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发表于 2007-6-18 08:45:18
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Pig in a poke，装在袋子里的猪？这不禁让人联想起东郭先生和那只装在袋子里的狼。其实，这是一个俚语，表示“未经过目（或仔细看）而购进的货”。
Pig in a poke里的poke是对bag或sack的古称。几百年前，人们去集市时总是背着这种粗麻布或帆布制成的袋子。这样的袋子很结实，和超市里免费分发的塑料袋可是两回事，你就是像用它
背一头猪回家都没问题。
在14世纪的欧洲农产品集市上，一些狡猾的商人擅长在作交易时玩弄花招，如果你买东西时不仔细查看，最后装在袋子里背回家的货物就有可能令你大失所望。特别是在做大宗交易时，比如买一头活蹦乱跳的小乳猪，毫无道德的奸商难保不会趁买主不注意时偷梁换柱，当你气喘吁吁地把小猪背回家去，打开口袋看到的可能却是一只同样重量的野猫。因此有句话叫don't buy a pig in a poke，就是14世纪对购物者的忠告，后来它的含义渐渐扩展，警告人们在接触任何陌生的商品或观念时，都千万要小心谨慎，以防上当受骗。
此外，还有一个说法是“let the cat out of the bag”，聪明的你一定猜到是什么意思了吧！
（中国日报网站译）
May 26, 1999
pig in a poke
Steve Wiley wrote:
What is the origin of "pig in a poke"?
The expression pig in a poke is part of a very old proverb having various forms, usually something like "to buy [or sell] a pig in a poke."
This now somewhat obscure proverb depends on knowing what a poke is, since the poke in the proverb is no longer standard English, but is only found in some dialects. This poke means 'a bag; sack', and sometimes 'a purse or wallet'.
The proverb to buy a pig in a poke literally means 'to buy something which you cannot see' and thus 'to buy something whose true nature is unknown'. Recent example: "What did he [sc. President Bush] think about Ross Perot as a candidate for President? There's 'too much at stake, as we say here, to buy a pig in a poke'" (New York Times Magazine, 1992).
The poke in the proverb is unrelated to the verb poke 'to jab'. Our poke is from Old French, and is ultimately related to pouch and pocket. It is first found in the thirteenth century. Though it is common in Scotland and in the South and South Midland states of America, poke is rare or unknown elsewhere (apart from the common proverb).
The proverb is first recorded around 1300. It is paralleled by similar proverbs in other languages, such as French acheter chat en poche ("to buy a cat in a pocket") and German die Katze im Sack kaufen ("to buy a cat in a sack"). |
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