亡羊補牢 (wang2 yang2 bu3 lao2)
羊跑掉之後,趕快修補羊圈,還不算晚。比喻問題發生後,設法補救,還來得及。英文也有個類似的說法:「Locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.」。然而,這兩句中英文成語雖然相似,卻又不盡相同。中文的「亡羊補牢」有正面的意涵,表示事情發生後趕快補救,還來得及;英文則意味著:問題都已經發生了,再怎麼補救,也都太遲了。
她女朋友昨晚跟他提分手了,他正在亡羊補牢。
(Last night his girlfriend told him she wanted to split up. He is now trying to patch things up with her.)
你這次期中考的數學被當掉了,只會整天在那裡打電動,也不想辦法亡羊補牢一下。
(You’ve failed math in the mid-terms, and you’re sitting there playing computer games all day without trying to do something about it.)
Lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
This means attempting to remedy a situation after an unfortunate event. Unlike the Chinese “亡羊補牢”, this idiom suggests that the person involved has acted too late, and should have taken adequate precautions before.
She has said she wants to break up. Apologizing now is a bit like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.
(她已經說要分手,現在跟她道歉已經太晚了。)
You won’t get a second chance to take this test. The horse has already bolted: what’s the point in locking the stable door now?
(你連補考的機會都沒有的。現在做甚麼都無法補救了。)
Microsoft on Feb. 28 announced it was retiring Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer that the tech titan acquired in 2011. “Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available,” said a post from Skype support on X, directing users to sign into Microsoft’s Teams platform for further use of its services. Skype was founded in 2003 by Scandinavians Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis in Estonia, revolutionizing Internet communication by offering free voice calls between computers and affordable rates for calls to landlines and mobile phones. Over the years, and as Internet speeds improved, Skype evolved to
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A: Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue is set to visit Taiwan for the third time on Saturday. B: I remember that her Taipei concerts in 2008 and 2011 caused a sensation, and I love her megahit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” A: This will be her first time performing in the southern city of Kaohsiung. B: Many music critics praise Kylie’s show as “a must-see in your lifetime.” A: Let’s go to Kaohsiung this weekend. A: 澳洲歌后凱莉米諾週六即將三度訪台。 B: 她曾在2008、2011年兩度在台北開唱都造成大轟動,我超愛她的神曲《Can’t Get You Out of My Head》。 A: 這次可是她首度唱進南台灣的高雄呢。 B: 許多樂評家說她的演唱會是「此生必看」! A: 那我們週末去高雄吧。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
Donburi, often simply called don, is a beloved Japanese dish that consists of a bowl of steamed rice topped with various other ingredients. The word donburi itself actually means “bowl” in Japanese, but it has come to represent much more than just a vessel. Donburi first emerged during the Edo period (1603–1867) as a quick and convenient meal for busy city dwellers. By the 19th century, donburi had become immensely popular among theater enthusiasts, who often purchased these portable meals to enjoy during long performances. Una-don, a donburi topped with grilled eel, was a particular favorite. Easy-to-carry and satisfying,