At sixes and sevens
I am at sixes and sevens about what to do.
我心中七上八下,拿不定主意该怎么办。
我们中文里经常说的七上八下、乱七八糟杂乱无章 在英文中却是at sixes and sevens (六上七下)。
那么这个短语有什么来历呢?在相关的说法中,最有说服力的一种是说sixes and sevens和中世纪一种叫做hazard的掷骰游戏有关。骰子上最大的数字是五和六, 当时有一个法语短语to set on cinque (法语,five) and sice (six),意思是押5点和6点,这是要冒很大的风险的。
到了乔叟生活的时代,five and six被改成了six and seven,当然了,短语的意义也就发生了变化,因为这个数字根本不可能被掷出来,所以它的意思变成了不惜冒一切风险。为了掷骰赌博而不惜一切代价,那么这个人一定处于不理智的状态。
到了16世纪,six and seven就有混乱、没有头绪的意思。
在沙翁作品《理查二世》中,约克公爵说:But time will not permit: all is uneven, And everything is left at six and seven.时间已经不多了,但是所有的事情还是一团糟。
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