astorm in a teacup
这是18世纪法国哲学家孟德斯鸠的一句名言.有一次他听说圣马力诺发生了一场骚乱,就用了a storm ina tea cup这个比喻来形容整个事件.圣马力诺是欧洲最小的共和国,人口稀少,因此孟德斯鸠认为那里的骚乱对整个欧洲局势无关紧要.
If someone exaggerates a problem or makes a small problem seem far greater than it really is, then they aremaking a storm in a tea cup.
顾名思义,"茶杯里的风暴"自然算不得什么大事,所以就被用来表示"小题大做,大惊小怪"的意思.
例句:That coupleoften quarrel, but it is a storm in a tea cup.
那对夫妻经常吵架,没什么大惊小怪的.
Storm in ateacup是大惊小怪的英式英语表达,美式英语的说法是tempest in a teapot.此外,大惊小怪相似的说法还有:astorm in a cream-bowl,a tempest in a glass ofwater,a storm in a hand-washbasin.
