Raining cats and dogs
含义: Raining very heavily
This venerable idiom describes torrential rain with deliberate absurdity—the mental image of cats and dogs tumbling from the sky captures the chaos and intensity of a true downpour. While now somewhat old-fashioned compared to 'bucketing down' or 'chucking it down,' it remains universally understood and often used with a nostalgic or playful tone, particularly when speaking to children.
例句
- It's raining cats and dogs. 在下倾盆大雨Está lloviendo a cántaros土砂降りだ비가 억수같이 쏟아지고 있어.
- Raining cats and dogs out there. 外面在下大雨Diluviando ahí fuera外は土砂降り밖에 비가 억수같이 내려.
- Started raining cats and dogs. 开始下大雨了Empezó a llover a mares土砂降りになってきた비가 억수같이 쏟아지기 시작했어.
- It's been cats and dogs all day.下了一整天大雨Ha estado diluviando todo el día一日中土砂降りだ하루 종일 폭우야.
发音
/ˈreɪnɪŋ kæts ænd dɒɡz/
用法指南
语境: rain, weather, idioms
语气: descriptive, idiomatic
✓ 正确说法
- Raining cats and dogs.倾盆大雨Llueve a cantaros土砂降りだ비가 억수같이 내린다.
- It's raining cats and dogs.外面下着倾盆大雨Esta lloviendo a cantarosものすごい雨が降っている비가 억수같이 쏟아지고 있어.
- Cats and dogs out there.外面雨下得很大Fuera esta diluviando外はすごい大雨だよ밖에 비가 엄청나게 내려.
✗ 错误说法
- May sound overly quaint to younger speakers—modern alternatives like 'bucketing down' feel fresher对年轻人来说可能听起来太老派——'bucketing down'等现代替代词更新鲜Puede sonar demasiado anticuado para hablantes jóvenes—alternativas modernas como 'bucketing down' suenan más frescas若い人には古臭く聞こえるかも——「bucketing down」などの現代的な表現の方が新鮮젊은층에게는 너무 촌스럽게 들릴 수 있음—'bucketing down' 같은 현대적 표현이 더 신선함
- Don't explain the idiom literally—everyone knows cats and dogs aren't actually falling不要从字面上解释这个习语——每个人都知道猫和狗并没有真的在下No explicar el modismo literalmente—todos saben que los gatos y perros no caen realmente文字通りの説明はしない——猫と犬が実際に降っていないことは誰でも知っている관용구를 문자 그대로 설명하지 말 것—고양이와 개가 진짜 떨어지는 게 아닌 건 누구나 알고 있음
常见错误
- Overusing it when more casual expressions like 'chucking it down' would sound more natural
- Non-native speakers sometimes say 'raining dogs and cats'—the order is always cats first
起源与历史
First recorded in Jonathan Swift's 1738 work 'A Complete Collection of Polite and Ingenious Conversation.' The origins are hotly debated: one theory suggests dead animals washed through streets during heavy 17th-century storms; another points to thatched roofs where animals sheltered and could fall through in storms. Some scholars link it to the Greek 'cata doxa' (contrary to expectation) or Norse mythology, where Odin's wolves represented wind and witches' cats symbolized rain.
词源: Origin disputed, 17th century
最早记录: 17th century
文化背景
Era: 17th century onwards
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Pop culture: Classic idiom; Language learning examples
Regional notes: Universal classic idiom. Origin widely debated.
变体
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