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今年是鼠年，在汉语中老鼠口碑不佳，关于老鼠的成语数以百计，几乎都带有贬义色彩，例如，胆小如鼠、鼠目寸光、首鼠两端、鼠肚鸡肠、抱头鼠窜等，人们常用这些成语形容一些人胆小怯懦、目光短浅、犹豫不决、心胸狭窄、狼狈不堪等不良品质。老鼠在英语中对应的是mouse和rat，两者在英语中的习语也很多，通过总结这些习语，可以窥见老鼠在西方国家所代表的文化内涵。
1.as poor as a church mouse 一贫如洗，赤贫的
It?蒺s impossible for you to borrow money from him, for he is as poor as a church mouse. 他一贫如洗，你不可能从他身上借到钱。
2.as quiet as a mouse 不声不响，非常安静
I?蒺m wondering why Tom was just sitting there as quiet as a mouse.我搞不懂汤姆为什么不声不响地坐在那里。
3.as timid as a mouse 胆小如鼠
He was as timid as a mouse in real life, andhis cowardice caused his wife to divorce him. 在现实生活中，他胆小如鼠，使得妻子离开了他。
4.to play(a game of ) cat and mouse(with somebody) 玩猫戏老鼠的把戏，欲擒故纵
The police have played cat and mouse with the thief. 警察对小偷采用的是欲擒故纵的策略。
5.mickey-mouse无关紧要的，微小的
We?蒺re talking about a respected organization here—not some mickey-mouse outfit.我们正在讨论一个很重要的组织，并不是一个微不足道的机构。
6.to look like a drowned rat（湿的）像落汤鸡，浑身湿透
I had to cycle home in the rain and came in looking like a drowned rat. 我不得不冒雨骑自行车回家，结果回来淋成落汤鸡。
7.smell a rat 感觉不对劲，感到可疑
She smelled a rat when she phoned his husband at the office where he was supposed to be working late and he wasn?蒺t there. 他丈夫本该在加班，但她往办公室里打电话他却不在，她便觉得不对劲。
8.a rat race卑鄙、激烈的竞争（尤其为保住职位或地位）
Jim was the winner in a rat race, and he was promoted to be the director of the marketing department. 吉姆在激烈的竞争中胜出，他被提拔为市场部主任。
9.rat-arsed 酩酊大醉的，烂醉的
He came home totally rat-arsed last night. 昨天晚上他回到家的时候已完全烂醉如泥。
10.a pack rat 囤积狂，收集一大堆自己不需要的东西的人
I was listening to my wife ask me about my fifteen-year-old collection of comic books and I realized I am a pack rat. 当在听我妻子打听我15年收集的连环画书时，才意识到自己是囤积狂。
11.like a rat in a hole 瓮中之鳖，陷于绝境
Saddam was caught like a rat in a hole. 萨达姆已成瓮中之鳖被捉。
12.to die like a rat被毒死
He would rather take his chances and flee than die like a rat, choking on poisonous gas and ash. 他宁愿孤注一掷逃离而不在毒气中窒息而死。
13.a rat fink 卑鄙之人，下贱之人（尤指告密者）
If I find the rat fink who informed on me, he will be punished. 如果给我找出哪个卑鄙小人出卖我，他会受到惩罚的。
英语中mouse与rat在基本意义上存在着一定的差别，从以上习语可以看出，两者所代表的比喻意义也存在较大差异，人们常用mouse比喻胆小怕羞的人，而用rat表示卑鄙之人，言而无信的、狼狈不堪的人，有明显的贬义色彩。与汉语中老鼠所代表的意义相比，存在着一定的共性，都带有贬义色彩，都有胆小怯懦、狼狈不堪等含义，但在两种语言中也存在较大差异，在汉语中可以用老鼠形容人目光短浅、犹豫不决，在英语中，可以用rat来形容人卑鄙下贱，两者的不同之处也反映了中西文化的差异。
1.as poor as a church mouse 一贫如洗，赤贫的
It?蒺s impossible for you to borrow money from him, for he is as poor as a church mouse. 他一贫如洗，你不可能从他身上借到钱。
2.as quiet as a mouse 不声不响，非常安静
I?蒺m wondering why Tom was just sitting there as quiet as a mouse.我搞不懂汤姆为什么不声不响地坐在那里。
3.as timid as a mouse 胆小如鼠
He was as timid as a mouse in real life, andhis cowardice caused his wife to divorce him. 在现实生活中，他胆小如鼠，使得妻子离开了他。
4.to play(a game of ) cat and mouse(with somebody) 玩猫戏老鼠的把戏，欲擒故纵
The police have played cat and mouse with the thief. 警察对小偷采用的是欲擒故纵的策略。
5.mickey-mouse无关紧要的，微小的
We?蒺re talking about a respected organization here—not some mickey-mouse outfit.我们正在讨论一个很重要的组织，并不是一个微不足道的机构。
6.to look like a drowned rat（湿的）像落汤鸡，浑身湿透
I had to cycle home in the rain and came in looking like a drowned rat. 我不得不冒雨骑自行车回家，结果回来淋成落汤鸡。
7.smell a rat 感觉不对劲，感到可疑
She smelled a rat when she phoned his husband at the office where he was supposed to be working late and he wasn?蒺t there. 他丈夫本该在加班，但她往办公室里打电话他却不在，她便觉得不对劲。
8.a rat race卑鄙、激烈的竞争（尤其为保住职位或地位）
Jim was the winner in a rat race, and he was promoted to be the director of the marketing department. 吉姆在激烈的竞争中胜出，他被提拔为市场部主任。
9.rat-arsed 酩酊大醉的，烂醉的
He came home totally rat-arsed last night. 昨天晚上他回到家的时候已完全烂醉如泥。
10.a pack rat 囤积狂，收集一大堆自己不需要的东西的人
I was listening to my wife ask me about my fifteen-year-old collection of comic books and I realized I am a pack rat. 当在听我妻子打听我15年收集的连环画书时，才意识到自己是囤积狂。
11.like a rat in a hole 瓮中之鳖，陷于绝境
Saddam was caught like a rat in a hole. 萨达姆已成瓮中之鳖被捉。
12.to die like a rat被毒死
He would rather take his chances and flee than die like a rat, choking on poisonous gas and ash. 他宁愿孤注一掷逃离而不在毒气中窒息而死。
13.a rat fink 卑鄙之人，下贱之人（尤指告密者）
If I find the rat fink who informed on me, he will be punished. 如果给我找出哪个卑鄙小人出卖我，他会受到惩罚的。
英语中mouse与rat在基本意义上存在着一定的差别，从以上习语可以看出，两者所代表的比喻意义也存在较大差异，人们常用mouse比喻胆小怕羞的人，而用rat表示卑鄙之人，言而无信的、狼狈不堪的人，有明显的贬义色彩。与汉语中老鼠所代表的意义相比，存在着一定的共性，都带有贬义色彩，都有胆小怯懦、狼狈不堪等含义，但在两种语言中也存在较大差异，在汉语中可以用老鼠形容人目光短浅、犹豫不决，在英语中，可以用rat来形容人卑鄙下贱，两者的不同之处也反映了中西文化的差异。