雙語常用典故： separate the sheep from the goats 區(qū)別好壞，分清良莠

雙語常用典故： separate the sheep from the goats 區(qū)別好壞，分清良莠

《新約。馬太福音》記述：“And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats”

由于《圣經(jīng)》的影響，sheep 和 goat 在英語中的形象截然不同，前者比喻好人，后者比喻壞人。英語中有關(guān) goat 的成語，大多貶義。如：to play the goat=play the fool（瞎胡鬧）；to get sb's goat（觸動肝火） ；等等?！妒ソ?jīng)》說牧羊人要分辨綿羊和山羊，“把綿羊安置右邊，山羊左邊”。據(jù)說野山羊常混進羊群里，引誘綿羊，故牧養(yǎng)人必須把它們區(qū)分開來，以免混淆。

由此，人們用 to separate the sheep from the goats 這個成語，來比喻 to separate the good from the wicked; to divide good or useful people from bad or useless

Eg: We'll go through the list of members, and separate the sheep from the goats Have faith in me, please. I can separate the sheep from the goats