Proper Name Idioms 专有名词成语
汉语和英语的"专有名词成语"都不少，都有典故或出处。如汉语的：愚公移山、东施效颦、毛遂自荐、班门弄斧、名落孙山、邯郸学步、洛阳纸贵、有眼不识泰山、长江后浪推前浪、不到黄河不死心，等等。英语中的"专有名词成语"有些来自古希腊、古罗马神话或传说；有些出自《圣经》；有些出自文学作品；有些出自民间的幽默，如：洛阳纸贵的典故"墨菲定律"(Murphy's law ─ What can go wrong will go wrong); 另有一些是各民族之间的幽默戏弄：其中有英国人对法国人和荷兰人的嘲笑，也有美国人对美洲印地安人的讽刺。如：英国人把Take French leave（不辞而别）说成是法国人的习惯；把（避孕）安全套说成是French letter；如果失言，说了不该说的话，随口道歉时，英国人常说Pardon my French（注：把英语中的粗话说成是法语）。美国人把"送出去又要收回来的礼物"说成是Indian gift（印第安人的礼物）。
本单元的英语成语跟"人名"和"地名"等专有名词有关。关键词包括：
Achilles ― Blarney ― Damocles ― Humphrey ― Dutch ― French ― Freudian ― Garrison ― Gordian ― Greek ― Herculean ― Indian―Jack―Job― John ― Jones ― Newcastle ― Pandora ― Peter ― Penelope ― Pyrrhic ― Reilly ― Roland ― Rome ―
Rubicon ― Sally ― Sydney ― Thames ― Waterloo
1. Achilles' heel字面意思：阿基琉斯的脚后跟。
[解释] The vulnerable spot or weak point of a person or nation.
一个人或国家的致命弱点。说明：据希腊神话，Achilles在年幼时，被其母亲倒提着在一条河里浸过，成人后刀不入。Achilles的脚后跟当时被母亲握在手里，没有浸过河水，因此成了致命弱点。变体：The heel of Achilles.
[例句] The journalist's Achilles' heel was the problems he had with his spelling.
2. Kiss the Blarney stone字面意思：亲吻巧言石。
[解释] Good at using flattery words.
擅长恭维；巧于辞令。说明：英国一城堡内的一块刻有铭文的长方形石头叫做"巧言石"(Blarney stone). 仰面爬进洞口再探头才能亲吻到这块石头。据说，亲吻到这块"巧言石"人就会"能言善辩"，特别会恭维别人。
[例句] Everyone in the office hates him. He does nothing except licking the manager's boots. We all think he must have kissed the Blarney stone.
3. The sword of Damocles字面意思：达摩克利斯剑。
[解释] Impending evil or danger.
即将来临的邪恶势力或恐怖的威胁；临头大祸。说明：这条成语源于古罗马哲学家西塞罗转述的古希腊传说。希腊一城邦国的国王宴请佞臣Damocles. 这次宴请实际为的是给Damocles一个教训，因为他四处宣扬做国王是多么地容易。宴席之上，Damocles受宠若惊，猛然抬头看到在座位上方有一用细线悬挂着的利剑，随时可能坠落下来。国王意在告诉Damocles，君王虽身在宝座，但惶惶不可终日，杀身之祸随时可能降临。
[例句] The terrorists threatened to kidnap the famous actress, and she felt the sword of Damocles over her head. She was petrified until the police captured the terrorists.
4. Dine with Duke Humphrey字面意思：跟汉弗莱公爵一同进餐。
[解释] Have nothing to eat; hungry.
没饭吃；饿肚皮。说明：英国中世纪的汉弗莱公爵生前以好客闻名，人们以为他死后安葬于伦敦圣保罗大教堂。到吃饭时间，教堂墓地附近会有穷人或有麻烦的人在此逗留。这些人常风趣地说他们在"跟汉弗莱公爵一同进餐"。
[例句] I was very pleased when I got his invitation for having lunch together, because I was going to dine with Duke Humphrey before he rang.
5. Double Dutch字面意思：双重荷兰语。
[解释] Words which do not mean anything or which one does not understand.
看不懂或弄不明白的字句；无法理解的语言。说明：荷兰语跟英语同属一个语系的同一个语族。中世纪之前两种语言很接近，到后来才分道扬镳。18世纪两国商业竞争激烈，英国人挖苦荷兰人，这条成语便是历史的见证。
[例句] I couldn't understand the signpost; the words were double Dutch to me.
6. Go Dutch字面意思：赴荷兰人的宴席。
[解释] Share expenses.
各付各的账；分摊费用；AA制；"去大吃"。 说明：Dutch treat（荷兰式款待）的意思跟Go Dutch一样。
[例句] It is a custom for friends to go Dutch when attending a birthday dinner party at a restaurant in Australia.
7. Dutch courage字面意思：荷兰人的勇气。