VOA慢速英語:詞匯掌故：選擇

詞匯掌故：選擇

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

現(xiàn)在是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目。

Making choices is necessary, but not always easy. Many of our expressions tell about this difficulty.

做出選擇是必要的，但它不總是一件容易的事情。有很多短語都談及了這種選擇的艱難。

One of these expressions is Hobson’s choice. It often is used to describe a difficult choice. But that is not what it really means. Its real meaning is to have no choice at all.

其中的短語之一就是Hobson’s choice(霍布森的選擇)。它經(jīng)常被用于描述一項(xiàng)艱難的選擇。但那并不是其真正含義。實(shí)際上它是指根本沒有選擇。

The Hobson in the expression was Thomas Hobson. Mr Hobson owned a stable of horses in Cambridge, England.

短語中的提到的霍布森是指托馬斯·霍布森(Thomas Hobson)?；舨忌壬谟鴦驌碛幸粋€馬棚。

Mr Hobson often rented horses to the students at Cambridge University. But, he did not really trust them to take good care of the horses. So, he had a rule that prevented the students from riding his best horses. They could take the horse that was nearest the stable door. Or, they could not take any horse at all.

霍布森先生經(jīng)常把馬匹租給劍橋大學(xué)的學(xué)生。但他實(shí)際上并不相信學(xué)生們會善待他的馬匹。所以他有一個規(guī)則來防止學(xué)生們騎他最好的馬。學(xué)生們只能選最靠近馬棚大門的馬匹，換句話說，學(xué)生們根本不能選擇任何馬匹。

Thus, a Hobson’s choice was really no choice.

因此，“霍布森的選擇”實(shí)際上是指別無選擇。

Another expression for having no real choice is between a rock and a hard place. It is often used to describe a difficult situation with few choices, none of them good.

另一個表示別無選擇的短語是between a rock and a hard place(進(jìn)退兩難)。它常用于形容一種選擇面小，且沒什么好選擇的困難局面。

For example, your boss may ask you to work late. But you have plans to go to a movie with your friends. If you refuse to work, your boss gets angry. But if you do not go to the movies with your friends, they may get angry. So what do you do? You are caught between a rock and a hard place.

例如，你的老板要求你加班到很晚。但你已經(jīng)計(jì)劃好和朋友們一起去看電影。如果你拒絕加班，老板會生氣。而如果你不去看電影，朋友們又會生氣。這時你該怎么辦呢?你陷入了進(jìn)退兩難。

Another expression, between the devil and the deep blue sea, also gives you a choice between two equally dangerous things.

另一短語，between the devil and the deep blue sea(進(jìn)退維谷)，表示在兩個同樣危險的事情之間做出選擇。

Its meaning seems clear. You can choose the devil and his burning fires of hell. Or, you can choose to drown in the sea. Some word experts say the expression comes from the days of wooden ships.

這個短語的含義顯而易見。你可以選擇惡魔和他燃燒著熊熊大火的地獄。或選擇淹死在海里。一些詞匯專家稱，這句話出自木船時代。

The devil is a word for a seam between two pieces of wood along the water-line of a ship. If the seam or crack between the two pieces of wood begins to leak, then a sailor must fix it. The sailor ordered to make the repairs was in a dangerous situation. He was hanging over the side of the ship, working between the devil and the deep blue sea.

這個短語中，魔鬼這個詞是指沿著船的吃水線的兩塊木板的接縫處。如果這個接縫或裂縫開始漏水，水手必須修好它。被命令去修理接縫的水手處于一種危險境地。他被吊在船的外側(cè)，在接縫處和大海之間工作。

There is still another expression that describes a situation with only bad choices, being on the horns of a dilemma.

還有一個語句，being on the horns of a dilemma(左右為難). 形容一種只有不好選擇的狀況。

The dictionary says a dilemma is a situation in which you must make a decision about two equally balanced choices. When your dilemma has horns, a choice becomes impossible. When you are on the horns of a dilemma, no matter which horn you choose, something bad will happen.

詞典解釋說，“Dilemma”是指必須就兩個均衡選項(xiàng)做出選擇的情況。一旦它“長出尖角”，你便無從選擇。當(dāng)你身處左右為難的境地(on the horns of a dilemma)，不管你怎么選擇，都將有壞事情發(fā)生。

注： 關(guān)于尖角的解釋：Dilemma是指2個均衡選擇。如果Dilemma長尖角，那就變成了公牛的2個牛角。想象一下當(dāng)你面對2個牛角，無論被哪個牛角傷 到，都是不好的結(jié)果。因此the horns of a dilemma就是指2個不好的選擇，不管你選哪個，結(jié)果都不好。