英语词汇thorn in one-s side的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

thorn in one’s side. The Talmud describes 10 classes of Phar- isees, members of a strict, ascetic Jewish sect arising in the sec- ond century whose name in Hebrew means “apart” (from the crowd), “separated” (from the rest of mankind). These classes include the “Immovables,” who stood like statues for hours while praying; the “Mortars,” who wore mortars, or caps, which covered their eyes so that their meditations wouldn’t be dis- turbed by the sight of passersby; and the “Bleeders,” who put thorns in their trousers so that their legs would be pricked as they walked. The Pharisees’ tendency to look upon themselves as holier than others gives us our modern definition of a Phari- see as “a self-righteous hypocritical person,” and the “Bleeders” among the sect possibly inspired the saying a thorn in one’s side. At least St. Paul may have had them in mind when he de- scribed a source of constant irritation or personal vexation as a thorn in the flesh in 2 Cor. 12:7. Then again, he may have simply taken the image from native plants like the buckthorn and aca- dia, whose thorns made travel difficult in the Holy Land. Over the years Paul’s biblical phrase was altered to a thorn in my side, although the original is still used as well.

词汇	thorn in one-s side
词源	thorn in one’s side. The Talmud describes 10 classes of Phar- isees, members of a strict, ascetic Jewish sect arising in the sec- ond century whose name in Hebrew means “apart” (from the crowd), “separated” (from the rest of mankind). These classes include the “Immovables,” who stood like statues for hours while praying; the “Mortars,” who wore mortars, or caps, which covered their eyes so that their meditations wouldn’t be dis- turbed by the sight of passersby; and the “Bleeders,” who put thorns in their trousers so that their legs would be pricked as they walked. The Pharisees’ tendency to look upon themselves as holier than others gives us our modern definition of a Phari- see as “a self-righteous hypocritical person,” and the “Bleeders” among the sect possibly inspired the saying a thorn in one’s side. At least St. Paul may have had them in mind when he de- scribed a source of constant irritation or personal vexation as a thorn in the flesh in 2 Cor. 12:7. Then again, he may have simply taken the image from native plants like the buckthorn and aca- dia, whose thorns made travel difficult in the Holy Land. Over the years Paul’s biblical phrase was altered to a thorn in my side, although the original is still used as well.
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