Throw me under the bus

2008-04-16

THE phrase "throw someone under the bus" has appeared frequently in American politics in recent weeks.

In February, conservative radio host Bill Cunningham made a speech at a John McCain rally (集会), in which he made fun of Barack Obama's middle name - "Hussein". When McCain heard about Cunningham's remarks, he apologized for them. Later, an angry Cunningham told NBC: "He just threw me under the bus for the national media." He then declared that he would support Clinton instead of McCain.

Then, in March, Barack Obama stated in a speech that he was not distancing himself from his former pastor (牧师), Jeremiah Wright, for his controversial comments about the country. In that same speech, however, he said that his grandmother, a white woman, had at times expressed a fear of African American males. Later, some commentators accused Obama of throwing his grandmother "under the bus".

"To throw someone under the bus" basically means "to betray or sacrifice someone for personal gain" (将别人推下水;为了自己的利益而牺牲或背叛别人).

The phrase has also made it into everyday life in the US. In a recent Washington Post story, the author jokingly says that people are increasingly "throwing under the bus". "Spouses should go ahead and regularly throw each other under the bus: 'She never told me you wanted us to come to Sunday dinner!' or 'Your mother says you are not allowed to hang out with the girl with pierced nipples'."

The author goes on to confess that she herself has thrown her husband under the bus: "I forgot to return the neighbor's weed whacker (除草机) as promised last fall, and the neighbor came over recently to ask for the weed whacker back.

'Oh, my husband said he would bring that over to you!' I said. 'Oh, it's crazy running around keeping track of everything for him'."

So don't get confused if your roommate confesses to you: "Sorry, I didn't have time to clean, so I threw you under the bus and told the monitor it was really your job."
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