110.吹口哨招风

[词语]to whistle for a/the wind

to whistle for a breeze

[含义]等待时机,做办不到的事

[趣释]【物事喻指】按照欧洲神话传说,风是由风神控制和制造的,人若需要风时,可吹口哨让风神知道。故古时欧洲海员在海上航行遇到无风而停船时,海员吹口哨即可生风。“吹口哨招风”(to whistle for a wind)过去喻指等待时机,做办不到的事情。英国作家史蒂文森(Robert Stevenson)在其小说《金银岛》(Treasure Island)中就引用了这个典故。

[运用]But there's no help for it till we knew our men. Lay to, and whistle for a wind, that's my view. 可是非到我们认识我们自己的人以后,那是没有办法的。静静待着,等待适当机会,这是我的看法。(史蒂文森)

Our sailors whistle for a wind during a calm, and refrain from whistling during a gale. 风平浪静时,我们的海员就吹口哨招风,而刮风时就忌吹口哨。

We must whistle for a breeze. In the meantime, Mr. Johnson, we will have the boats all ready. 我们必须等待时机,同时,约翰逊先生,我们要把船只全部准备好。