Question

bark up the wrong tree的中文意思

Answer 1

做事、看人,首先得找定目标.找目标很伤脑筋,找错目标更伤脑筋.汉语中,我们常戏谑看走眼的“他”：“找错人了”；英语中相应的说法是：He is barking up the wrong tree.

据记载,该短语源于17世纪美国殖民地时期.当时的美洲人烟稀少,开发西部的拓荒者靠打猎为生.狩猎自然需要猎狗,不过,聪明的猎狗有时也会被猎物耍弄.比如,浣熊常常昼眠夜出,黑暗中它会误导猎狗,让其误以为自己躲在已经空了的树洞里.结果,猎狗对着错误的目标狂吠不已(to bark up the wrong tree).

随着时间的推移,“to bark up the wrong tree”逐渐被公众所接受,借喻“精力或目标集中在错误的地方”,例如：

If you think I can come up with more money,you're barking up the wrong tree.如果你指望我拿出更多的钱,那你找错人了.To bark up the wrong tree,除了指“找错了人”之外还可以解释为“错怪了人”,例如：

Hey man,if you think I was the guy who robbed that bank today,you're barking up the wrong tree!I was nowhere near the place." 喂,要是你认为我是今天抢银行的那个人,那你就错怪我了.我根本就没上那儿去.