轻松日记商务职场篇217:背黑锅

 　　核心句型：

　　He has been left holding the bag.

　　他一个人背下了黑锅。

　　left holding the bag 是相当古老的习惯用语，从1760年起就流传了，但没有确切出典，有一种猜测是这里的bag可能是装赃款赃物的袋子，同伙听到了警报都走了，就剩拿着袋子的那个人被抓，人赃俱获。现在这个短语的意思是：“替别人背黑锅，或独自承担错误和罪责”。因此，当美国人说"He has been left holding the bag."时，他/她要表达的意思就是:"He has been made into a scapegoat¹."、"He has been unjustly blamed."、"He has been left to take full responsibility."。

　　情景对白：

　　Terry: How could the boss be so cruel to Jim? I feel really sorry for him.

　　泰瑞：老板怎么可以对吉姆这么无情？我真为他难过。

　　Benjamin: Yeah, me too. He has been left holding the bag.

　　本杰明：是啊，我也一样。他一个人背下了黑锅。

　　搭配句积累：

　　①It must be someone else that stole the key of the safe.

　　肯定是有其他人偷了保险柜的钥匙。

　　②He's accused of embezzling² funds from the company.

　　他被指挥擅自挪用公款。

　　③He can't be the leaker because he is a newcomer who knows nothing here.

　　他不可能是泄密者，他只是个新人，什么也不了解。

　　④He should have spilled his guts³.

　　他本应该说出实情的。

　　单词：

　　1. scapegoat n. 替罪羊

　　I don't deserve to be made the scapegoat for a couple of bad results.

　　我不应该为一些不好的结果顶罪。

　　She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence⁴.

　　她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。

　　2. embezzle⁵ vt. 盗用，挪用

　　One former director embezzled⁶ $34 million in company funds.

　　一名前主管挪用了3，400万美元的公司资金。

　　She insinuate⁷ to us that her partner have embezzle fund.

　　她旁敲侧击地指出她的合伙人盗用了资金。

　　3. spill one's guts 把知道的原原本本地说出来

　　Bcause I wanted to be a quiet listener when you wanted to spill your guts.

　　因为我想在你想倾诉的时候做一个安静的聆听者。

　　But that doesn't mean you should spill your guts out to your kids.

　　当然这并不意味着你应该对孩子们无所不言。

1 scapegoat   

n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊

参考例句：

• He has been made a scapegoat for the company's failures.他成了公司倒闭的替罪羊。
• They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.他们想叫我入伙，出了乱子，好让我替他们垫背。

2 embezzling   

v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Accordingly, object embezzling waste to be carried temporarily the schedule of administration. 因此，反对贪污浪费就提上了临时中央政府的议事日程。 来自互联网
• Some were sentenced for taking bribes, others executed for embezzling funds. 有的因受贿而被判刑，有的因侵吞公款而被判处死刑。 来自互联网

3 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 incompetence   

n.不胜任，不称职

参考例句：

• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。
• She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence. 她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。

5 embezzle   

vt.贪污，盗用；挪用(公款；公物等)

参考例句：

• I suppose they embezzle a lot.我想他们贪污了不少。
• The cashier embezzled $50,000 from the bank and ran away.银行的出纳盗用了五万美元，并且逃跑了。

6 embezzled   

v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The clerk embezzled a thousand pounds from the bank where he worked. 那个职员在他工作的银行里贪污了一千英镑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cashier embezzled ＄ 50,000 from the bank. 出纳员盗用了银行5万美元。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 insinuate   

vt.含沙射影地说，暗示

参考例句：

• He tried to insinuate himself into the boss's favor.他设法巧妙地渐渐取得老板的欢心。
• It seems to me you insinuate things about her.我觉得你讲起她来，总有些弦外之音。