美国习惯用语-第299讲:骑虎难下棘手
<p>我们今天要学的习惯用语都围绕一个关键的词: <span word="bear">bear</span>。我们要学的第一个习惯用语是: <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bear">bear</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tail">tail</span>。<span word="bear">bear</span>是大家熟悉的动物。它粗大笨重而且性情暴烈。在荒山野林碰上大熊你一定会赶快躲得远远的，如果有人斗胆去揪大熊尾巴，那真不亚于拉老虎胡子；简直就是把自己送给大熊去抓咬。那时候真是抓也不是，放也不是。所以 <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bear">bear</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tail">tail</span>生动形像地描绘出一种尴尬棘手、骑虎难下的局面。</p><p>我们接下来要给大家听个例子。说话的人在解释他一个朋友怎样好心给姐妹俩劝架，结果反而惹火烧身，给自己招来了麻烦。</p><p>例句1: <span word="All">All</span> <span word="Joe">Joe</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="sisters">sisters</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="ended">ended</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bear">bear</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tail">tail</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="mad">mad</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="him">him</span>. <span word="Joe">Joe</span>只不过想劝说他的两姐妹别再争吵了，但是到头来他自己反倒卷入了纠纷，成了众矢之的。全家人都生他的气，甚至谁都不理睬他。</p><p>从这个例子可见<span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bear">bear</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tail">tail</span>和中国成语骑虎难下意思相仿，解释不明智地陷入困境。</p><p>在美洲的荒山野林里，熊可算是最大也最危险的野兽了。一百五十多年前很多初来美国的居民还处在砍伐森林开辟农场的创业阶段，要吃到肉食就得去打飞禽走兽。他们通常用的是双筒猎枪。如果是打兔子或者鸟儿之类的小动物，只要装上一枪膛的小铅丸就行，但是要是他们发现附近的森林里有熊出没的话，要对付得了熊，他们就得在枪膛里装上有份量的子弹。这就是: <span word="loaded">loaded</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="bear">bear</span>。这里<span word="loaded">loaded</span>是子弹上膛的意思，当然<span word="loaded">loaded</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="bear">bear</span>就是为对付熊而子弹上膛的意思。换句话说是为了制服大熊而作好充分准备。这种拓荒生活在美国早已成为过去，但是<span word="loaded">loaded</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="bear">bear</span>却沿用至今，保留在日常会话中，只是意思不再限于为了对付熊而子弹上膛。</p>
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