口语:“不要再费口舌了!”
想象一下,“拿棍子去打已经咽气了的马(to beat a dead horse)”会是什么意思?在论坛上看到了如下猜测:1)棒打落水狗;2)落井下石;3)死马当活马医。呵呵,很有道理的想象,不过,俚语瞎蒙不得。 “To beat a dead horse”出自古罗马戏剧,在喜剧大师Plautus(普劳图斯约B.C. 250-184)的剧作里,主人公狠命抽打一匹已经死掉了的马,希望能把“它”激活,让它站起来继续为主人托货物。试想,马都已经死掉了,你还想把它打活?除非有回天之术,否则,简直是“白费力气,枉做无用功”。这正是理解该片语的契机所在。 日常生活中,“to beat a dead horse”常用在如下语境:1)你试图去讨论没人感兴趣的旧事(炒冷饭);2)你试图说服对方改变已经做好的决定(白费口舌)3)你试图扭转已成定局的事态(徒劳无功)。 此外,“to beat a dead horse”也可写做“to flog a dead horse”。 看下面一个例句:
--"Dad, are you sure we can't get a new computer?" (“爸爸,你真的决定我们不再添新电脑了吗?”)
--"Son, we talked about this and the decision was 'no'. You are beating a dead horse."(“孩子,这事儿我们已经谈过了,答案是‘不添’。不要再白费口舌了。”)
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