2008年美國總統大選的時候，奧巴馬的一句“你就算給豬涂上口紅，它也還是只豬”曾經引起選民的廣泛爭議，同時，也讓lipstick on a pig這個出現于上世紀二十年代的習慣用語重新回到人們的口中，一時間，lipstick on a pig成了美國人民很愛用的一個短語。

Have you ever tried to 'dress up' something unappealing in a vain attempt to make it look better? For instance, that tired old sofa is still looking tired, even though you've put a 'luxury throw' on it, and that ugly concrete yard is still a concrete yard, even though you've adorned it with a couple of pot plants. These attempts to make something unpleasant look more attractive which, despite our best efforts, are decidedly unsuccessful, are classic examples of lipstick on a pig.

你有沒有曾經“精心裝扮”一個看著很不入眼的事物想讓它好看一點，結果發現所有努力都是徒勞？比如，就算你在那個破舊的沙發上鋪了一個“奢華的布蓋”，它看上去還是那么破舊；還有那個難看的水泥地小院子，并沒有因為你傾心擺了幾個盆栽就變得美麗宜人。所有這些傾盡力量想要把難看的事物變得更加美好，但結局注定失敗的行為都是“給豬涂口紅”的典型例證。

In fact the idea of vain attempts at converting something from ugly to attractive, as intended by use of lipstick on a pig, is similar to that of the famous old proverb “You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear”, which dates back to the mid-16th century.

其實，“給豬涂口紅”跟16世紀中葉很有名的一句諺語“母豬的耳朵做不成絲綢錢包”表達的意思差不多，都比喻想要把丑陋的事物變美好而做的無用功。

相關閱讀

突然一陣“太陽雨”monkey’s wedding

不容忽視的elephant in the room

像chalk and cheese一樣“相差甚遠”

做一只墻上的蒼蠅（a fly on the wall）

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）

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