口语:你找错人了(看走眼)
做事、看人,首先得找定目标。找目标很伤脑筋,找错目标更伤脑筋。汉语中,我们常戏谑看走眼的“他”:“找错人了”;英语中相应的说法是:He is barking at the wrong tree。
单凭字面意推其渊源,“to bark at the wrong tree”(在不该吠的树前狂吠)似乎与狗有联系。 据记载,该短语源于17世纪美国殖民地时期。当时的美洲人烟稀少,开发西部的拓荒者靠打猎为生。狩猎自然需要猎狗,不过,聪明的猎狗有时也会被猎物耍弄。比如,浣熊常常昼眠夜出,黑暗中它会误导猎狗,让其误以为自己躲在已经空了的树洞里。结果,猎狗对着错误的目标狂吠不已(to bark up at the wrong tree)。 随着时间的推移,“to bark up at the wrong tree”逐渐被公众所接受,借喻“精力或目标集中在错误的地方”。看下面一个例句: If you think I can come up with more money, you're barking up the wrong tree.(如果你指望我拿出更多的钱,那你找错人了。)
俗语: 前功尽弃,重新开始
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