文档介绍：European Culture Idioms & Allusions ⒈ Swan Song ? Meaning : A last or farewell appearance; (poet, musician, etc) last work before death( 最后演出;绝笔) ? A swan usually never crow( 啼鸣);but keep crowing before death ? god of music & poetry ;Apollo ’ s swan, god bird( 神鸟); represent talented& outstanding person ? Black swan: rare and precious things (“黑天鹅”:凤毛麟角,稀有之物) =hen ’ s teeth Eg:? MJ ’ s concert the other day turned out to be his swan song.( 前些天 MJ 的演唱会竟成了他的告别演出。)? The Tempest was W. Shakespeare ’ s swan song in 1612. (《暴风雨》是莎士比亚 1612 年的绝笔之作。) In old Greek tales ,it is said that a poet ’ s soul attached to a swan after his death. The swan of Avon( 艾文河畔的天鹅): Shakespeare The swan of Meander( 米安德河畔): Homer The swan of Mantua( 曼图亚): Virgil ⒉ Pile/Heap Pelion on Ossa ? meaning: ① extremely arduous( 艰巨的)② pay much effort but get no results (劳而无获)? Pelion( 伯利翁山);Ossa( 奥萨山) ? Otus (俄托斯)& Ephialthes (厄菲阿尔忒斯): twin sons of Poseidon( 波塞冬); great strength ? Pay court to( 求爱) Hera &Artemis( 月神/ 猎神阿尔忒弥斯)? Irritate Zeus, killed by Apollo Eg:?① Asking me to run the department and teach full load of courses is pile Pelion on Ossa. (要求我管理这个系,并教满工作量的课程, 真是任务艰巨。) ?② To increase taxes in such a time of depression means heaping Pelion upon Ossa. (在这样的萧条期提高税收是劳而无获的。) Poseidon Zeus & Hera