徒劳,白费力,无益的追求
看到短语“a wild-goose chase”,很让人想到那句歇后语“竹篮打水 —— 一场空”,意思是说,您忙活了半天,到最后一无所获,等于做了无用功。
就字面意而言,“(很难)追上一群大雁”确实符合现实情况。词源学家认为,“a wild-goose chase”(无益的追求)最早起源于赛马。 早在16世纪,所谓的“赛马场”是茂密的森林。赛马比赛规定,骑手们须在森林中紧追一匹“头马”,头马性格暴烈,奔跑时毫无路线规律可循。在追“头马”的过程中,很多骑手往往独陷林中,找不到归路。再加上这种赛马的阵形以“一马带路、群马尾随”为特色,与群雁飞翔颇为相似,人们就戏称当时的赛马为“a wild-goose chase”。 随着时间的推移,“a wild-goose chase”的比喻意“白费力,徒劳无益的追求”逐渐被人们采用。看下面两个例句: You're led on a wild goose chase if you are going to look for an apartment in the papers.(如果你指望通过报纸找到公寓,那是白费劲。) He's asking us to fund a wild goose chase.(他让我们掏钱做赔本的买卖。)
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