習(xí)語(yǔ)起源102-走到樹(shù)墩上

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     香港立法局議員選舉期間,不少候選人四處演講拉票,美國(guó)人叫這個(gè)做go on the stump,直譯是“走到樹(shù)墩上去”。究竟樹(shù)墩(stump)跟演講拉票有甚么關(guān)系呢?
    按北美開(kāi)發(fā)初期,樹(shù)木遭人大量砍伐,處處都有殘存的樹(shù)墩;人們演講的時(shí)候,往往就站在樹(shù)墩上,當(dāng)作臨時(shí)講壇。美國(guó)獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)爆發(fā)之后,美國(guó)國(guó)父華盛頓也曾經(jīng)走到樹(shù)墩上向軍隊(duì)演說(shuō),當(dāng)時(shí)有人寫了一首歌說(shuō):
    Great Washington did he,upon astump place himself to speak……
    巍巍華盛頓,登樹(shù)墩兮致訓(xùn)詞……
    后來(lái),美國(guó)政界人物到處拉票的時(shí)候,也會(huì)走到樹(shù)墩上向群眾演說(shuō)。所以,(go) on the stump漸漸成為“四處演講拉票”的同義詞了,例如:While on the stump,he promised his voters that there would be no new taxes(他競(jìng)選期間,向投票人許諾不會(huì)開(kāi)征新稅)。