Fish in Troubled Waters 直譯是:“渾水里捕魚”,出自《伊索寓言•漁夫》
這篇寓言江的是:有個(gè)漁夫在河里張網(wǎng)捕魚,他把魚網(wǎng)橫欄在河道里,然后拿了一條縛著石塊的繩子,不停的拍擊河水,使泥沙泛起,河水渾濁,魚兒在慌亂中紛紛自投羅網(wǎng),漁夫用這個(gè)方法捕得了好多魚。但住在附近的人指責(zé)漁夫說:“我們飲水全靠這條河,你把水搞得這么渾,叫我們到哪里去找清水飲用呢?” 漁夫回答說:“可是,我若不把水搞渾,那就非餓死不可了”
因此,人們常用 to fish in trouble waters 比喻 to try to win advantages for oneself from a disturbed state of affairs; to make use of sb's misfortune to serve one's own ends.并因此產(chǎn)生了諺語 it’s good fishing in troubled waters(混水好摸魚)。
在英語中,to fish in troubled waters 也可寫成 to fish in the muddy waters,而且 water 必須做 waters。
eg:The man who interferes in South American politics is fishing in troubled waters
I refused to let them come here because i knew they only wanted to fish in troubled waters
Those who made large profits out of illegally selling rationed goods during World War II were fishing in troubled waters.