英语词汇“white elephant”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

white elephant

noun

A possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of: a huge white elephant of a house that needed ten thousand spent on it...

The wave of ‘urban renewal’ in the 1950s and '60s gave us the devastated inner cities of today, and many projects become expensive, taxpayer-funded white elephants.
Opponents say they will be hugely expensive white elephants which could cost taxpayers a fortune.
Last month, Bradford Chamber of Commerce and Industry branded the idea of a Yorkshire assembly as an expensive white elephant.

Origin

From the story that the kings of Siam gave such animals as a gift to courtiers they disliked, in order to ruin the recipient by the great expense incurred in maintaining the animal.

单词	white elephant
释义	white elephant noun A possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of: a huge white elephant of a house that needed ten thousand spent on it... The wave of ‘urban renewal’ in the 1950s and '60s gave us the devastated inner cities of today, and many projects become expensive, taxpayer-funded white elephants. Opponents say they will be hugely expensive white elephants which could cost taxpayers a fortune. Last month, Bradford Chamber of Commerce and Industry branded the idea of a Yorkshire assembly as an expensive white elephant. Origin From the story that the kings of Siam gave such animals as a gift to courtiers they disliked, in order to ruin the recipient by the great expense incurred in maintaining the animal.
随便看	Watch Committee watchdog watcher watchfire watch fob watchful watchfully watchfulness watch glass watch-house watching brief watchkeeper watch list watchmaker watchmaking watchman watchnight watch one's mouth watch one's (or someone's) back watch one's step watch someone like a hawk watch spring watch the clock watch the pennies watch the time