这则习语的来源有两种说法,一种认为return to one's mutton原是直译自法国田园诗中的一句: 多情的男女牧羊人在牧场上谈情说爱、海阔天空,最终还得回到现实,回到自己的羊群中来。
另一种说法是出自14世纪的法国喜剧《巴德林律师》(L'Avocat Pathelin)。有个毛料商指控牧羊人犯了虐待羊群罪,牧羊人请把德林律师为他辩护,毛料上在陈述事情的时候竟然无中生有地诋毁说,巴德林律师曾偷过他店里的一块布。法官制止说:“我的朋友,我们还是回到有关羊这件事吧。
不管怎么说return to one's muttons是从法语译过来的,法语中“羊叫做mouton,英语中“羊叫sheep。法语进入英语后,mouton演变成了mutton。在英语中,mutton只指“羊肉而不指“羊。因为在当时英国的法国人大都是有钱人,他们吃“羊肉时用mutton,而牧羊的盎格鲁撒克逊族的穷人称“羊为sheep。久而久之,英语中就把“羊叫做sheep,“羊肉叫做mutton。
**例句点津**
Cut short the nonsense and return to one's muttons. 闲话少说,言归正传。
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