英语俚语天天说 第59期:白费口舌beat a dead horse

 　　释义：

　　To bring up an issue that has already been concluded;提出一件一件结束的事情 something that's considered to be pointless. 做没有意义的事情；

　　来源：

　　This phrase may originate with horse racing¹, 这个词组最早来源于赛马比赛。where horses are sometimes "beaten" by their riders to get them moving faster. 比赛中马被骑手赶着以跑的更快。Depending on the rules, a jockey usually has access to a riding crop, which is sorta like a miniature whip, 根据规则，骑手可以手持一个短马鞭 and this is used to slap the horse on the thigh².这个马鞭用来击打马的屁股。 The horse responds either by running faster, or not at all if it's too tired.马就会因此跑的更快，或者因为太累而根本没有反应。

　　While there is much controversy³ involved with how race horses should be treated, 与此同时，如何对待比赛的马儿也人们也很有争议；the purpose of "beating" horses during a race is to make them go faster. 击打马儿的目的是让他们跑的更快On the other hand, if the horses were dead, then there wouldn't really be much of a or point in beating them. 另外一方面，如果马儿死了，那么打他们就没有什么意义了。Thus, the pointlessness of beating a dead horse would eventually go on to apply to other things.所以慢慢地，去拍打一个死马也被慢慢地用来指代做没有意义的事情；

　　举例：

　　1.I hate to beat a dead horse, but it is very important that you understand this before you leave.

　　我不想多此一举。但你离开以前必须了解这个。

　　2.Why do you insist on beating a dead horse by bringing up these ancient problems of ours?

　　你为什么总是翻旧账呢？

1 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

2 thigh   

n.大腿；股骨

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。
• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。