英美文化常识｜美国人最重要的东西

学霸君的第1458篇文章

经济学人原文

These have signed up to the so-called Artemis Accords, a set of motherhood-and-apple-pie principles about the peaceful use of space, data sharing, mutual aid and so on. 

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习语释义

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motherhood and apple pie

字面含义：母性与苹果派；

实际含义：（对美国人来说）十全十美的东西

used to represent things that most Americans consider to be very good and important

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学霸解析

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这个习语的来源有两种说法，都与二战有关。

一种是参与二战的美国士兵被问最想念什么时，他们的回答往往是妈妈和苹果派；

另一种说法是当记者问这些士兵为了什么去战斗时，他们千篇一律地回答是为了妈妈和苹果派。

母性和苹果派这种已成为美国文化符号之一的甜点后来就被用来指代在美国人看来十全十美、体现他们价值观的人和事物。

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双语例句

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For some Americans, low taxes and small government are as sacred as motherhood and apple pie.

对一些美国人来说，低赋税和小政府才是十全十美的制度。

come close to perfection  近乎完美

to a T or to a turn  完美地

The roast was done to a turn. 肉烤得恰到好处。

too … by half  太…；过于…

The heroine of the story is too nice by half; she is not believable. 故事的女主人公过于完美，完美得令人难以置信了。

in the groove  近乎完美；处于最佳状态

It was an exciting football game; every player was really in the groove. 那是一场令人激动的橄榄球比赛；每个球员都打得很精彩。

lick into shape  使完美；把…训练好

The sergeant licked the new volunteer army into shape in three months. 中士用了3个月时间就把新招募的志愿兵训练得像个样子了。

参考译文

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These have signed up to the so-called Artemis Accords, a set of motherhood-and-apple-pie principles about the peaceful use of space, data sharing, mutual aid and so on. 

它们签署了所谓的《阿尔忒弥斯协定》，这是一系列关于和平利用空间、数据共享、互助等的似乎十分完善的原则。

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