In the news, Japan's new Prime Minister is facing the music for not coming back home in the evening.
"Since taking the helm a month ago," according to AP (Japan PM under fire over pricey nightlife, October 23, 2008), Taro Aso has spent all but four nights out on the town at posh bars and eateries."
"Aso's haunts include an upscale hotel bar where coffee is poured out at $15 a cup, and a ritzy restaurant where the plates of grilled eel start at $175 a serving."
And "the opposition has seized on Aso's nights on the town, claiming the 68-year-old political blueblood and scion of a wealthy family is out of touch with the people."
This comes, of course, "while much of Japan is grappling with deepening economic turmoil" as does America, where Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, has also been under fire for a handsome $150,000 lavished on her by the Republican party to dress her up. Half of the money, or $75,000, is said to have been done away with in one single shopping trip.
Now, the author of these pages is not bothered about Palin's wardrobe. Nor am I concerned about Aso's eel-eating in the company of geisha girls and to the music of Shamisen. And, hand on heart, there's little I can do about the world economy as a whole other than suffer through it with you lot, my dearest. Readers, you know me. I'm not concerned with any of that. What I'm concerned with is – and I have made sure that it is buried deep in text, haven't I? – why Aso, the Japanese leader, is called a blueblood?
All right. Take a look at the back of your palm and see if you canyou're your blood veins. If your skin is of a lighter complexion, you can spot them, greenish and blue. And that's actually where the term "blue blood", as in "blue blood runs in his veins" comes from. And it originally came from Spain.
From my archive of saved articles, I found this piece from The Hindu, India's national newspaper (February 11, 2003):
"Blue blood" is actually a translation of the Spanish term "sangre azul". At one time, the Moors (people of the Arab race) ruled over much of Spain. The Moors were dark complexioned and during the seven centuries that they ruled Spain, a lot of interracial marriages took place. But the Spanish aristocrats who lived in Castile did not intermarry with the Moors. As a result, they remained extremely fair and began to distinguish themselves from their rulers and fellow aristocrats by calling themselves "sangre azul". What they meant by this was that because of their very fair complexion, the veins in their arms looked blue. It was as if blue blood was running in their veins. How vain can one get!
Anyways, that is that. Blue blood stands for nobility and aristocracy. That's why Japan's opposition accused Aso of "being out of touch with the people." In other words, he is not one of the common folk.
Here are two more media examples of blue blood:
1. Ever since Ronald Reagan the right wing has been looking for a candidate whose conservative values mirror theirs. They thought George W. Bush was that person, but he turned out to be the most profligate spender ever in the history of the presidency, the man who oversaw the greatest wealth transference from government to private capital since 1776. Besides, unlike Palin, Bush 43 was to the manor born, a true Yale/Harvard blue blood. Palin's story, coming as she does from modest means, more closely parallels Reagan's - Main Street and small town American mythology come to life.
2. From a standing start, Tom Pakenham has built up a minicab firm with 80 vehicles in two years. Green Tomato Cars is a taxi firm with a difference, with its claim to be "London's first and leading environmentally-friendly private hire operator".
The Cambridge graduate, now 31, seemed to be on a very different course when he qualified as a solicitor and began working with blueblood law firm Slaughter and May. But he turned his back on convention, walked out of the rarified world of intellectual property, got himself a job minicabbing and sold his flat in Notting Hill, west London, to raise money for his new venture.
星巴克进行反歧视培训!8千家门店集体关门
外交部批美国的这句狠话怎么翻:“每次变脸都是对国家信誉的损耗”
体坛英语资讯:Yao Ming: I take all the responsibility for Chinas performance in FIBA World Cup
国际英语资讯:Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S. hold phone talks over DPRK-U.S. summit
国际英语资讯:Syria demands U.S. withdrawal from Tanf base ahead of deal in southern Syria
The Future Car 未来的汽车
国际英语资讯:Death toll rises to 104 amid protests across Iraq
Sports Meeting 运动会
娱乐英语资讯:Chinese production of Shakespeares comedy on Shanghai stage
Have each other's backs?
研究发现:维生素片大多没啥用 吃错还会致病
Scientists study dolphins' 'happiness' 科学家研究圈养海豚的“幸福度”
雇员抱怨后谷歌公司决定不续延军方合同
体坛英语资讯:Nadal leads 2-0 before rain spoils, Wawrinka crashes out from Roland Garros
世界无烟日:全球每年300万人因吸烟过早死亡
国内英语资讯:Across China: Bumper harvest on a young farmers canvas
为女犯请愿减刑,卡戴珊会见了总统川普
体坛英语资讯:Italy stuns China 3-1 in FIVB volleyball Nations League
体坛英语资讯:Portugal beat Serbia 4-2 in EURO 2020 qualifier
让皮肤科医生告诉你,防晒霜究竟能防晒多长时间
国内英语资讯:Track laying begins on Datong-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway line
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Turkey, U.S. agree on removing Kurdish fighters from Syrias Manbij
外国人的昵称都好奇葩啊,雷死我了哈哈
体坛英语资讯:Iran tops Philippines 95-75 to win Tokyo Olympic berth
2018年6月英语四级作文范文:网络教育
国内英语资讯:China, Germany should jointly help stabilize world amid unilateralism, protectionism: FM
国际英语资讯:Israeli war jets strike Gaza in response to rockets firing, no injuries reported
Paper Cutting 剪纸
国际英语资讯:Madagascar president nominates Ntsay as new PM
国内英语资讯:China Development Bank issues 20 bln USD of poverty relief loans
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |