昨天討論了mouth,今天探討下嘴裡的牙齒,tooth/teeth。
人類已經進化了,指甲和牙齒已不再重要,除非是潑婦打架。但對許多動物來說,離開這兩樣恐怕就很難生存,利齒和尖爪是制勝的武器,因此,我們常說“武裝到牙齒”。The soldiers went to war armed to the teeth. 如果紀律沒有效力,不能做到令行禁止,就相當於老虎沒有牙齒。Discipline is powerless if it has no teeth.
日本人當初就armed to the teeth,他們先佔東北,又陷華北,華東中南大片國土也相繼淪陷,有賴於國共攜手合作,The Chinese people fought teeth and nail against the Japanese。中國人民經過14年浴血奮戰,才避免了做亡國奴的命運。China managed to avoid Japanese conquest by the skin of the teeth。美國在日本試圖負隅頑抗時在廣島和長崎投下原子彈,The A bombs gave the Japanese a devastating kick in teeth,才讓日本放下武器無條件投降。
日本人在侵華戰爭中對中國人民犯下的滔天罪惡讓很多人耿耿於懷甚至於一提到日本就咬牙切齒。The mere mention of Japan often set their teeth on edge, even made them grit their teeth in anger。這是正常的人類情感,正如《聖經》所說,an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth。用中國話說就是“朋友來了有好酒,敵人來了有獵槍”。