有其父必有其子?

看電影的時候,聽到主角說:The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Like father, like son. 這兩句說話其實意思相同。父親節快到了,現在就說一下這兩句與父親有關的說話。

Like father, like son意思明顯不過,說的是兒子酷似父親;不只是指樣貌,連行為舉止、性格等等,兩人都十分相似,中文有「有其父必有其子」:

1. George looks almost identical to his father. No surprise, like father, like son.
佐治的樣貌幾乎與他父親一模一樣。當然了,有其父必有其子。

2. Like father, like son-he is as aggressive as his father.
有其父必有其子,他像父親一樣積極進取。


The apple doesn't fall far from the tree(掉下來的蘋果離樹不遠),這句話的意思相近:蘋果比喻兒子,樹比喻父親。蘋果掉到地上,不會滾遠,總傍着樹腳。不只說好的一面,也可以說壞的方面。不一定是「虎父無犬子」,也可以是「臭罌出臭草」、「上樑不正下樑歪」。電影中的主角就是惹了麻煩,和他父親年輕時一樣:

3. The two brothers are addicted to gambling like their father. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
這兩兄弟像父親一樣沉迷賭博,真的上樑不正下樑歪。

4. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree; like her parents, she donates much money to charity every year.
虎父無犬女,她像父母一樣每年捐很多錢給慈善機構。


另一句類似的諺語是a chip off the old block(木頭削出的木片),意思是子肖其父。以前指遺傳了父親特質的兒子,現在可以指遺傳了父親或母親特質的兒子或女兒:

5. That girl is a real chip off the old block;she is as good a singer as her mother is.
真有遺傳的:這女孩像母親一樣是個好歌手。

話雖如此說,其實不必看重血統論。虎父未必無犬子,同樣,臭罌未必出臭草,每個人都要為自己的命運努力,不應推諉於家族遺傳﹕The apple can fall far from the tree.


■Lina CHU


來源 : http://paper.wenweipo.com

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