rain cats and dogs

English drawing from XIX century, PD

Origin:  One theory is that in old England, they had hay roofs on their houses and the cats and dogs would sleep on the roof. When it rained, the roofs got slippery and the cats and dogs would slide off of the roofs. There for it was "Raining Cats and Dogs".   Some believe the idiom "Rain Cats and Dogs" comes from the norse Mythology. Cats were believed to represent the wind and dogs represented rain. Different animals represented different weather and natural phenomenon. But probably the following is the most probable origin. In old England, when people cats and dogs died, they would simply throw them into the gutter or alley with the garbage. If a strong enough rain came through, it would flood the gutters and alleys to the point where all the dead cats and dogs would begin to float down the streets. Therefore very harsh rains were associated with cats and dogs. In the filthy streets of 17th/18th century England, heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals and other debris. The animals didn't fall from the sky, but the sight of dead cats and dogs floating by in storms could well have caused the coining of this phrase. The first appearance of the currently used version is in Jonathan Swift’s A Complete Collection of Polite and Ingenious Conversation in 1738:

"I know Sir John will go, though he was sure it would rain cats and dogs".

이 말은 오래 전  서양 중세시대부터 전해집니다.  당시 영국에는 초가집들이 많았고,  고양이나 개들이 그 초가 지붕에서 잤답니다. 그런데 비가 오면 미끄러져서 떨어졌다는 데서  이말이 유래 되었다고합니다.  또한 바이킹들이 사는 스칸디나비아가 중세 영국을 쳐들어 오면서 그 들의 말이 퍼졌는데요. 바이킹 문화에서는  동물들이 날씨를 상징하기도 했는데 고양이는 바람을 대표하고, 개는 비를 대표했다고 합니다. 확실한 것은 당시 영국의 도시들이 비 위생적이었다는것입니다. 고대의 상하수도 시설이 낡고 막혀서, 비가 오면 죽은 동물들이 둥둥 떠 다녔다고 하는데, ‘레인잉 캣츠앤 독스’이것을 표현한 말이 었답니다.

Dialogue:

         Paul) You better bring an umbrella, it’s going to rain cats and dogs out there.

                우산을 챙겨야지, 비가 많이 올거야

    Young) But it looks ok right now.

                지금은 괘챦은데.

        Paul) Look at the radar in the website. It’s already raining cats and dogs in Long Island.

                일기 예보를 봐. 롱 아일랜드은 이미 비가 억수로 오고 있어.

   Young) Wow, that’s serious. I shouldn’t drive when it’s raining cats and dogs like that.

                와우, 굉장한데. 나는 이렇게 비가 쏟아 지면 운전하지 않으래.

      Paul) yes, I think you’re right. Better to stay put and stay dry. It can wait ‘til tomorrow.

                그래, 집에 있어 내일해도 되지.

     

     Paul) Did you hear about the flooding in Seoul Korea? It’s raining cats and dogs over there.

                너 한국 서울소식들었니? 비가 많이 온데.

Young) I hear they had over 100 mm in an hour. Yep, that’s raining cats and dogs.

                시속 100mm가 왔데. 진짜 억수로 쏟아 졌네.

    Paul) It’s pretty unusual, it doesn’t normally rain cats and dogs like that.

                예상 밖이야. 보통이렇게 많이 오지는 않는데.

Young) It’s pretty wild. There are hundreds of submerged cars and basements.

                아주 심각해.  수많은 차들과 집들이 물에 잠겼어.

   Paul) Do you think global warming is making it rain  cats and dogs all over?

                지구 온난화가 이 많은 비를내리게 하는 걸까?

 

Young) Why isn’t the boss closing the office? It’s raining cats and dogs?

                사장님은 왜  회사를 출근하라고 하지?  폭우가 내리는데.

Paul)  When it rains cats and dogs like this, the traffic is impossible.

              이런 날씨에 운전은 불 가능해.

Young) I hear parts of FDR is already submerged.

         서쪽 도로는 이미 물에 잠겼어.

 Paul)  Of course, it always does when it rains cats and dogs like now.

                그럼, 이런 비에는 항상그래.

Young) I had to go home today too. When it rains, it pours.

                나도 좀 있으면, 폭우속에 집에 가야돼.