High horse
High是高,horse是马,high horse是什么?显然不是高大的马。
这又是一个典型的idiom——分开来每个单词大家都认识,合在一起估计没几个人能猜对。它的定义:haughty attitude: an attitude of arrogance and haughty disregard for others. 形容某人骄傲蛮横,可以说be on one’s high horse或get on one’s high horse。比如:
I can’t stand Peter. He’s always on his high horse. (我受不了Peter。他总是目中无人、自命清高。)
The minute you start arguing, you get on your high horse. You just can’t help yourself, can you? (只要一开始争论,你就会摆出一副高高在上的样子,好像跟你意见不同的人都是傻子似的。你就是控制不了你自己,对吧?)
当然,有上自然有下,所以叫某人省省、别摆臭架子,可以说get off one’s high horse。比如:
You know I’m right! Get off your high horse and admit your mistake! (你知道我是对的。放下架子承认错误吧!)
另外再提两个比较常用的贬义词——holier-than-thou和self-righteous。两者都是“傲慢,自认为品格高人一等”的意思。换句话说,凡是在high horse上的家伙,都有holier-than-thou/self-righteous的态度问题。(Thou是you的文言文,所以holier- than-thou就是holier than you,意思一目了然。)
December 11th, 2005 at 7:42 pm
Thanks for your sharing. I got a lot of stuff from it.
I was looking for an alternative way of haughty yesterday, and I got it here.
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