第518期：你替人背过黑锅吗？

Have you been thrown to the wolves?

你有没有替别人背过黑锅？或者被别人算计最终替别人挡了枪？如果有，今天要讲的这个成语就是给你讲的。

英语中有句这个意思的成语：throw someone to the wolves. 字面意思是被扔进狼堆。（画面惨不忍睹……）

简单解释，throw someone to the wolves的意思就是：

– allow somebody else to be criticized or attacked, often in order to protect one

– to sacrifice someone to save the rest

– to abandon someone to harm

– sacrifice someone, especially so as to save oneself

就是牺牲某个人，换来其他人的安全；或者让某个人承担所有后果和惩罚，目的是保护自己或其他人。

这个英语成语源自伊索寓言(Aesop’s fable)，原本讲的是一个女人吓唬孩子说再不听话就把你丢去喂狼。

我们小时候大概都听大人说过类似威胁我们听话的话。

除了throw to the wolves，这个成语还有几个变体，意思一样，还可以说throw someone to the dogs 或 throw someone to the lions. 丢去喂狼、喂狗、喂狮子，喂谁都活不了啊……

来看几个例句：

Our boss never hesitates to throw an underling to the wolves when something goes wrong in the office. 只要工作没做好，我们老板就会毫不犹豫地找个下属去背锅。

The investigation was going to be rigorous and unpleasant, and I could see they were going to throw someone to the wolves.

这次调查查得很严，我能看出来他们已经准备找人背锅了。

其实这个成语还有一个变体画面也很血腥：throw someone under the bus…

感谢你的阅读，明天见。