blackmail: 敲詐 [ 2006-05-16 13:30 ]
下面這則新聞不大光彩,給新聞出版行業(yè)抹黑了:《中國食品質量報》、《中華工商時報》等4家報社的個別記者因涉嫌以新聞報道為名向基層單位和群眾敲詐財物,已于日前被捕。
請看《中國日報》相關報道:Four Chinese journalists have been arrested
for allegedly blackmailing
companies and citizens. The suspects, who have also been fired from
their posts, worked at correspondent offices for four national newspapers based
in Beijing.
報道中的blackmail與extort互為近義詞,可以解釋為:“敲詐;勒索”。
Blackmail原指“進貢之物”,指早期生活于蘇格蘭邊境的居民為防止海盜搶劫,向有影響力的酋長們進貢的“財物”。隨著時間的推移,“貢品”開始慢慢演變?yōu)椤袄账髦铩被颉袄账鳌薄Ee個例子:He
tried to use the sexual scandal to blackmail the mayor.(他想利用性丑聞來敲詐市長。)
另外,順便提一個與black相互搭配的詞組--black sheep,指我們常說的“敗家子”。
(英語點津陳蓓編輯)
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