Bible-relatedphrases1.ATTHEELEVENTHHOUR在最后一刻Dosomethingattheeleventhhour,andyoudoitattheverylastminute.It’spossiblethatthisphrasemighthaveappearedinthelanguagewithoutanyBiblicalintervention,buttheOEDneverthelesscreditsittotheParableoftheLabourersintheGospelofStMatthew(20:1-16),whichmetaphoricallyadvisesthatnomatterwhattimeyoustartworktherewardwillalwaysbethesame.2.ATYOURWIT’SEND束手无策；无计可施Theearliestreferencetobeingatyourwit’sendinEnglishdatesbacktothelate14thcentury.ThephrasecomesfromPsalm107,inwhich“theythatgodowntotheseainships,”namelysailorsandseafarers,aredescribedasbeingthrownaroundbyastormatseasothat,“theyreeltoandfro,andstaggerlikeadrunkenman,andareattheirwit’send”(107:23-27).3.THEBLINDLEADINGTHEBLIND问道于盲，外行引导外行TheRomanpoetHoraceusedhisownversionoftheblindleadingtheblindinthe1stcenturyBC,suggestingthatitwasalreadyafairlywellknownsayingbythetimeitappearedintheNewTestament:“Letthemalone:theybeblindleadersoftheblind.Andiftheblindleadtheblind,bothshallfallintotheditch”(Matthew15:14).Nevertheless,itsinclusioninearlyeditionsoftheBiblenodoubtpopularizeditsuseineverydaylanguage—andeveninspiredafamouspaintingbyPieterBrueghelliterallyinterpretingtheoriginalquote.4.BYTHESKINOFYOURTEETH险些错过TheOldTestamentBookofJobrecordshowJobisputthroughaseriesoftrials,buteventuallyescapes“withtheskinofmyteeth”(19:20).AlthoughpreciselywhatJobmeantthesewordstomeanisdebatable(andnothelpedbythefactthatteethdon’thaveskin),theusualinterpretationistheoneweusetoday—namely,thatheescapedonlybythenarrowestofmargins.5.TOCASTPEARLSBEFORESWINE白费好意；对牛弹琴Meaning“tooffersomethingofvaluetosomeoneunabletoappreciateit,”tocastpearlsbeforeswinecomesfromtheNewTestament:“Givenotthatwhichisholyuntothedogs,neithercastyeyourpearlsbeforeswine,lesttheytramplethemundertheirfeet”(Matthew,7:6).6.EAT,DRINKANDBEMERRY人生短暂，及时行乐；今朝有酒今朝醉ThispopularsentimentisoutlinedseveraltimesintheBible(Luke12:19,1Corinthians15:32),butappearsfirstintheBookofEcclesiastes:“manhathnobetterthingunderthesun,thantoeat,andtodrink,andtobemerry”(8:15).7.TOFALLBYTHEWAYSIDE半途而废Ifsomethingfallsbythewayside(i.e.bythesideoftheroad),thenitfailstobeseenthroughtocompletionorisside-linedinfavorofsomeotherprojectorendeavor.TheearliestuseofthisphraseinEnglishcomesfromWilliamTyndale’stranslationoftheBiblein1526,andinparticularhisversionoftheParableoftheSower,who“wentouttosowhisseeds,andashesowed,somefellbythewayside;anditwastroddendown,andthefowlsoftheairdevouredit”(Luke8:5).8.FEETOFCLAY致命的弱点FeetofclayhasbeenusedinEnglishsincethe19thcenturytorefertoafundamentalweaknessthathasthepotentialtoleadtothedownfallofsomething(orsomeone)otherwisegreatandpowerful.ItcomesfromtheBookofDaniel(2:31-45),inwhichtheprophetDanielinterpretsadreamthattheBabyloniankingNebuchadnezzarhashadofanenormous,imposingstatue.“Thisimage’sheadwasoffinegold,”Danielwrites,“hisbreastandhisarmsofsilver,hisbellyandhisthighsofbrass,hislegsofiron,hisfeetpartofironandpartofclay.”Asthedreamcontinues,suddenlyahugestonestrikestheclayfeetofthestatue,causingittocollapseandbreakupintopieces.DanielinterpretsthegoldenheadofthestatueasrepresentingNebuchadnezzar’skingdom,whilethesilvertorsorepresentsaninferiorkingdomthatwillfollowhis.Thebrassstomachandthighsrepresentathirdandevenmoreinferiorkingdomthatwillfollowthat,andafo...
