"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" nghĩa là gì?

Photo courtesy Alex Barton.

'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth' = đừng săm soi mồm con ngựa được tặng. Cụm từ này xuất xứ từ việc khi đi mua ngựa, người ta thường vạch mồm con ngựa để xem răng, lợi con ngựa, nếu lợi tụt xuống sâu tức là con ngựa đã già v.v...; vì thế cụm từ này ý nói đừng chê bai, soi xét mòn quà bạn được tặng, hãy biết ơn/cảm kích (don't inspect a gift to make sure it matches some standard you have, just be grateful!).

Ví dụ
It is usually churlish (thô bỉ, mất dạy, hạ đẳng, tiện dân), as Michael Gove pointed out on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, to look a gift horse in the mouth. So the news, procured by Mr Gove in an interview, that Donald Trump will look favourably on a trade treaty with Britain, and that he wants to conclude it speedily, should be welcomed.

Far be it for Mr. Total Depravity here to be a beacon of hope, but perhaps we should just shut up listen to nana when she taught us “never look a gift horse in the mouth.” I know it seems unlikely, but perhaps Graham simply saw how overtly anti-Israel the UN’s latest actions are and decided to act on his courage of conviction?

Phạm Hạnh

Tags: phrase

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