海陸空動物教成語
撰文 ◎ 魚兒
Well goes the proverb, "You must lose a fly to catch a trout1", and I can't agree with it more. For example, you have to sacrifice your leisure time for study to get better grades , or you need to put aside some interests and dedicate more time to studying so that you may enter an ideal college in the future. However, there is still a key involved — you must not put the cart before the horse2.
俗話說得好：「有捨才有得。」真是一點也沒錯。例如，你必須犧牲休閒時間來念書，才能得到更好的成績，或是也得暫擱一些興趣並致力於課業，以便在未來進入理想的大學就讀。但這還牽涉到一個關鍵──絕不能本末倒置。
1. You must lose a fly to catch a trout. 有捨才有得
trout是「鱒魚」，而鱒魚最愛吃的食物就是蒼蠅。釣魚人為了引誘魚兒上鉤，自然得犧牲一些魚餌（蒼蠅）才會有所收穫。
例：What is done is done. Let it go! You must lose a fly to catch a trout. 既已成事實，就別再掛念了吧！有捨才有得啊！
2. put the cart before the horse 本末倒置
cart是二輪馬車。從字面上即可得知，將馬兒拖行的馬車置於馬匹前方，是順序顛倒的行為，也就是「本末倒置」、「倒果為因」。
例：" Peter is handsome because he is popular" is an expression that puts the cart before the horse. 「彼得因為受歡迎而俊俏」是種本末倒置的說法。
To get great progress in academic performance, a large percentage of students have tried to find some methods with instant effects, such as skipping the textbooks and taking the organized materials as their bible. It's like reading a book upside down3. They might say it's the way not to waste the money their parents spent, but as the matter of fact, they forget that putting everything in schedule is the best way to have one's cake and eat it4. The accessory materials are designed to "assist" one, not to increase the burden. So, don't bark the wrong tree5.
為了看到學業有大幅度改進，許多學生試了好幾種方法找尋一種能立即見效的讀書方式，像是略過教科書，將整理好的資料視為聖經。這完全是顛倒錯置。他們可能會說這是為了不讓爸媽花的錢付諸東流，但他們卻忘了讓一切井然有序才是唯一兼得魚與熊掌之途。輔助教材的設計用意是「輔助」，而非增加重擔。所以，別用錯方法白忙一場了。
3. upside down 顛倒地、混亂地（副詞片語）
一般事物顛倒都用這個片語。
例：These naughty children's energy of making the house upside down always surprises me. 這群頑皮小孩將房子弄得一團亂的精力總教我大吃一驚。
4. have one's cake and eat it 兼得魚與熊掌
一般都以否定形式出現（can't have one's cake and eat it）；而事實上合乎邏輯的正確說法應為“can't eat your cake and have it”，即「一個人不可能吃了蛋糕後又還擁有它」，接近中文說的「魚與熊掌不可兼得」。但由於此一片語自十六世紀使用至今都以此方式出現，故已成為習慣用語。
例：Jason dreams of having the cake and eat it to go out with beautiful Ivy and date intelligent Debra at the same time.傑森夢想著兼得魚與熊掌，那就是同時和美麗的艾薇與 聰慧的黛博拉交往。
5. bark the wrong tree 搞錯對象、白忙一場
此片語源於十九世紀，當時美國盛行捕捉浣熊，因其毛皮可製成帽子、大衣等服飾，極具商業價值，因此獵人們會於夜間帶著獵狗進行獵捕；然而浣熊經常躲藏在樹上，難以追蹤，且有時夜色太暗、狗兒分不清其藏身的樹木，便會吠錯對象而白費力氣。
例：Ida went to the next door for the noise but came back with embarrassment because she barked the wrong tree. 愛達因噪音問題到隔壁理論，卻因為找錯對象而尷尬地回來。
