英語成語分享4 - 找錯地方

(英語成語談) 5: Bark up the wrong tree. 有二解:
1. 獵犬向沒有獵物的樹亂吠
2. 由此轉喻 : 弄錯; 看錯; 找錯地方; 認錯了人; 怪錯了人

狗追貓, 貓逃上樹, 狗向別的樹亂吠, bark up the wrong tree 也。

1. He is barking up the wrong tree by asking John to quit his job and join his company.
(他要阿尊辭職去加入他的公司, 是認錯了人了。)

2. His vain efforts to seduce her showed he was barking up the wrong tree; she was a mother of two tots.
(他誘惑她的失敗顯示他找錯了人; 她是兩個小娃娃的媽媽了。)

3. If we let our reasoning power be overshadowed by our emotions, we would be barking up the wrong tree all the time.
(如果我們任理性被感性所遮掩, 我們會一直出錯的。)
If...would... , 虛擬式, subjunctive mood, 表示與事實不符的假設。

成語 up a tree, 亦作 up a gum tree, 是陷於困境, 進退兩難, 走投無路的意思
We are really up a gum tree to find a way out.
(我們確是處境艱困, 找不到出路。)