什么是 “Pull in His Horn”?
“Pull in his horn” 是一个源自美国早期口语的英语习语,字面意思是“把他的角收进去”。它常用于描述某人变得谨慎、收敛、不再张扬或冒险,尤其在面对风险或不确定情况时。
习语来源
该表达最早可追溯至19世纪,灵感来自蜗牛或甲虫等动物在受到威胁时将触角或“角”缩回壳中的行为。因此,“pull in one’s horn” 比喻人在压力下退缩、自我保护。
常见用法与例句
- After the market crash, he pulled in his horns and stopped investing aggressively.
- Don’t pull in your horns just because things got tough — keep pushing forward!
- She used to be very outspoken, but lately she’s pulled in her horns at meetings.
近义表达
以下短语与 “pull in his horn” 含义相近:
- Play it safe(谨慎行事)
- Lay low(低调行事)
- Keep a low profile(保持低调)
- Back off(退让)
使用注意
该习语多用于非正式语境,现代英语中使用频率不高,但在文学或历史文本中仍可见。注意主语性别变化时,代词需相应调整(如 “pull in her horn”)。