“遭破壞”或者“完蛋”,在英文中可以用go to pot來表達(dá),go to pot按照字面上來解釋,意思是“去鍋里”,跟“完蛋”等有什么關(guān)系呢?
以下有兩種解釋:一種解釋是:人們煮肉類或者其它食物時(shí),一般都會(huì)先把它切碎,然后放進(jìn)鍋里,所以,go to pot有“被切碎,遭破壞”的意思。
另一種解釋是:從前有一個(gè)裁縫,每逢看見送葬隊(duì)伍從門口經(jīng)過的時(shí)候,就會(huì)把一塊石頭放進(jìn)鍋里。最后,輪到別人給他送葬的時(shí)候,有人就說:He has gone to the pot.
無論哪一種解釋是正確的,go to pot現(xiàn)在一般都不是用來指“切碎食物”或者“被別人送葬”了。Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English對go to pot的解釋是這樣的:to become ruined or worthless, esp. from lack of care(尤指因缺乏照管遭到破壞;完蛋)
例如:
The British Empire is going to pot.
大英帝國快要完蛋了。
He worked so hard that his health went to pot.
他工作過勞,結(jié)果犧牲了健康。
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