[字彙] Hobson's choice (n) 別無選擇

看板GRE (GRE入學考試)作者sovereignty (流汗大王)時間15年前 (2010/07/28 10:42)推噓1(1推 0噓 3→)

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大家最喜歡的聽故事時間又來了! Hobson 先生做了什麼事，產生了 Hobson's choice 呢? 聽了就知道! http://sovereignty.pixnet.net/blog/post/26716510 The Word of the Day for July 27, 2010 is: Hobson's choice \HAHB-sunz-choyss\ noun *1 : an apparently free choice when there is no real alternative 2 : the necessity of accepting one of two or more equally objectionable alternatives Example Sentence: Reportedly, Model T manufacturer Henry Ford once gave this Hobson's choice: "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." Did you know? In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Thomas Hobson worked as a licensed carrier of passengers, letters, and parcels between Cambridge and London, England. He kept horses for this purpose and rented them to university students when he wasn't using them. Of course, the students always wanted their favorite mounts, and consequently a few of Hobson's horses became overworked. To correct the situation, Hobson began a strict rotation system, giving each customer the choice of taking the horse nearest the stable door or none at all. This rule became known as "Hobson's choice," and soon people were using that term to mean "no choice at all" in all kinds of situations. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. allusion (n) 典故 objectionable (a) 令人不快的 (unpleasant or offensive) mount (n) 坐騎 (a horse that you ride on) (赤兔馬就是關公的 mount) -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 114.34.113.8