徒劳，白费力，无益的追求
<p>徒劳，白费力，无益的追求</p><p>看到短语“<span word="a">a</span> <span word="wild">wild</span>-<span word="goose">goose</span> <span word="chase">chase</span>”，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。</p><p>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，“<span word="a">a</span> <span word="wild">wild</span>-<span word="goose">goose</span> <span word="chase">chase</span>”（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“<span word="a">a</span> <span word="wild">wild</span>-<span word="goose">goose</span> <span word="chase">chase</span>”。 随着时间的推移，“<span word="a">a</span> <span word="wild">wild</span>-<span word="goose">goose</span> <span word="chase">chase</span>”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： <span word="You">You</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wild">wild</span> <span word="goose">goose</span> <span word="chase">chase</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="papers">papers</span>.（如果你指望通过报纸找到公寓，那是白费劲。） <span word="He">He</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="asking">asking</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fund">fund</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wild">wild</span> <span word="goose">goose</span> <span word="chase">chase</span>.（他让我们掏钱做赔本的买卖。）</p>
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