这篇文章的标题吸引了我，Axis of feeble，这里Axis有特殊的意思。
Axis:
agreement or alliance between two or more countries. 政治联合；轴心
因此Axis可以表示二战中的轴心国，与Allies（同盟国）相对应。联想到2002年G. Bush指责伊拉克、伊朗和朝鲜三国是axis of evil（邪恶轴心），遭到这三国的严厉批驳。如果我是这三国人民，估计早就跳出来干了。
这篇文章的标题可以译作：弱弱联手。
其实在写作、口语中axis可以表示combination的意思，比如说It can be easily figured out character is an axis of in-born and acquired factors such as inheritance, environment.
第一段的末尾有两个新颖的表示“有用”和“无用”的引申讲法。
soaring hawk:
hawk本是美国前总统Jefferson1798年作为“war hawks”所创造的，表示“主战派；强硬派”。
lame duck:
①person, organization or thing that is in difficulties and unable to manage without help.
②(esp US) elected officials in his final period of office.如总统只限两任，到了第二任最后一二年，就有名无实，犹如鸭子走路一摇三摆，想快也快不了。
eg. It will be very difficult, putting it mildly, to persuade the fervent ideologues in the Republican Party of this. They see the election as a clear mandate for the hard-line Reagan and for their more extreme goals. Nor will the right wing necessarily hesitate to attack the President if it considers him too week, especially because he will be increasingly a lame duck. (Time)
下面我们来引申一下，如果要表示“很流行；新兴的”等意思时，就可以使用soaring duck，相反，表示一个“不太有用的；落伍的”东西，就可以使用lame duck。如果组合在一起使用，那不是在Advantage and Disadvantage的文章中有多了一种好处、坏处的讲法。
提问：其实美国人只是借鉴这个俚语，这真的始作俑者是英国人。大家能告诉我lame duck最初的意思到底是指什么吗？或者到底是怎么来的？
》》点击此处下载清晰的文章图片(共3张)
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posted on 2006-05-26 11:32
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“新”闻“报”料——爆英语刊物的料 
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(Quote)This expression originated in the 1700s and then meant a stockbroker who did not meet his debts. It was transferred to officeholders in the 1860s. The Lame Duck Amendment, 20th to the U.S. Constitution, calls for Congress and each new President to take office in January instead of March (as before), thereby eliminating the lame-duck session of Congress.
BTW, the shirt you wore that day in Jinhua seems fascinating which enjoys a little bit of Elton John :D
The phrase "lame duck" was first applied on the London Stock Exchange in the 18th century to brokers who could not pay their debts.
lame duck : 1a disabled or weak person.
2a defaulter on the Stock Exchange.
3a firm etc. in financial difficulties.
4US an official (esp. the President) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor.
Garfield
flattered by your sweety words, I would not like to keep up with him
老师: 这篇文章我看不了,显示说网页错误.在ECONOMIST网站上是不是要先注册才能看全文呢?
Lame duck来自《伊索寓言》中奴隶安德鲁克里斯和鸭子的故事。在故事中，奴隶安德鲁克里斯在逃亡的途中在的树林中里遇到了一只貌似凶恶的鸭子，但是这只鸭子并没有伤害他，而只是请求他帮助自己把缠在脚爪上的荆棘解下来。安德鲁克里斯照得鸭子的吩咐做了，后来他和这只“无助的鸭子”成为了好朋友，他们经常一起出没于当地的酒吧，还一起搭出租车回家。很多年后，有一次，安德鲁克里斯去参加一个宴会，当他发现宴会的主菜是烤鸭时，立刻感到反胃，他决定离开宴会。就在他匆匆忙忙离开宴会的时候一头撞在狮子的怀里，成为狮子的一顿美餐。
Lame duck
跛脚鸭
鸭子走起路来一摇三摆，想快也快不了。再加上跛脚，那更是举步维艰，一筹莫展。在美国政界，常用lame duck来形容任期将届满的政治人物的窘境，尤其是第二任期快结束的总统。
美国总统任期是四年，可竞选连任一次。自华盛顿创下两任八年的惯例以来，极少有人打破连任两次以上的记录。小罗斯福总统于1933年以压倒性票数上任，其后不但连任第二届，甚而在1941年担任第三届。这是因为当时处于二次大战中，情况非比寻常。终于在1945年，小罗斯福鞠躬尽瘁，死于任内。副总统杜鲁门继任后，立即推动修宪，明订总统只能连任一次。所以小罗斯福连干12年总统的记录可说是空前绝后。
如果一位总统干到第七八年，那么他摆明了是快要离开白宫了。这时底下的事务官就开始不再那么买他的帐了。更明显的是，外国也不大愿意和他打交道了。甚而他本人，也不再干劲十足地想推动什么计划了，好象只能数馒头等退伍一样。这时他就是不折不扣的 lame duck president。
至于只干一任而不能赢得连任者，称为one-term president，如前总统布什。这一类的总统干了四年，到竞选连任时于11月大选中失利，可是新总统要到次年元月才宣誓就职。这一段时间这位旧总统等于在帮别人看房子，这也是典型的跛脚鸭。
The term seems to have crept into the American language some time after the Civil War of 1861-1865. One explanation is that it came from the language of hunters who felt that it was foolish to waste powder or time on a dead duck. And a lame duck, even a sitting duck, is close to being a dead duck.
Another explanation, however, says that the expression came from England. There it was used to describe a man who lost all his money in stocks, was cleaned out and could not pay his debts. He could do nothing but waddle off like a lame duck. And, so the story goes, people showed little mercy for the poor fellow.
But in the United States people took the phrase to describe a congressman who failed to get reelected but still had a little time left in office until his successor was sworn in.
lame duck: 1a disabled or weak person.
2a defaulter on the Stock Exchange.
3a firm etc. in financial difficulties.
4 US an official (esp. the President) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor.
The phrase "lame duck" was first applied on the London Stock Exchange in the 18th century to brokers who could not pay their debts.:)
lunch
你直接下载就可以了，不需上网站去看，可能要收费的
lame duck是竞选连任失败，即将下任的官员。
--网上搜到的
估计还有深层意思吧？你不会问这么容易搜到的问题的吧……请快公布吧，时间久了就忘记有档子问题了~
Lame Duck的来历：
英国俚语。18世纪的伦敦交易所是股票商人云集的地方。有个投机商(stock jobber)因生意失败而破产，走出交易所时垂头丧气，一瘸一拐，活像一个跛鸭子。于是，人们用此语比喻那些破产、倒霉或无力偿还债务的人，尤指破产的股票投机商或证券经纪人。此语在使用中范围不断扩大，其引申的意义不但可以表示深陷困境的人，还可以指失灵或报废的船只和飞机等。19世纪中叶美国南北战争后不久，美国政界用lame duck比喻任期将满而未能重新当选的官员或亿元。1951年美国宪法第22条修正案通过后，此语也随之被引申指第二任期已到最后一段时间的美国总统。美国报纸上经常出现跛鸭子政府(lame duck government)一词，表示此届政府即将期满卸任，同时含有即将失去权力和地位的意思。
同时也谢谢rod815 ，我知道你说得没错。但是这个俚语后来有了新的发展，你真得很棒！
axis of evil这个词是白宫的一个工作人员想出来的,然后他的妻子就在媒体前炫耀,这个工作人员被辞掉了.