into plowshares.

我們與堂兄弟多年不和, 最後我們送給他們一張聖誕卡, 算是化干戈爲玉帛。