中国网站品牌栏目（频道）
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Reader's question: Ever talk to yourself and end up talking yourself into a corner. Could you explain “talk oneself into a corner”？ This expression can best be understood if we break it up into two parts. First to be in a corner usually is not a good thing. Think of boxing. If one fighter is trapped in the corner it means he/she has little chance to escape and will continue to be hit. E.g. Brendan was on the ropes in the corner getting bashed by his wife – oww! Or imagine if in the thick forests of Canada a big brown bear traps you in a corner –and starts licking his lips - that’s not a good thing. Likewise if you talk yourself into a corner it means you have been conversing about something but have gone so far that you have contradicted yourself. E.g. During the live debate for the presidential election the candidate talked herself into a corner. First she criticized the present governor for his international diplomacy. Then during question and answer time she let it be known that she didn’t even have a passport and thought New Guinea was a suburb in New York. Alternatively, you may forever be saying how the government should spend more money on education or health but when it comes time for you to pay more tax you talk yourself into a corner by claiming too much government is a bad thing. Perhaps that’s one of the interesting things about circles, Buddhism and a Ying Yang style philosophy - there are no real corners. Related stories:
本文仅代表作者本人观点，与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题，尊重他人，禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。 以上讨论问题来自翻吧（translate.chinadaily.com.cn） |
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About the author: Brendan has taught at universities, high schools and primary schools in Japan,the UK, Australia and China. He is a Qualified Education Agent Counsellor and has extensive experience with International English Language Examinations. In the field of writing Brendan has been published in The Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, Inflight magazines and the Asia News Network. He can be contacted at brendanjohnworrell@hotmail.com. |
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