英語成語分享9 - 殺身成仁

(英語成語談) 12: 濫費精力, burn the candle at both ends, 亦作: 浪費錢財, 過荒唐放蕩的生活解。這是十八世紀法國作家Lesage所創文句, 法文作bruler la chandelle par les deux bouts. 它原來是指兩個僕人同時在偷主人的東西。

1. To live a fast life is like burning the candle at both ends.
過荒唐的生活有如玩命。
2. In time of grave emergency it is unavoidable for some people to burn the candle at both ends.
有些人在遇到重大緊急情況時, 難免慌張。

In time of ~, 在~時期。
Grave emergency, 嚴重緊急情況。

3. Burning the candle at both ends reduces the candle to wax in a hurry - just like a playboy having a pretty girl on each arm.
蠟蠋兩端燒很快就將燭熔化成蠟 - 正如一個花花公子, 兩臂各抱一個美女。

Reduce to wax, 熔化成蠟, to reduce, 將固體物質熔化為液體。
Reduce to ashes，燃化為灰。In a hurry亦即 very easily。

諺有: A candle lights others and consumes itself, 燭照他人而燃耗自己, 亦即"殺身成仁"之意。