小A前段时间把手机给丢了,她很郁闷,于是逢人就说这个遭遇。搞得大家现在都管她叫“祥林嫂”。像她们这样不断跟人重复同一件事的行为其实跟总是不断重复转动的车轮很相似,所以,她们说的话有时也被人称为“车轱辘话”。
A typical hamster wheel
Hamster wheels are exercise toys used by hamsters and other rodents. Most of these toys are composed of a runged wheel held on a stand by a pair of stub axles. Hamster wheels allow rodents to run even when their space is confined.
Hamster wheel(仓鼠转轮)是专供仓鼠及其他啮齿类小动物消遣的玩具。这种转轮大部分都是将一个横梯式的转轮用一对转轴固定在一个底座上。有了这样的仓鼠转轮,小动物们就算在狭小的空间里也能跑动起来。
To hamster wheel something, in this sense, means to talk continuously about a problem or regret without coming up with a solution or resolution.
由此引申得出,to hamster wheel something(像仓鼠转轮那样说一件事)意思就是不断重复某一个问题或者对某事表示遗憾,却无任何成效,也就是我们平时说的“车轱辘话来回说”。
For example:
It's not helpful that Jane keeps hamster wheeling about her latest break-up.
简老跟人说她最近分手的事,其实一点用都没有。
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(中国日报网英语点津 Helen)