原 文：

He said he had a bone in his throat.

原 译：

他说他感到骨鲠在喉。

辨 析：

「骨鲠在喉」其实是半个成语，后面的「一吐为快」常常省掉，但意思不变，是说某人感到心里憋着话，必须说出来才痛快，尽管表面上看和英语原句中的have a bone in one's throat相似，但意思不一样，英语是不想表态的一种借口，很难找到确切的汉语现成说法，可译成「（因为骨头卡在喉咙里）说不出话来了」。（真的喉咙哑而不适，可以说have a frog in one's throat；因伤心等喉咙哽住了则可说have a lump in one's throat。）

所以原句可译成：他说他的喉咙说不了话了。

英语中还有一个类似的说法：have a bone in one's leg / arm，意思为腿 / 胳膊抬不起来了（动弹不了），其实也是不愿意去某地或做某事时的一个借口而已。

英语中有许多由「have something +在身体某部位」构成的成语，实际上是一种特殊的隐喻，很形象，有的能从字面上猜出其意思，有的则猜不出来， 但都值得玩味和学习使用：

• have a drop in one's eye有点醉

• have bags under one's eyes （因未睡好等而）眼袋下垂

• have roses in one's cheeks脸色红润（尤指女孩子）

• have eggs on one's face丢丑，丢脸

• have the gallows in one's face 长着一副不得善终的脸相；

• have eyes at the back of one's head / neck有高度警惕性（能眼观六路）

• have a hole in one's head 胡涂，缺心眼儿

• have rocks in one's head 愚蠢，没有判断力

• have a maggot in one's brain 想法离奇

• have a flea in one's ear 遭拒绝，碰钉子

• have a plum in one's mouth 讲话的样子像上层社会的人

• have a spark / cowweb in one's throat 口渴

• have a worm in one's tongue 爱吵架

• have an ox on one's tongue 受贿而缄口

• have a soft place in one's heart (for somebody or something) 喜爱，有好感

• have a turkey on one's back 醉酒或吸毒成瘾

• have a wolf in one's stomach 饿极了；have butterflies in one's stomach （做某事前）感到紧张

• have bats in one's belfry 显得古怪，精神失常

• have sand in one's craw 有勇气，有胆量