英語習(xí)語諺語成語用法精粹 宗教神話類3-43 many a slip between the cup and the lip
【字面理解】在杯子和嘴唇之間還會有許多失誤
【英文解析】a situation where things did not happen at the last minute the way they were expected to due to unforeseen reasons
【中文解析】事情往往功敗垂成
【典型例句】① There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip! Who knows what may happen.事情往往功敗垂成， 誰知道將會發(fā)生什么。
② A: I was to get a raise this year, but it didn’t happen due to the mergCT.
B: Well, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip!
A:我今年本來是要加薪的，可是因?yàn)楣竞喜?，卻沒 加成。
B:哦，凡事總難十拿九穩(wěn)的。
【注釋】該習(xí)語源于希臘神話。安凱厄斯(Ancaeus)是主 神宙斯(Zeus)的兒子，在開辟一片葡萄園時(shí)，他的仆 人預(yù)言說，他將永遠(yuǎn)喝不到用這葡萄園里的葡萄所釀 成的酒，安凱厄斯很不以為然。當(dāng)葡萄熟了，釀成了 酒，安凱厄斯倒了一杯葡萄酒，舉杯至唇邊，把仆人嘲 諷了一番，仆人卻說杯到唇邊還會失手呢。”話音剛 落，就有人報(bào)信說，一頭野豬闖進(jìn)了葡萄園，正在踐踏 葡萄，安凱厄斯急忙放下酒杯跑了出去，結(jié)果在與野豬的搏斗中不幸身亡。所以在英語里“There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip.” 的意思是“杯到唇邊還 會失手;事情往往功敗垂成”。相關(guān)諺語:There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.(萬事總難十拿九穩(wěn)。/ 事 情往往功敗垂成。)變體：between the cup and the Up“將 成未成之際;功敗垂成之際”。
