盛氣凌人
[ 2008-12-03 16:52 ]
為了防止馬在行走或奔跑時(shí)滑倒,馬的主人通常會(huì)在馬蹄上釘上凸起的防滑釘(roughshod)。但是如果一個(gè)人不小心,被裝了鐵釘?shù)鸟R蹄踏到或踢到,后果不堪設(shè)想,所以古代很多國(guó)家的騎兵隊(duì)為了作戰(zhàn)需要,都會(huì)將馬蹄做成尖銳凸出的外緣,希望在交戰(zhàn)時(shí)割傷敵軍的馬匹。幾次實(shí)戰(zhàn)下來(lái),這種鐵釘馬蹄確實(shí)讓敵方馬匹受傷慘重,但萬(wàn)馬奔騰,場(chǎng)面不易控制,因此往往也會(huì)傷到己方的戰(zhàn)馬,后來(lái)就不再采用這種作戰(zhàn)方式。而ride roughshod over這句成語(yǔ)卻一直沿用到現(xiàn)在,用來(lái)形容一些人顧盼自雄,以一種自大傲慢的態(tài)度對(duì)待別人。
例如:
They thought they were only dealing with a little girl and, therefore, could ride roughshod over her. But that was a big mistake. They should not dare to have heisted her had they learned in the first place that she is a black belt in karate.
他們本以為她只是個(gè)小女孩兒,因此可以完全不把她放在眼里。但這可大錯(cuò)特錯(cuò)了。如果他們事前知道她已經(jīng)是空手道黑帶,肯定就不敢搶劫她了。
此外,這個(gè)短語(yǔ)還可以用來(lái)形容“踐踏法律”,如:
They are riding roughshod over the Basic Law。
他們的行為踐踏了基本法。
(實(shí)習(xí)生 許雅寧編輯)
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