一生窮苦的大詩人杜甫說自己曾經(jīng)「朝回日日典春衣」，分明是當鋪的?？土?。事實上，進當鋪的人，多數(shù)處境都很困難，所以英文也有up the spout這個說法。
按spout是從前當鋪（pawnshop）把典押品傳送到收藏處的吊車，所以，put something up the spout就是「把一件東西當了」，例如：He has put his watch up the spout（他把手表當了）。此外，up the spout也往往引伸為「處境困難」或「完蛋了」的意思，例如︰He was convicted of bribery and his political career was up the spout（他被裁定犯了賄賂罪，政治生涯就告完蛋了。）
留意up the spout這個成語也可解作「懷孕」，所以用時必須小心，以免人家誤解。至于up the spout之所以有「懷孕」意思，是因為孕婦處境困難還是暗喻精子的傳送，卻沒有人可以斷言了。
按spout是從前當鋪（pawnshop）把典押品傳送到收藏處的吊車，所以，put something up the spout就是「把一件東西當了」，例如：He has put his watch up the spout（他把手表當了）。此外，up the spout也往往引伸為「處境困難」或「完蛋了」的意思，例如︰He was convicted of bribery and his political career was up the spout（他被裁定犯了賄賂罪，政治生涯就告完蛋了。）
留意up the spout這個成語也可解作「懷孕」，所以用時必須小心，以免人家誤解。至于up the spout之所以有「懷孕」意思，是因為孕婦處境困難還是暗喻精子的傳送，卻沒有人可以斷言了。