习语可以是一个词或短语，要理解习语的意思不能脱离其文化背景。习语一词的含义甚广，其蕴含的意义往往不能从词或词组的字面意思推测而得。习语在所有语言中都很常见。英语习语是日常英语的重要组成部分。在英语的书面语和口语中，存在海量的习语。
儒琴今日习语（Idiom of the Day）
whistle past the graveyard
英语解释
To whistle past the graveyard is to pretend to be happy or unconcerned when you are worried or should be worried.
The meaning of whistle in the dark is similar: pretend to be brave or confident when you are afraid or uncertain.
In American idiom, “whistle past the graveyard” has two meanings. It can mean an attempt to appear fearless in a dire situation; to proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome. It can also mean to enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.
中文解释
whistle past the graveyard 字面意思是：吹着口哨穿过墓地。引申为：当一个人实际上害怕或紧张时，他的行为或说话好像很放松，不害怕；当你害怕或不确定的时候，假装勇敢或自信；夸夸其词；自欺欺人的态度
在美国习语中，“whistle past the graveyard”有两个意思：1）它可以指试图在可怕的情况下表现得无所畏惧; 继续一项任务，无视即将到来的危险，期待一个好的结果 2）它也可以指进入一种情况，很少或完全不知道可能的后果。
原文举例
That has never been anything more than a weak — and easily debunked — excuse for not standing up to Trump’s erratic and irresponsible behavior. That whistle-past-the-graveyard attitude is typified by this now-infamous quote from an anonymous Republican official to The Washington Post in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election.
这只是一个软弱的——而且很容易被揭穿的——借口，用来逃避面对特朗普反复无常和不负责任的行为。2020年大选结束后，一名匿名的共和党官员在接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时引用了这句现在臭名昭著的话，体现了这种玩忽职守自欺欺人的态度。
Democrats are literally preaching to the choir when they should be annihilating the opposition. What we face in November is an existential threat, not an argument about who gets which puppy. And worse, our candidates are simply whistling past the graveyard when they say that they can deliver on their policies. In fact, they’re lying to us.
这些民主党人是在白费唇舌，民主党本该消灭反对派。我们在11月面临的是一种生存威胁，而不是关于谁该得到哪只小狗的争论。更糟糕的是，当我们的候选人说他们能实现他们的政策时，他们简直是在夸夸其词。事实上，他们在对我们撒谎。
