179.给某人袋子
[词语]to give sb. the sack
[含义]解雇某人;开除某人;叫某人滚蛋
[趣释]【物事喻指】18世纪60年代英国工业革命时期,许多原来的小作坊发展成工厂,需要招收大批工人。由于工厂的劳动分工更加合理、更加精细,劳动工具也在不断改进,不断趋于专业化,一些工厂主要在雇工时要求工人自带劳动工具。工厂主在解雇工人时往往发给他袋子,让他提着自己的工具走人。于是,“给某人袋子”(to give sb. the sack)喻指解雇某人、开除某人、叫某人滚蛋。同出一源的还有成语“得到袋子”(to get the sack)①。英国作家威廉·梅克比斯·萨克雷(William Makepeace Thackeray)在其小说《悲惨华丽的故事》(A Shabby-Genteel Story)中就引用了这条成语。
[运用]The short way would have been…to have requested him immediately to quit the house; or, as Mr. Gann said, “to give the sack at once…” 最简单的办法就是立刻叫他搬出去;或者照甘先生的说法:“立刻叫他滚出去”……(萨克雷语)
If you are late again the boss will give you the sack. 如果你再迟到,老板就会解雇你。
They made him pay for his offence by giving him the sack. 他们解雇他是因为他的过错而受此惩罚。
If the foreman catches you lying down on the job, he'll probably give you the sack. 要是工头撞见你磨洋工,他很可能把你解雇。
①参阅347.拿回袋子。