【英语习语】

black sheep of the family

【习语注释】

该习语中的字面意思是“（绵羊）家族中的黑绵羊”，用来喻指“a disreputable or disgraced member of a family”，即“声名狼藉的家庭成员”，相当于汉语里的“害群之马；败家子；不肖子孙；家族败类”。

【习语运用】

Don't be surprised that he doesn't want to take over father's business; he's always been the black sheep of the family.

别惊讶他不想接管父亲的生意，他一直是家里的败家子。

Aunt Susan became the black sheep of the family after she went to prison for tax evasion.

苏珊姨妈因逃税入狱之后就成了有辱门楣的害群之马。

Poor tom, who is always the black sheep of the family, always in disgrace.

可怜的汤姆，他是这一家人的不孝之子，总让人看不起。

【闲话习语】

该习语作为消极含义的用法，首次使用出现在一个从英国来到美国的清教徒Thomas Shepard，他在教文《The Sincere Convert》（1640年）曾经这么写道：

"Cast out all the Prophane people among us, as drunkards, swearers, whores, lyers, which the Scripture brands for blacke sheepe, and condemnes them in a 100. places."

那么，你还知道英语里“害群之马”的其它说法吗？欢迎留言探讨。