white elephant

每日一詞---white elephant

沒錯，就是white elephant~~相信很多人都會納悶，想說白色大象到底有什麼特殊涵義!!?其實，它就是指那些昂貴又沒什麼用的東西，當然也可以形容政策或計劃等等。

比如有人有鞋癖，買了一堆名牌鞋塞滿櫃子；可人就只有兩隻腳啊，常穿的就那一兩雙，其他的就成了擺飾品，還得花心思去保養。這時，就可以說：There are thousands of white elephants that stand on her shoe closets.

又比如政府常花大錢蓋博物館，希望能吸引民眾的青睞，但最後往往淪為蚊子館。這時，也可以說：That museum is the worst example of the many white elephants that haunt the region.

那麼，這個詞是怎麼來的呢？相傳在早期的泰國，白色大象是十分尊貴又神聖的動物，人們對它們非常敬畏。然而，要供養這種動物不僅要花大錢，還需要宏偉的場地讓一般民眾膜拜。所以，如果有哪個大臣槓上了國王，國王便會賞他一頭白色大象，讓那個臣子因照顧象徵聖潔的動種潦倒致死...

英文解釋(取自網路英英字典)：White (albino) elephants were regarded as holy in ancient times in Thailand and other Asian countries. Keeping a white elephant was a very expensive undertaking, since the owner had to provide the elephant with special food and provide access for people who wanted to worship it. If a Thai King became dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant. The gift would, in most cases, ruin the recipient.