Reader question:
Please explain “firing line” in the following:
Europe is worried about the increase of obesity in children over the last years. The fast food industry is in the firing line, especially due to the tactics they employ in the advertising aimed at children.
My comments:
The fast food industry uses all sorts of tricks in their advertisements to lure children to their junk.
Food, I mean.
And in Europe, when people begin to worry about the increase of obesity in children, the fast food industry naturally becomes the target for criticism.
That’s why the fast food industry is said be “in the firing line”, where it’s exposed to enemy gunfire – or metaphorically verbal attack (criticism) from opponents.
“Firing line” is originally a military term. In the past, when the primary weaponry was rifles, soldiers marched in what is called formations of neatly arranged rows.
Soldiers walking in the first or front row were in the firing line. That is, when it was time to open fire at the enemy, soldiers in the front raised their rifles and shot. Needlessly to say, these soldiers were also exposed to gunfire from the enemy. If one soldier in the front row got killed or hurt, the soldier in the second row stepped up and joined the other soldiers in the front row to shoot. Then he was in the firing line.
Hence, metaphorically people who are described as “in the firing line” are exposed to danger, usually criticism for being responsible for some wrong doing.
In the example from above, the fast food industry being “in the firing line” means they’re held responsible for getting children fat.
And rightly so, if you ask me.
Anyways, here are two media examples:
1. A coalition of 40 Scottish charities has called for a radically simplified and “fairer” welfare system.
The Scottish Campaign on Welfare Reform (SCoWR) urged politicians to back five key reforms on benefits.
These include raising the basic level of support by £100 a week and urgently reviewing sickness benefit.
John Dickie, of the Child Poverty Action Group, said people currently had to jump through “impossible hoops to claim meagre benefits”.
The SCoWR has outlined the reforms in its own manifesto published ahead of the forthcoming general election...
The document claimed many people were struggling to feed and clothe themselves on the current level of basic benefits, at about £65 a week...
The new rules mean even those with a terminal illness can now be required to attend often "pointless and humiliating" interviews, according to SCoWR.
Citizens Advice Scotland said it was clear that services were “in the firing line” of politicians looking to make spending cuts.
- Call for ‘fairer’ welfare reform, BBC.co.uk, March 29, 2010.
2. Martin Gore from Depeche Mode isn’t generally the sort of person who has much to do with video games. This week, however, his name is popping up all over the place in the gaming media, and we’re sure even he’s confused as to why.
Simply put, Mr. Gore, along with actress Winona Ryder, is being subpoenaed to testify in a lawsuit against publishers of World of Warcraft. This is the fourth (and allegedly ‘final’) games-related court case filed by American gamer Erik Estavillo.
Prior to this, Mr. Estavillo has taken Sony to court, after he was banned from Resistance: Fall of Man for “inappropriate behaviour”. More recently, Microsoft were in the firing line, due to the “undue stress” he suffered after his Xbox 360 started showing the dreaded Red Ring of Death. Nintendo didn’t miss out either, with their suit arriving after the 4.3 Wii firmware update disabled the console’s Homebrew Channel.
This time around, Activision Blizzard are in trouble for “deceitful business practices” because characters in World of Warcraft move too slowly, meaning gamers have to spend large amounts of time travelling from place to place. Faster transportation is only achieved once a player has levelled up, or once they fork out for an expansion pack. Obviously, both of these options are all part of a clever ploy to generate more money from subscriptions – and Mr. Estavillo would like a million bucks as an apology.
- Activision Blizzard sued: WoW takes too long,Gamepron.com, November 28, 2009.
英语美文欣赏:A beautiful song
精美散文:让我们撩起生命的波纹
浪漫英文情书精选:Good Morning早上好
精选英语美文阅读:你见或者不见我(中英对照)
26个英文字母蕴含的人生哲理
英语美文30篇系列之21
英语美文:生命这个奇迹
精美散文:爱你所做 做你所爱
浪漫英文情书精选:Don't Give Up不要放弃
浪漫英文情书精选:My Everything我的一切
浪漫英文情书精选:Could This Be Real?这是真的吗?
爱情英语十句
精选英语散文欣赏:一棵小苹果树
英语美文:A Psalm of Life 人生礼颂
浪漫英文情书精选:Need You With Me需要你爱我
人生哲理:年轻无悔 别停下追寻梦想的脚步
浪漫英文情书精选:Is It Love?这是爱么?
精选英语美文阅读:A Friend's Prayer 朋友的祈祷
浪漫英文情书精选:My Heart And Soul我的灵魂
精选英语美文阅读:饶孟侃《呼唤》
精选英语美文阅读:爱的奇迹 Keep on Singing
双语美文欣赏:孤独人生
英语美文:一双丝袜(有声)
精选英语美文阅读:一封未发出的英文情书《但是你没有》
英语名篇名段背诵精华27
生命可以是一座玫瑰花园
精美散文:守护自己的天使
英语美文:越长大越孤独(双语)
态度决定一切 Attitude Is Everything
如果生命可以重来(双语)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |