從菲爾普斯奪8金，學monkey on one\'s back

出生於加州Modesto的美國遊泳選手馬克-施皮茨(Mark Spitz)參加了1972年慕尼黑奧運會(the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich)， 在男子100米自由泳、200米自由泳 和100米蝶泳、200米蝶泳以及4x100米自由泳接力、4x100米混合接力與4x200米自由泳接力奪得金牌，並且這7個項目都打破世界紀錄，成為奧運會史上一屆獲金牌最多的運動員(in a single Games)。 直到2008年8月17日，美國遊泳天王菲爾普斯(Michael Phelps)8金入袋，才打破泳壇老前輩施皮茨屹立36年的單屆奧運7金紀錄(the record Spits had held at seven for 36 years)。


兩代遊泳天王：當年意氣風發的施皮茨和當今笑傲泳壇的菲爾普斯

看看老前輩施皮茨擁坐36年奧運冠王寶座之後的感言，一副高處不勝寒的‘可憐’狀。
Before this year's Games, Spitz said he was ready to turn over the mantle (罩子)as greatest Olympic swimmer to Phelps.

"Let him have that monkey on his back for the next 25, 30, 35 years," said Spitz, 58. "It's not an easy thing. It's fun to answer to at first, but pretty soon that gets to be boring."

施皮茨說的 have that monkey on his back 是什麽意思呢？筆者綜合了wiktionary.org 和answers.com 兩個網站上關於monkey on one's back 的用法，並做了點注解。

monkey on one's back

1. (idiomatic) An addiction, especially to narcotic drugs 毒癮深

He'd had a monkey on his back for at least two years.
他至少上癮兩年了。

I know the monkey on his back can't be removed by any means.
我知道什麽方法都無法戒掉他的毒癮。

2. (idiomatic) A state of a vexing problem or burden 煩惱或負擔

This project has proved to be a monkey on my back--there seems to be no end to it.
這個項目已經證明是負擔，而且好像永無出頭之日。

Ok，我們知道monkey on one's back 的相應中文意思了，a hi-5。