1. Cat Got Your Tongue? (say something!)

你的舌头被猫给吃了吗？（说点啥吧！）

 

It's very common to say "(Has a) Cat Got Your Tongue?" when you're asking somebody why they aren't speaking. It's not disrespectful, and is often very effective communication. This expression originates in medieval times when kings punished liars¹ by cutting off their tongues and then feeding it to their cats.

当问某人为什么他不说话时，我们经常说：“你的舌头被猫给吃了（吗）？”。这并不是无礼，而往往是非常有效的沟通。这个表达源自中世纪国王惩罚骗子的手段，他们把骗子的舌头割断，然后喂猫。

 

2. A Copycat (a person who copies/imitates another)

盲目模仿者（抄袭/模仿他人的人）

 

Kids often call each other "copy cat" when somebody copies them, and adults may joke around with this too. For example, a young boy who copies his brother's haircut may be called a copycat.

当孩子们之间有人抄袭别人的时候，他们就会称那个抄袭的人为“copy cat”。成人之间有时也会用这个开玩笑。例如，一个年轻的男孩模仿他哥哥的发型就很可能被叫做“copy cat（模仿者）”。

 

3. It's Raining Cats and Dogs (it's raining very hard)

雨下的很大

 

This is very commonly used to describe the weather when it's raining hard. The origin of this expression comes from the fact that cats were once known to symbolize² strong wind, and dogs symbolized³ rain.

这是经常用来描述下大雨的天气的。这个表达来源于：猫曾经象征强风，狗曾经象征大雨。

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