the lion and the unicorn
/ðə ˌlaɪən ən ðə ˈjuːnɪkɔːn/
/ðə ˌlaɪən ən ðə ˈjuːnɪkɔːrn/
- two animals that appear on the British royal arms (= a special royal symbol). The lion represents England, and the unicorn, an imaginary animal like a horse with a long horn on its forehead, represents Scotland. There is a traditional children's nursery rhyme about the lion and the unicorn, which may have its origin in old conflicts between the two countries: “The lion and the unicornWere fighting for the crown;The lion beat the unicornAll round about the town.”
英国皇家徽章上出现的两种动物(=特殊的皇家标志)。狮子代表英格兰,而独角兽是一种想象中的动物,像一匹前额长角的马,代表苏格兰。有一首关于狮子和独角兽的传统儿童童谣,可能起源于两国之间的旧日冲突:“狮子和独角兽争夺王冠;狮子打败独角兽,围绕着小镇。”