| 释义 |
Procrustes|prəʊˈkrʌstiːz|
[a. Gr. Προκρούστης, personal name, lit. ‘one that stretches’, f. προκρούειν to beat or hammer out, to stretch out.]
The name of a fabulous robber of Attica who is said to have stretched or mutilated his victims to conform them to the length of his bed. Hence allusively. Also attrib.
1583Fulke Defence i. (Parker Soc.) 97 You play manifestly with us the lewd part of Procrustes, the thievish host, which would make his guests' stature equal with his bed's, either by stretching them out if they were too short, or by cutting off their legs if they were too long. 1637T. Morton New Eng. Canaan (1883) 335 This passage is like to the Procrustes of Roome, mee thinks. 1790H. More Relig. Fash. World (1791) 35 We may rejoice that the tyranny of the spiritual Procrustes is so far annihilated. 1837Syd. Smith 1st Let. Archd. Singleton Wks. 1859 II. 259/2 It is quite absurd to see how all the Cathedrals are to be trimmed to an exact Procrustes pattern. 1870W. Graham Lect. Ephesians v. 129 It became the procrustes bed on which the faith and hope of the nation were offered up. |