请看外电报道:Two top U.S. senators on Tuesday proposed legislation to force the Bush administration to get tough on China over its currency while another pair of lawmakers sidelined a bill with a similar goal.
Less than two hours after the two senators launched their bill, Sens. Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham said they would delay until September 29 at the latest a vote on separate legislation to impose stiff tariffs on China for failing to address the yuan issue.
报道中的sideline颇富神韵,恰到好处地表达了参议员舒默和格雷厄姆的立场观点,即他们并不积极支持马上就这一“报复”性法案进行投票。
Sideline本是一个体育术语,指球场的“边线”或沿着边线的“界外区域”。如:The coach stood on the sidelines shouting to his players.(教练站在界外向他的运动员们吆喝。)很明显,“界外”的人不能参与其中,由此,sideline常和介词on连用--on the sidelines,表示“旁观”,sideliner则指“局外人;旁观者”。
Sideline做动词时,常指“运动员因伤而不能参加比赛”,如:She was sidelined with an ankle injury.(她因脚踝受伤而不能参加比赛。)由此,它也可延伸为“不参与”、“对某事持观望态度”或“不积极支持”。
另外,sideline还常表示"副业",如:I'm a teacher really; my writing is just a sideline.(我其实是个教师, 写作只是我的兼职。)
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