不鸣则已一鸣惊人（地道英语表达）

A: Tom set the whole country by the ears with his discovery.

约翰的发明震惊了全国。

B: He is really terrific!

他真行。

A: He was very clever when he was a boy.

他小的时候就非常聪明。

【对话精讲】

set by ears

此语源于一个斗狗的故事。有两个好事之徒以狗打架赌博，就分别揪住狗的耳朵让它们相斗。转义为“使人争吵，使人不和”，还可以表示“因新发现而引起轰动或使人震惊”之意。

释义1：使人争吵，使人不和

e.g.During his short stay, Philip set us all by the ears.

菲利普在这时短期逗留期间，搬弄是非，搞得大家不得安宁。

e.g.They got on well enough together until the question of promotion set them all by the ears.

他们原来一直相处得很好，后来提职一事引起了他们之间的不和。

e.g.Uncle always seems to set the family by the ears.

叔叔好像总是使一家人不和。

e.g.She set the whole neighborhood by the ears.

她使四邻不和。

释义2：使人震惊，一鸣惊人

e.g.He seemed a very lively young man, certain of his own abilities and eager to set people by the ears.

看来他是个非常活跃的青年，对自己的能力十分自信，且急于一鸣惊人。

e.g.He set the whole city the ears with beating the champion.

他击败了冠军而一鸣惊人。