Ask & Learn聞問切英語(yǔ)口語(yǔ):Powers that be

讀者William來電郵問："The powers that be have appallingly done the HKU vice-chancellor"一句中，powers that be從語(yǔ)法該如何解釋？為什么不是powers that are？

從語(yǔ)法去理解powers that be是解不通的，powers that are才是正確。但powers that be是慣用語(yǔ)，就是所謂的idiomatic English，powers that are反而沒有人說。

翻查字典，我們得知這句慣用語(yǔ)源出十六世紀(jì)William Tyndale翻譯的圣經(jīng)，原文如下：

"The powers that be are ordeyned of God. Whosoever therfore resysteth power resisteth the ordinaunce of God. And they that resist shall receave to the selfe damnacio."

用二十一世紀(jì)的英語(yǔ)寫出來應(yīng)該是：

"The powers that be are ordained by God. Therefore, whoever resists the power resists the ordinance of God. And they who resist the power shall receive on to themselves damnation."

由此可見，the powers that be說的是當(dāng)世的力量，但背后卻有神圣的力量支撐。當(dāng)然，沒有宗教信仰的人才不管你神圣不神圣，因此，用這句話時(shí)，就暗含譏諷，說那些當(dāng)權(quán)者把自己看作神，不容抗命。

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