Words And Idioms 76: Tail Between One’s Legs, The Tail Wagging The Dog

Mời quý vị theo dõi bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS số 76 của đài Tiếng Nói Hoa Kỳ do Huyền Trang và Pauline Gary phụ trách.

TRANG: Huyền Trang xin kính chào quý vị. Trong bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS hôm nay, chúng tôi xin giới thiệu cùng quý vị hai thành ngữ mới có từ TAIL, là cái đuôi. Chị Pauline xin đọc thành ngữ thứ nhất.

PAULINE: The first idiom is TAIL BETWEEN ONE’S LEGS, TAIL BETWEEN ONE’S LEGS.

TRANG: Khi một con chó sợ hãi, nó thường chạy cúp đuôi xuống giữa hai chân. Người Mỹ dùng thành ngữ này, TAIL BETWEEN ONE’S LEGS, để diễn tả tình trạng bị bẽ mặt, xấu hổ vì thất bại hay vì lầm lỗi.

Cô Erin luôn luôn khoe khoang tài bơi lội của cô. Ta hãy xem điều gì xảy ra hồi gần đây:

PAULINE: Erin was always bragging that she was the best swimmer on the team. But recently she came in last in the regional competition. Ever since, she has had HER TAIL BETWEEN HER LEGS. She’s still embarrassed about her defeat.

TRANG: Cô Erin lúc nào cũng khoe khoang rằng cô là người bơi giỏi nhất trong toán bơi lội. Tuy nhiên, hồi gần đây cô đã về cuối trong cuộc tranh tài cấp khu vực. Kể từ đó cô cảm thấy bẽ mặt. Cô vẫn còn xấu hổ vì thất bại của cô.

TO BRAG là khoe khoang, EMBARRASSED là hổ thẹn, ngượng ngùng, và DEFEAT là sự thất bại. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ này.

PAULINE: Erin was always bragging that she was the best swimmer on the team. But recently she came in last in the regional competition. Ever since, she has had HER TAIL BETWEEN HER LEGS. She’s still embarrassed about her defeat.

TRANG: Cô Mary nói về một vụ đụng xe của con trai ông xếp cô như sau:

PAULINE: My manager’s son Andy was always proud of his driving, but was surely embarrassed when his father learned that he had borrowed his car and had an accident. That’s why I said that he must have had HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS.

TRANG: Con trai ông quản lý của tôi là anh Andy luôn luôn tự hào về tài lái xe của anh, nhưng rõ ràng đã bẽ mặt khi cha anh khám phá ra rằng anh đã mượn xe của ông và bị đụng xe. Vì thế tôi nói rằng chắc anh ta đã rất xấu hổ.

PROUD là tự hào, và ACCIDENT là tai nạn. Bây giờ chị Pauline xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

PAULINE: My manager’s son Andy was always proud of his driving, but was surely embarrassed when his father learned that he had borrowed his car and had an accident. That’s why I said that he must have had HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS.

TRANG: Tiếp theo đây là thành ngữ thứ hai.

PAULINE: The second idiom is THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG, THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG.

TRANG: THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG có một động từ mới là TO WAG nghĩa là ve vẩy. Thường thì chúng ta nói THE DOG WAGGING THE TAIL tức là con chó ve vẩy đuôi của nó. Thành ngữ này thì nói ngược lại là cái đuôi ve vẩy con chó, tức là một bộ phận nhỏ kiểm soát hay gây ảnh hưởng đến chuyện lớn.

Một đôi vợ chồng quyết định mua vật dụng trong nhà trước khi ngôi nhà mới được cất xong. Bà láng giềng phê bình:

PAULINE: Anita and Bill’s new house hasn’t even been designed. Still, Anita has been busy shopping for new appliances. She has the TAIL WAGGING THE DOG. She should be paying attention to building the house before worrying about small details.

TRANG: Ngôi nhà mới của Anita và Bill chưa được thiết kế xong. Thế mà cô Anita vẫn bận rộn đi mua các vật dụng trong nhà. Cô ấy làm chuyện nhỏ trước thay vì lo đến chuyện lớn. Cô ấy nên chú ý tới việc xây nhà mới trước khi lo lắng về những chi tiết nhỏ nhặt.

TO DESIGN là thiết kế, APPLIANCES là đồ dùng trong nhà, và DETAIL là chi tiết. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ̣ này.

PAULINE: Anita and Bill’s new house hasn’t even been designed. Still, Anita has been busy shopping for new appliances. She has the TAIL WAGGING THE DOG. She should be paying attention to building the house before worrying about small details.

TRANG: THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG đôi khi còn được dùng để chỉ một sự đảo ngược vai trò chính đáng, người biết ít mà lại lấn át người biết nhiều, như trong thí dụ sau đây:

PAULINE: The other day my sister Jennifer explained traditional Chinese medicine to her doctor. I must say that’s a case of THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG.

TRANG: Hôm nọ em tôi cô Jennifer đã giải thích về y khoa cổ truyền của Trung quốc cho bác sĩ của cô ấy nghe. Tôi chắc hẳn rằng đó là một trường hợp ngược đời.

TRADITIONAL nghĩa là cổ truyền, truyền thống, và MEDICINE là y học. Bây giờ chị Pauline xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

PAULINE: The other day my sister Jennifer explained traditional Chinese medicine to her doctor. I must say that’s a case of THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG.

TRANG: Thí dụ vừa rồi đã kết thúc bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS hôm nay của đài Tiếng Nói Hoa Kỳ. Như vậy là chúng ta vừa học được hai thành ngữ mới. Một là TAIL BETWEEN ONE’S LEGS nghĩa là xấu hổ vì thất bại hay lầm lỗi, và hai là THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG nghĩa là một chuyện nhỏ ảnh hưởng đến chuyện lớn, hay một sự đảo ngược vai trò. Huyền Trang xin kính chào quý vị và xin hẹn gặp lại quý vị trong bài học kế tiếp.

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Words And Idioms 76: Tail Between One’s Legs, The Tail Wagging The Dog