如何用法語「得寸進尺」
How to “push your luck” in French
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Disclaimer: The audio files provided on this site were made of and by me. Nevertheless, I am neither a native speaker nor a teacher of French. The sound samples are meant for reference only.
pousser le bouchon un peu
pousser le bouchon un peu loin
pousser le bouchon trop loin
"Les lexicographes supposent, sans aucune certitude, que l’expression vient d’un des deux principaux jeux où on utilise un bouchon : le jeu du bouchon, qui date du début du XIXe siècle, où il fallait abattre avec un palet des bouchons surmontés de pièces de monnaie, ou bien la pétanque où le cochonnet s’appelle le bouchon." (Wikitionary)
[說明]
字面上的意思是「把瓶塞推得有點遠（或過遠）」，用以比喻行事超過、要求過多，站長認為「得寸進尺」是相當貼切的翻譯。根據Wikitionary的解釋，這個成語的由來可能跟兩種遊戲有關。其中一種是起源於19世紀的擊塞遊戲，比賽者必須以投擲圓環的方式將壓在銅板下的塞子擊倒。另一種則是跟擲球（或稱地擲球）有關。擲球中的投擲用球尺寸較大，而基準球尺寸較小，因此基準球在法文中稱為cochonnet（意為「小豬」），又稱為bouchon （意為「瓶塞」）。
[Explanation]
Literally, the phrase means “to push the cork a bit (or too far)”. It is used metaphorically to describe cases where someone is doing something beyond the limit of the accepted standard or is asking (often unreasonably) for more than the expected norm when the odds are already in his or her favor. A good equivalent in English, I think, is “to push (or press) your luck” or “to push the envelope”. According to Wikitionary, the phrase allegedly originated from either of the two games involving the use of bouchon. One is a cork game that started in the 19th century, where players would have to knock down corks that are topped by coins with a quoit. The other is the pétanque game, where the jack is alternatively called bouchon (also known as cochonnet).
[趣聞]
在《蝴蝶》這部電影的同名主題曲裡小女孩愛樂莎和老先生朱利安一同出遊尋找蝴蝶，途中愛樂莎向朱利安要求要看蚱蜢還有蜻蜓，隨後又要求朱利安唱最後一段，於是朱利安就說了這段話：Tu ne crois pas que tu pousses un peu le bouchon? （你不覺得你有點得寸進尺了嗎?）
[Tidbit]
In the namesake theme song of the movie The Butterfly, a little girl Elsa and an old man Julien go on a search for a special species of butterflies. After asking to see grasshoppers and dragonflies, she asks another favor of him, that he sings the last couplet. It is now when he says, “Tu ne crois pas que tu pousses un peu le bouchon? (Don’t you think you’re pushing your luck?).
[網路例句] (Example from the web)
La famille royale britannique a toujours toléré avec une certaine limite les frasques du prince Harry, mais le scandale de ces photos sur lesquelles il apparaît tout nu, risque de pousser le bouchon un peu plus loin. (le 28 août 2012, Tixup)
[翻譯] 英國皇室對哈利王子的越軌行為向來多所包容，然而裸照風波所釀造的醜聞未免有得寸進尺之嫌。（取自2012年8月28日所刊之Tixup）
[Translation]
The British royal family has been tolerating the escapade of Prince Harry with certain limit , but the nude photo scandal might just have pushed the envelope a little too far. (August 28, 2012, Tixup)
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