文/肖福寿
古人所说的“飞禽莫如鸪，走兽莫如兔”是有道理的，因为“兔”在中华文化中占据了显著地位，隐含着深厚的文化蕴意。
可以说，“兔”的影子在中华文化中随处可见，至少表现在以下几个方面。其一，兔乃瑞兽，祥瑞之征兆。据古书《瑞应图》记载：“赤兔大瑞，白兔中瑞”，宋书《符瑞志》也记载道：“王者德盛则赤兔现，王者敬耋则白兔现。”难怪乎，我国民间有正月初一“挂兔头”以示镇邪禳灾的习俗，京津地区有敬拜“兔儿爷”以求吉祥的习俗。其二，兔乃生育之神，象征多子多产。据晋代张华在《博物志》记载：“兔望月而孕，自吐其子”，此句暗含了兔子超强的繁殖力。其三，兔乃寿星之化身，尤其是纯白玉兔。据葛洪在《抱朴子》记载：“兔寿千岁，五百岁其色白。”其四，兔与月亮之间存在千丝万缕的联系，与“兔”相关的词语成为了月亮的别称或代名词，脍炙人口的神话故事“嫦娥奔月”与“玉兔捣药”当中就有兔的身影。其五，兔与文学艺术也结下了不解之缘，如《诗经》中有《兔爰》，元代杂剧有《白兔记》，欧阳修著有《白兔》，秦观著有《放兔行》，鲁迅先生著有《兔和猫》，《孙子兵法》有“动如脱兔”之说，《淮南子》有“兔子走火如马则追风逮日”之说，《三国演义》有“马如赤兔，关公千里走单骑”之说，屈原在《楚辞·天问》中有“夜光何德，死则又有？厥利维何，而顾兔在腹？”之说，李白在《古朗月行》中有“白兔捣药成，问言谁与餐？”之说，辛弃疾在《满江红·中秋》中有“著意登楼瞻玉兔”之说。其六，“兔”存在于无数汉语词语、成语、俗语、谚语中，如“兔魄”“守株待兔”“兔子不吃窝边草”“兔子拉犁——心有余而力不足”，等等。由此可见，“兔”已深深扎根于中华文化。
2023 年，是中国农历癸卯年，即民间生肖纪年的兔年。在这兔年来临之际，让我们重新检阅一下汉英词典中一些与“兔”相关的表达法，聊作一种新年之乐吧。
本文的语料主要选取陆谷孙教授主编的《中华汉英大词典》，均为该词典的编纂者自以为迻译尚有特点的与“兔”有关的表达法，其目的在于与广大读者共享并敦请广大读者质疑与指谬。
一、二字表达法
白兔 1.white rabbit 2. moon
冰兔 moon
蟾兔also蜍兔 /chú -/ 1.[Chin Myth] the toad and the jade rabbit on the moon 2.[Chin Myth] the jade rabbit on the moon 3. moon
雌兔 doe
待兔 (to stand by a stump waiting for more hares to crash into it) to trust to chance and windfallssee守株待兔 /shǒu zhū - -/
当兔 shaft between two sideboards (of carriage)
伏兔 1. squattingorlurking hare: 上覆飞鸟, 下不见～ with birds hovering above,no rabbit was seen lurking on the ground 2. squatting hare [device between bottom board and axle of a carriage]3. [Chin Med] futu, squatting hare [acupoint of the stomach meridian of foot-yangming(足阳明), located on the line connecting the anterior superior iliac spine and the superior border of the patella, 6 cun (寸)above the patella]
跟兔 attendant, footman (of a pimp)
家兔 domestic rabbit
蹇兔 lame rabbit
金兔 (gold hare) moon
罝兔 1. to catch a rabbit with a net 2. rabbit trapped in a net 3. conduct of a virtuous person
灵兔 [Chin Myth] jade hare [on the moon]
牡兔 buck
踆兔 moon
守兔 to aim high and bide one’s time
霜兔 white rabbit
跳兔 [Zool] jumping rabbit, jump-ing hare,pedetid [long tail, short front legs, long hind legs, either black or white]
兔楮 writing brush and paper
兔蛋 male prostitute
兔管also兔翰 /- hàn/ writing brushsee毛笔 /máo bǐ/
兔毫 rabbit’s hair writing brush
兔褐 1. cloth made of rabbit hair 2. brownish yellow
兔灰 grey (colour)
兔简 1. writing brush and paper 2. writings
兔角 non-existent thing
兔径 small path: 独徘徊～ pace up and down the small path alone
兔窟 1. warren; rabbit burrow 2.abbr狡兔三窟 /jiǎo - sān -/
兔鬣 1. rabbit hair 2. writing brush
兔笼 rabbit hutch
兔轮 moon [another name for 月亮 /yuè liang/]
兔毛 1. rabbit hair 2. tender tea leaves
兔目 1. rabbit’s eyes 2. new leaves of Chinese scholartree [shaped like rabbit eyes]
兔魄 moon [another name for 月亮 /yuè liang/]
兔阙 [Chin Myth] palace on the moon
兔肉 rabbit
兔丝 [Bot] Chinese dodder,Cuscuta chinensis[the seeds of which are used in Chinese medicine]see菟丝子 /- - zǐ
兔脱 to flee (like a rabbit)
兔眼 [Med] hare-eyed; lagopht-halmus; lagophthalmos
兔颖 writing brush made of rabbit hair
兔影 1. shadow on the moon 2. shadow cast by moonlight
脱兔 1. fleeing hare 2. fastsee动如脱兔 /dòng rú - -/
夕兔also瑶兔 /yáo -/ moon
野兔 hare; rabbit
阴兔 moon
玉兔 (jade hare) moon [from the legend that a white hare lives on the moon]
雉兔 1. pheasant and rabbit 2. to hunt pheasants and rabbits
逐兔 1. to chase a rabbit 2. to fight for the throne: 万人～ myriads of people scramble for the throne 3. to lead a leisure and comfortable life
坠兔 setting moon: ～收光 the moon has set
走兔 to wield a brush; to writeorpaint with a brush
二、三字表达法
电动兔 rabbit [figure of a rabbit sped mechanically along a dog track’s edge as an object of pursuit ]
兔捣碓 [Chin Myth] the rabbit’s pestle [in which the “rabbit in the moon” (月中兔 /yuè zhōng -/) grinds medicinal herbs]
兔耳花also兔子花 /- zi -/ [Bot] cyclamen;Cyclamen persicum
兔翻花 romping; skipping; hopping
兔化法 [Biochem] lapinization
兔毛尘 (particle of dust on a rabbit’s hair) microscopic; minute
兔毛呢 rabbit hair fabric
兔女郎 bunny girl [young nightclub waitress whose costume includes the tail and ears of a rabbit]
兔儿爷 1. Turye [rabbit-shaped clay figure,popular during the Mid-autumn Festival]2. catamite
兔热病 [Med] rabbit fever; tulare-mia
兔崽子 1. brat 2. s.o.b 3. catamite
兔 子 鞋 1. rabbit’s shoes 2. to run away fast [used after “to wear” ( 穿 /chuān/)]
养兔场 rabbitry; rabbit warren小兔子 bunny
玉兔毫 1. soft long hair of white hare 2. radiance of the moon 3.brush pen
三、四字表达法
白兔赤乌 1. (white rabbit and red raven) the moon and the sun 2. time
得兔忘蹄 (to forget the rabbit net after catching the rabbit) to forget the circumstances behind one’s success; to be ungrateful
东兔西乌 (the moon rises in the east and the sun sets in the west) time elapses without ceasing
动如脱兔 (like a rabbit when moving) nimble, agile (of one’s movements)
龟毛兔角 (tortoise growing hair and rabbit growing horns) 1. omen of war 2. impossible thing; sth in name only
狐死兔泣 (when the fox dies the rabbit weeps) to have sympathy for fellow creatures
见兔放鹰 (to release the hawk upon seeing the rabbit) 1. to chase immediate interests 2. to take measures in time 3. [Budd] to teach appropriately to the spiritual capacities of the audience
见兔顾犬 (to call for one’s dog upon seeing the rabbit) to take immediate action to save the situation
狡兔三窟 (a wily rabbit has three exits to its burrow) a crafty person has several ways out of a predicament
惊猿脱兔 (startled monkeys and fleeing hares) to be startled and run away quickly
狼奔兔脱 (to dash like wolves and flee like rabbits ) to dash pell-mell;to flee helter-skelter: 那帮匪徒～，如入无人之境 the bandits went on a rampage as if they were in no man’s land
目兔顾犬 (to call the hound after seeing the hare) to remedy in time
犬兔俱毙 both parties perish together; both end in common ruin
狮子搏兔 (like a lion pouncing on a hare; not stint the strength of a lion in wrestling with a rabbit) to go all out or use all one’s might even when fighting a weaker opponent or handling a minor matter; to use a lot of strength to perform a small feat
势若脱兔 (to dash like a fleeing hare) sharp and swift when attacking the enemy
守株待兔 (to stand by a tree stump waiting for another hare to come by and dash itself against it) to wait for gains without pains; to trust to chance and windfalls; to do nothing but wait for a stroke of luck: 那个失业者～，等待机会 the jobless man did nothing but wait for his chance
兔 角 龟 毛 (rabbit’s horns and turtle’s hair) nonexistent things
兔 角 牛 翼 (rabbit’s horns and bull’s wings) unreasonable things
兔毛大伯 rich villager; rustic man of property
兔脑痘苗 [Vet] neurovaccine
兔起凫举 (fleeing like a rabbit and hurtling like a wild duck) quick; swift
兔起鹘落 1. (as soon as the hare rises, the falcon swoops) bold (of brush strokes) 2. quick; nimble
兔起乌沉 the moon rises and the sun sets
兔儿奶奶 wife of Turye （兔儿爷）
兔丝燕麦 (Chinese dodder and oats) in name only; in name but not in reality
兔死狗烹 (when the hare dies the dogs are killed and boiled) trusted aides are eliminated after they have outlived their usefulness
兔死狐悲 (when the rabbit dies the fox mourns) like grieves (mourns,feels) for like: ～，物伤其类 the fox will mourn when the rabbit dies, and all creatures grieve for their own ilk
兔 头 蛇 眼 (rabbit’s head and snake’s eyes) crafty-looking
兔头兔脑 stupid-looking; like a dumbhead
兔走乌飞 (hare running and crow flying) how time flies
脱兔之势 (with the momentum of a fleeing hare) sharp and swift
乌飞兔走 (crow flying and hare running) how time flies
逐兔先得 the leader in the hunt gets the quarry
四、五字及五字以上表达法
不见兔子不撒鹰 (to refrain from releasing the hawk without seeing the hawk) not to take untimely action
赶两只兔子，一只都捉不着 if you run after two hares, you will catch neither
狐死则兔悲，兔死则狐亦悲 when the fox dies, the rabbit mourns;when the rabbit dies, the fox also mourns
狡兔死，良狗烹 (after the crafty rabbit is killed, the hound is cooked) past services are soon forgotten
静如处女，动如脱兔also静若处子,动若脱兔 /- - - zǐ - - - -/ (like a maiden when still and like a rabbit when moving) to have the know-how to cope with circumstances; to know when to take proper action: 他能做到～吗？does he have much savvy about inaction and action?
没有黄狼的地方，兔子也摆架子 (even the rabbit will put on airs where there is no yellow weasel)when the cat’s away, the mice will play
宁可守株待兔，不可缘木求鱼 (better wait at a tree stump for a hare than climb a tree to catch fish)better wait for a windfall than adopt a wrong and fruitless approach
狮子搏兔，亦用全力 (even a lion will exert itself when fighting with a hare) to handle trifling matters seriously;to spare no effort in dealing with small problems
兔耳形室内天线 rabbit ears
兔毫无优劣，管手有巧拙 (there is no good or bad writing brush,but there is a skillful or clumsy hand)good calligraphy pivots on the skill of the calligrapher
兔眼乌饭树 [Bot] rabbiteye
兔子不吃窝边草 (a rabbit does not eat the grass near its burrow) an evildoer does not harm his neighbours;a criminal never commits crimes near home
兔子回头，凶似虎 (a rabbit which turns is as fierce as a tiger) even the meek will turn and fight when overly oppressed
兔子急了，还咬人 (even a rabbit will bite people when desperate)even the meek will revolt when pushed too far; even a worm will turn
兔子驾不了辕 (a rabbit can never be harnessed to a carriage) don’t ask the weak or incapable to shoulder heavy responsibilities
兔子靠腿，狼靠牙——各有各的谋生法 (rabbits live off their fast legs, and wolves off their sharp teeth) every creature has his own way of making a living
兔子满山跑，还得回老窝 (a rabbit may run all over the hills but will still return to its burrow in time)everyone will return home sooner or later
兔子尾巴长不了 (a rabbit’s tail cannot be long) won’t last
的确，汉语中与“兔”有关的表达法实在太丰富了，诸如“打个兔子喂鹰——好处给了别人”“打兔子碰见了黄羊——捞了个大外快”“打着兔子跑了马——得不偿失”“饿狼扑兔子——抓住不放”“蛤蟆追兔子——差得远”“猴子笑兔子尾巴短——彼此彼此”“黄鼠狼背兔子——力不从心”“活剥兔子——扯皮”“开春的兔子——成群结队”“老虎皮，兔子胆——色厉内荏”“老母猪追兔子——上气不接下气”“媒人的嘴，兔子的腿”“敲锣撵兔子——起哄”“青蛙望玉兔——有天地之别”“秋天的野兔子——撒欢”“水牛追兔子——有力使不上”“套马杆子逮兔子——瞎胡闹”“兔儿生儿——不走正路”“兔子成精比老虎厉害”“兔子的腿——跑得快”“兔儿吹笛子——嘴不严”“兔死犬饥”“兔子掉进海里——不是时髦（湿毛）的事”“兔子逗老鹰——没事找事”“兔子跟着汽车跑——望尘莫及”“兔子跟着月亮跑——沾光”“兔子和老鹰打架——找死”“兔子驾辕牛打套——乱套了”“兔子进虎穴——白送死”“兔子看人——红眼了”“兔子拉车——连蹦带跳”“兔子拉犁——心有余而力不足”“兔子撵乌龟——赶得上”“兔子跑到麻地里——横竖都是躺”“兔子跑到羊群里——小而精”“兔子群里一只象——庞然大物”“兔子上树——赶急了”“兔子生耗子——一窝不如一窝”“兔子逃跑——不回头”等表达法的英文翻译，更待我们共同探索。
