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(guó)食品質(zhì)量報(bào)》、《中華工商時(shí)報(bào)》等4家報(bào)社的個(gè)別記者因涉嫌以新聞報(bào)道為名向基層單位和群眾敲詐財(cái)物，已于日前被捕。
請(qǐng)看《中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)》相關(guān)報(bào)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(bào)道中的blackmail與extort互為近義詞，可以解釋為：“敲詐；勒索”。
Blackmail原指“進(jìn)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(zhǎng)們進(jìn)貢的“財(cái)物”。隨著時(shí)間的推移，“貢品”開(kāi)始慢慢演變?yōu)椤袄账髦铩被颉袄账鳌?。舉個(gè)例子：He
tried to use the sexual scandal to blackmail the mayor.（他想利用性丑聞來(lái)敲詐市長(zhǎng)。）
另外，順便提一個(gè)與black相互搭配的詞組--black sheep，指我們常說(shuō)的“敗家子”。
(英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津陳蓓編輯）
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