Britons love talking about the weather, and with Europe caught in the midst of a heat wave there’s plenty for them to get excited about. Many parts of China have also been struggling with record-breaking temperatures this hot summer.
英國人喜歡談論天氣，今夏，熱浪席卷歐洲，他們更是有的聊了。同樣，中國大部分地區今夏也經受著持續不斷的高溫“烤驗”。
But beside from a simple “hot”, what other ways are there to describe the summer heat? Apart from phrases like “piping hot”, “sweltering heat” and “scorching sun”, there are many interesting expressions that relate to unbearably hot weather and offer a glimpse into foreign culture.
而英文中，除了一個簡單的“hot”，還有什么哪些形容炎炎夏日的表達方式呢？除了像“piping hot”（滾燙的）、“sweltering heat”（酷熱難耐）、“scorching sun”（烈日炎炎），英文中還有許多有關“酷熱難耐”的有趣表達，從中我們也可以了解到一些外國文化。
Dog days of summer
三伏天
In books and newspaper articles, the period from early July to mid-August is often referred to as the “dog days of summer”. Some think the expression means the weather is so hot that dogs go wild. But in fact, the expression comes from 16th century astrology and refers to the days on which Sirius — the Dog Star, the brightest star in the summer sky and part of the Great Dog constellation — rises at the same time as the sun. The Romans associated the hot weather with this star and would sacrifice a dog every year in April to appease the rage of Sirius.
在書籍和報刊文章中，7月初到8月中旬這段時間通常被稱作“dog days of summer”，即中文中的“三伏天”。一些人認為這句表達的意思是“天氣太熱以至于狗都狂躁了”。而事實上，該表達源于16世紀占星術，指的是夏季里，天空中最亮的大犬座天狼星同太陽同起落的日子。羅馬人認為酷熱的天氣與天狼星有關，所以每年4月份會獻上一只狗作為祭品，來平息天狼星的憤怒。
So hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk
熱得連在人行道上都可以煎雞蛋了
This expression needs no explanation and although its origin is unclear, it hasn’t stopped thousands of curious tourists from testing if the saying is true, with the result that sidewalks in Death Valley, California – the hottest place in the US – are now littered with broken eggshells and the gooey remainders of mostly raw eggs. Early in July, the local government issued a plea for tourists to stop their cooking experiments. Even so, it is actually possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk, so long as you use a frying pan with a lid and the temperature is at least 49 C.
這一表達無需再做解釋，盡管出處不明，但是絲毫也阻擋不了無數好奇游客的實驗精神。位于加利福尼亞的死亡谷號稱是美國最熱的地方。而如今該地的人行道上四處散落著雞蛋殼以及黏糊糊的生蛋液。七月初，當地政府就發布通告，呼吁游客請勿“大展廚藝”。即便如此，只要在溫度不低于49℃的條件下，你用帶蓋煎鍋就可以在人行道上“煎蛋”了。
Hotter than a two-dollar pistol
“炙手可熱”
This expression comes from 19th century America, when the US was engulfed in the Civil War and many carried pistols for self-protection. Cheap pistols would get hot when fired repeatedly, but another reason for the expression is that no pistol could cost 2 dollars (12 yuan) unless it had been stolen. In slang English, stolen goods are often said to be “hot” and anyone in possession of hot goods is likely to get their fingers burned, in other words, to be arrested.
該表達起源于19世紀的美國。當時美國正陷于內戰，許多人攜帶手槍防身。多次射擊后，便宜的手槍就會變得燙手。而該表達的另一出處則是：沒有手槍會賣2美元（約合人民幣12元），除非是偷來的。在英國俚語中，盜竊的贓物經常被成為“hot”（非法所得），這些偷來的東西就像是“燙手山芋”，窩贓者隨時會被“繩之以法”。
Hinges of Hades
“人間煉獄”
For those who believe it exists, hell is undoubtedly the hottest place on earth, so unsurprisingly there are several expressions that refer to hell (Hades), or even the devil himself. “Hotter than the hinges (gates) of Hades” or “Hotter than the hobs (fireplaces) of Hell” are the oldest versions, but more amusing variations have become popular, such as “hotter than the devil’s underwear”.
對于那些堅信地獄真實存在的人們而言，毫無疑問地獄是人間最熱的地方。所以，難怪一些表示熱的短語都與地獄，甚至魔鬼有關。“比地獄之門還熱”或者“酷熱勝于地獄的火爐”這些早已是祖母級的表達方式了，而舊詞新說使得它們又“火”了一把，比如時下最潮的表達是“比魔鬼的內衣還要火辣”。
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