久久久无码人妻精品无码_6080YYY午夜理论片中无码_性无码专区_无码人妻品一区二区三区精99

 
 
 

Grasping at straws?

中國日報網 2014-08-22 11:34

 

Grasping at straws?

Reader question:

Please explain this passage, “grasping at straws” in particular:

New York Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel claimed President Barack Obama is “grasping at straws” by considering an alliance with Iran against ultra-violent Sunni Islamists threatening Baghdad.

My comments:

America and Iran are arch enemies. Now, President Barack Obama is considering working with Iran against Sunni Islamists in Iraq. Sunni Islamists are ultra-violent, of course. They’re currently the No. 1 threat to America trying to maintain peace and stability in Iraq, a country America invaded twice in order to, among other things, oust its dictator Saddam Hussein.

Saddam Hussein...

Oh, well, so much for geopolitics of the Middle East and America’s unceasing involvement as well as its unending trouble in this region.

Let’s get back to what it means when New York Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel claims Obama is “grasping at straws” by even considering an alliance with Iran.

It means, in short, that Engel doesn’t think it’s going to work.

And he thinks it’s a desperate measure, meaning the Obama Administration is desperate, trying to find anything that works.

The Obama Administration probably has tried everything, but none of it has worked. That’s why Barack Obama is accused of being at his wit’s end and therefore desperate.

Desperate is the word to best describe the situation where someone is grasping at straws.

Originally, you see, grasping at straws is the proverb that depicts a drowning man in the lake. What the drowning man wants to clutch in that situation is, of course, a large tree trunk to keep him afloat. But there are no tree trunks around. All he sees are straws, i.e. stems and stalks of thin wheat and rice and other crops.

These thin scattered straws are not going to help but the drowning man will snatch at them and hold onto them for, literally, dear life.

That’s the precise situation of the drowning man doing anything he can in order to save himself, even though none of it makes any logical sense.

Hence, figuratively speaking, grasping at straws is used to describe anyone who’s so desperate that he will do something, anything, to salvage a hopeless situation.

Got it?

Alright, let’s move promptly to media examples of people grasping or grasping at straws, trying to, hope against hope, extricate themselves from a hopeless situation:

1. Bill English is struggling under the pressure of his creaking economy that has the highest number of people out of work in 20 years, and wrongly claims the highest number of Kiwis ever are in work, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker.

“Bill English is struggling with the pressure of his stagnating economy. The facts are terrible. The highest unemployment rate since Jenny Shipley. The highest number of unemployed in 20 years. The Number of Kiwis in work down by 12,000 since March.

“But Bill English is ignoring the facts and today claimed there are ‘more New Zealanders in work than it has ever had’.

“That’s simply wrong. The number of Kiwis in work has dropped by 12,000 since March. He’s so desperate for good news he’s grasping at straws.

“Employment is down in both the Household Labour Force Survey and the Quarterly Employment Survey. There’s nowhere to find good news.

“Bill English is grasping for a good statistic. Sadly there isn’t one to be found due to his failing economic management.”

- Bill English: Grasping At Straws On Employment, Scoop.co.nz, November 8, 2012.

3. Mike D’Antoni was incredulous before the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday when asked why Kendall Marshall, acquired just more than a week ago, wasn’t getting more playing time at backup point guard.

“What do you think?” D’Antoni shot back to the reporter. “He’s not as good as X [Xavier Henry].”

“I understand that,” replied the reporter.

“Well, then why’d you ask the question?” D’Antoni said in return.

Marshall had played only 10 minutes total since the Lakers plucked him out of the D-League, appearing in two of L.A.’s four games since he joined the team. But Jordan Farmar returned from his left hamstring tear in the two games Marshall didn’t play, shoring up L.A.’s point guard situation with Farmar as the starter and Henry as the backup.

“He’s got to be better than the point guard we have out there, and X right now is doing a pretty good job,” D’Antoni said. “And the other thing he has going against him, I don’t know him. I’ve seen him play maybe two minutes. I don’t think we’re at the point where, ‘Oh, let’s experiment.’ Maybe when we’re going good, but we’re not going to lose games because I’m over here experimenting. I haven’t had time to see him and he’s trying to find his way in the league. He hasn’t established that yet. But we hope that maybe in garbage time in our favor, or something would happen that we’d get a look at him, but I just can’t just grasp straws.”

Something did happen, of course. Henry went out with a strained right knee in the first quarter and did not return.

- Rapid Reaction: 76ers 111, Lakers 104, ESPNLosAngeles.com, December 29, 2013.

3. On Monday, Jerry Sandusky and his attorney, Joe Amendola, will be given an opportunity to present a defense to the 52 counts relating to Sandusky’s alleged abuse of 10 boys over the past 15 years.

In his opening statement, Amendola indicated that Sandusky would be taking the stand in his own defense, and then last week the attorney filed a motion to have a psychologist testify about histrionic personality disorder, a personality characterized by inappropriate seductive behavior that Sandusky may be suffering from.

Sandusky, 68, has already proven to the nation that he is a disturbed man, admitting in a television interview with Bob Costas that he showers with boys. The idea that he could put forth any testimony that would be helpful in his defense seems farfetched. After a prosecution team put on a trial that was focused, chilling and displayed a legal acumen that impressed the criminal bar throughout the United States, Amendola is now apparently considering putting forth an insanity defense. However, an insanity defense requires a defendant to prove he has a basic inability to distinguish right from wrong. In Pennsylvania, the courts apply the M’Naghten Rule, which mandates a defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity if, at the time of the crime, the defendant was so deranged that he did not know the nature or quality of his actions or, if he did know, he was so deranged that he could not know what he was doing was wrong.

The problem with this kind of defense in Sandusky’s case is that his actions took place over 15 years and there has already been testimony that he wrote letters that could be considered apologies to his victims. Indeed, Sandusky purportedly told one victim’s mother that he was “sorry” and felt like killing himself for what he had done to the young boy. This testimony alone would seem to preclude any suggestion that Sandusky didn’t understand the nature or consequences of what he was doing.

Of course, Amendola also would now be arguing that Sandusky has a personality disorder that is highlighted by inappropriately seductive behavior after just last week trying to prove the alleged victims were all liars trying to extort money from Sandusky and Penn State. Indeed, in one horrifying exchange last week, one alleged victim being cross-examined by Amendola testified that Sandusky “ . . .treated me like a son in front of other people,” but also “. . . treated me like his girlfriend.”

It will be interesting to see whether we hear from Sandusky’s wife or children, who might be able to testify that they never heard the screams or saw the inappropriate behavior, as well as employees of Sandusky’s charity, who might be able to say they never saw anything that could be considered inappropriate. Or if Amendola will refer to the McMartin preschool case, in which a family who operated a preschool in California was charged with sexually abusing children in their care. Accusations were made in 1983, but after six years of criminal trials, no convictions were obtained, and all charges were dropped in 1990. Amendola could point out that the case is now viewed as part of day care sex abuse hysteria. Or if he will try to show a conspiracy among the victims to get money.

Those arguments could help mitigate some of the impact of what the jurors heard last week, but Amendola’s application last week to have a psychologist testify, presumably in the hopes of mounting an insanity defense, indicates the defense is grasping at straws.

- Jerry Sandusky and his attorney Joe Amendola appear to be grasping for straws in sex abuse defense, NYDailyNews.com, June 16, 2012.

 

本文僅代表作者本人觀點,與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題,尊重他人,禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

我要看更多專欄文章

About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

 

相關閱讀:

Character assassination?

Sharks were his pet project?

They have no legs to stand on?

Lion’s den?

Totem pole?

 

(作者張欣 中國日報網英語點津 編輯:陳丹妮)

 

上一篇 : Character assassination?
下一篇 : Faux pas?

 
中國日報網英語點津版權說明:凡注明來源為“中國日報網英語點津:XXX(署名)”的原創作品,除與中國日報網簽署英語點津內容授權協議的網站外,其他任何網站或單位未經允許不得非法盜鏈、轉載和使用,違者必究。如需使用,請與010-84883561聯系;凡本網注明“來源:XXX(非英語點津)”的作品,均轉載自其它媒體,目的在于傳播更多信息,其他媒體如需轉載,請與稿件來源方聯系,如產生任何問題與本網無關;本網所發布的歌曲、電影片段,版權歸原作者所有,僅供學習與研究,如果侵權,請提供版權證明,以便盡快刪除。

中國日報網雙語新聞

掃描左側二維碼

添加Chinadaily_Mobile
你想看的我們這兒都有!

中國日報雙語手機報

點擊左側圖標查看訂閱方式

中國首份雙語手機報
學英語看資訊一個都不能少!

關注和訂閱

本文相關閱讀
人氣排行
搜熱詞
 
 
精華欄目
 

閱讀

詞匯

視聽

翻譯

口語

合作

 

關于我們 | 聯系方式 | 招聘信息

Copyright by chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved. None of this material may be used for any commercial or public use. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 版權聲明:本網站所刊登的中國日報網英語點津內容,版權屬中國日報網所有,未經協議授權,禁止下載使用。 歡迎愿意與本網站合作的單位或個人與我們聯系。

電話:8610-84883645

傳真:8610-84883500

Email: languagetips@chinadaily.com.cn

久久久无码人妻精品无码_6080YYY午夜理论片中无码_性无码专区_无码人妻品一区二区三区精99

    日本黄色a视频| 亚洲污视频在线观看| 日本熟妇人妻中出| 中国 免费 av| 三级a在线观看| 大伊香蕉精品视频在线| 毛葺葺老太做受视频| 毛片av在线播放| 九九精品久久久| av动漫在线看| 国产欧美久久久久| 色天使在线观看| 国产一区亚洲二区三区| 欧美日韩视频免费| 亚洲在线观看网站| 国产精品入口免费软件| 精品欧美一区免费观看α√| 日本精品免费视频| 亚洲精品第三页| 激情五月亚洲色图| 日本毛片在线免费观看| 欧美一区二区视频在线播放| 天天成人综合网| 日韩中文字幕a| 日日碰狠狠躁久久躁婷婷| 国产玉足脚交久久欧美| 麻豆一区二区三区在线观看| 中文字幕国内自拍| 欧洲熟妇精品视频| 日本在线观看a| 国产a级一级片| 免费看日本毛片| 野外做受又硬又粗又大视频√| 国产美女视频免费| 国产不卡的av| 91欧美一区二区三区| 五月婷婷六月丁香激情| 国产又猛又黄的视频| 国产无套粉嫩白浆内谢的出处| 蜜桃传媒一区二区三区| 日韩网站在线免费观看| 国产免费一区二区视频| 久青草视频在线播放| 青青在线视频免费观看| 九一免费在线观看| 女同性恋一区二区| 欧美少妇一区二区三区| 日韩专区第三页| 老司机午夜网站| 天堂а√在线中文在线| japanese在线播放| 毛片av在线播放| 大地资源网在线观看免费官网| 国产免费一区二区三区四在线播放 | 久久久无码中文字幕久...| 国产999免费视频| 天天做天天干天天操| 性久久久久久久久久久久久久| 国产成年人视频网站| 午夜精品中文字幕| 在线播放黄色av| 日本三级中文字幕在线观看| 久久香蕉视频网站| 黄色大片在线免费看| 777米奇影视第四色| 国产成人无码一二三区视频| 91激情视频在线| 天天爽夜夜爽一区二区三区| 中文字幕亚洲影院| 日韩一二区视频| 国产不卡一区二区视频| 黄色一级视频片| 精品日韩久久久| 国产福利精品一区二区三区| xxx中文字幕| 日本手机在线视频| 国产精品69页| www.超碰97.com| 中文字幕日韩精品无码内射| 国产成人无码精品久久久性色| 国产精品久久久久9999小说| 91精产国品一二三产区别沈先生| 大桥未久一区二区三区| 日本在线xxx| 亚洲这里只有精品| 91九色国产ts另类人妖| 老太脱裤让老头玩ⅹxxxx| 日韩欧美在线免费观看视频| 2025韩国大尺度电影| 黄网站欧美内射| 亚洲国产高清av| 一级特黄妇女高潮| 国产av无码专区亚洲精品| 四虎成人在线播放| 妞干网在线视频观看| 三上悠亚av一区二区三区| 国产一级片91| 亚洲综合色在线观看| 国产在线观看欧美| 五月婷婷丁香综合网| 97超碰国产精品| 国产精品区在线| 国产欧美日韩网站| 波多野结衣国产精品| 日韩精品 欧美| 999久久久精品视频| 国产一区二区三区精彩视频 | 凹凸国产熟女精品视频| 天堂在线一区二区三区| 男女超爽视频免费播放| www.久久91| 北条麻妃69av| www.色.com| 92看片淫黄大片一级| 欧美少妇在线观看| 奇米影音第四色| 无码日本精品xxxxxxxxx| 精品久久久99| 日韩少妇内射免费播放| 三年中文高清在线观看第6集| 日韩网址在线观看| 天天爱天天做天天操| 超碰av在线免费观看| 少妇人妻在线视频| 五月天色婷婷综合| 色婷婷成人在线| 日韩人妻精品无码一区二区三区| 91免费国产精品| 激情文学亚洲色图| 日本老熟妇毛茸茸| 欧美 日韩 国产 高清| 国产尤物av一区二区三区| 午夜免费福利网站| 欧美国产日韩另类 | 亚洲五码在线观看视频| 日韩av卡一卡二| 国产男女激情视频| 国产免费黄色av| 日本福利视频一区| 亚洲爆乳无码精品aaa片蜜桃| 久久免费看毛片| 鲁一鲁一鲁一鲁一av| 成年人黄色片视频| 日韩免费毛片视频| 3d动漫一区二区三区| 男女啪啪免费视频网站| 国产情侣第一页| 国产精品国产三级国产专区51| 日本丰满大乳奶| 久久久久久久久久久久久国产| 国产三级生活片| 污污的视频免费| 五月婷婷深爱五月| 日韩一区二区三区不卡视频| 天天色综合天天色| 天天操天天爱天天爽| 天天综合网日韩| 中文字幕66页| 日韩av福利在线观看| 潘金莲一级淫片aaaaa免费看| 黄色片免费网址| 少妇熟女一区二区| 国产美女视频免费| 国产性生活免费视频| www.国产在线播放| 欧美日韩性生活片| 精品久久久久久久免费人妻| 国产激情在线观看视频| av无码精品一区二区三区| 8x8x最新地址| 日本在线播放一区二区| 中文字幕在线视频一区二区三区| 天天看片天天操| 1314成人网| 日韩国产成人无码av毛片| 欧美日韩精品在线一区二区| 欧美黄网站在线观看| 欧美一级裸体视频| 邪恶网站在线观看| 亚洲国产精品影视| 污污污污污污www网站免费| 国产男女免费视频| 久久九九国产视频| 在线观看国产福利| 永久免费看av| 男人添女人下面高潮视频| 欧美伦理视频在线观看| 别急慢慢来1978如如2| 欧美三级午夜理伦三级富婆| 天天操夜夜操很很操| 僵尸世界大战2 在线播放| 欧美视频第三页| 99视频在线观看视频| 美脚丝袜脚交一区二区| 成人在线观看a| 三级黄色片免费看| 色欲色香天天天综合网www| 中文字幕在线导航| 免费成人进口网站| 亚洲中文字幕无码不卡电影|