| Change log entry 71348 | |
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| Processed by: | richwarm (2021-01-27 23:05:13 GMT) |
| Comment: |
<< review queue entry 66667 - submitted by 'vermillon' >> 500P has this nice phrase which I can't beat. The idea is that if someone sees you stealing the pole (something probably of little value), they'll assume you've stolen the donkey, and you'll get punished for that. The story there is interesting: https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/340931588.html ------------------------------------------ Editor: "get caught holding the bag" implies that you were involved with others, and they abandoned you, leaving you to take the blame for something. In the "500 Proverbs" examples, someone does get the blame somewhat unfairly, but they have not been abandoned by the others (because they were never involved with them in the first place). So although "left holding the bag" is nice and pithy, it differs from the Chinese expression in a crucial way. The following story of the saying's origins reinforces the notion that, in general, the one who is blamed has no connection with the main culprits. “人家牵驴你拔橛”的由来 这句俗语可能来源于某个历史时代的农村某地曾经发生的一个故事; 橛,这里指栓牛的短木桩.也叫橛子.牛在橛子上栓着,一个偷牛的把牛缰绳解开后顺手把牛牵走了.这时又来了一个人,看着那儿有个光秃秃的橛子,也顺手想把它拔掉.于是,他动手拔了起来.就在此时此刻,牛的主人正好赶到这儿,看到不见了牛,而那个人正拔着他栓牛的橛子.这下好了,所以他一步向前,就抓住那个人,并一口咬定牛是被他偷的. 拔橛的人吃了一场哑巴官司.这就是''人家偷牛你拔橛''一语的来源.显然这是一个幽默的悲剧故事.后来引伸为一个人不了解情况,容易盲目的掉入陷阱,造成不应有的尴尬或受到不应有的损失.它还叫''人家牵驴你拔橛.'' |
| Diff: |
# 別人牽驢你拔橛子 别人牵驴你拔橛子 [bie2 ren2 qian1 lu:2 ni3 ba2 jue2] /someone stole the donkey so you took the pole (to which the donkey was attached) (idiom)/fig. to get caught holding the bag/ # + 別人牽驢你拔橛子 别人牵驴你拔橛子 [bie2 ren5 qian1 lu:2 ni3 ba2 jue2 zi5] /lit. someone else stole the donkey; you only pulled up the stake it was tethered to (idiom)/fig. you're the least culpable, but you're the one who gets the blame/ + 人家牽驢你拔橛 人家牵驴你拔橛 [ren2 jia1 qian1 lu:2 ni3 ba2 jue2] /see 別人牽驢你拔橛子|别人牵驴你拔橛子[bie2 ren5 qian1 lu:2 ni3 ba2 jue2 zi5]/ |