中文說－－－－out of the woods

中文說－－－－out of the woods


2007年9月27日，星期四，在西雅圖楓樹穀（Maple Valley, Seattle）一大難不死必有後福的33歲女子Tanya Rider was found alive, trapped in a wrecked vehicle for 8 days. 醫生Lisa McIntyre said during a hospital news conference Friday that while Rider was doing better, she's “not out of the woods yet.”

out of the woods是什麽意思呢？

根據Christine Ammer的Cliches一書：out of the woods 意思就是out of trouble or danger －－脫離困境或險境.

其使用淵源久遠，可追溯到古羅馬時代goes back to Roman Times。劇作家the playwright 普勞圖斯Plautus，Titus Maccius（約前254～前184）古羅馬第一個有完整作品傳世的喜劇家 used it (in Menaechmi, c. 200 B.C.)

woods 指森林。因為森林是容易迷失方向的地方，如果一個人在森林裏迷了路，不知道會發生什麽危險。故woods作為困難和危險的象征。一旦走出森林，意味著脫離險境，安全了。The "woods" can be a dark and dangerous place for those who cannot find their way out; we hope that they will return safely "out of the woods".When people overcome difficult challenges and arrive safely "out of" danger, we say that they are "out of the woods.

所以上文中的she's not out of the woods yet意思就是：她還未度過危險期。

請看例句：

My business has been terrible all year. But the past 3 months we're out of the woods finally.生意一整年都不好做，但近3個月來終於擺脫困境。

The patient is improving and has been out of the woods.病人正在好轉，已脫離危險。