105．穿某人的鞋子

［词语］to step into sb.'s shoes

to step into the shoes of sb.

to fill sb.'s shoes

［含义］接替某人的职务；继承某人的衣钵

［趣释］【物事喻指】据美国民间传说，有个人很穷，得穿死人的鞋。后来人们用“穿死人的鞋”（to fill/step into dead man's shoes）喻指继承死者遗产、接替死者的工作①，并由这个成语衍生另一成语：“穿某人的鞋子”（to fill/step into sb's shoes或to step into/fill the shoes of sb.）喻指接替某人的职位、补某人的缺、继承某人的衣钵、步某人的后尘。这条成语有时与to wait for dead man's shoes 意思接近①。美国作家西奥多·德莱塞（Theodore Dreiser）在小说《珍妮姑娘》（Jennie Gerhardt）中就引用了这个条成语。

［运用］Other men were ambitious. There were a half-dozen available candidates, any one of whom would have rejoiced to step into his shoes． 别人也是有野心的，有希望的候选人有半打之多，谁都高兴能取代他。（德莱塞语）

When Bill's father died, Bill had to step into his father's shoes to support his mother． 比尔在父亲死后，就不得不接替父亲来赡养母亲。

When Jack got hurt, the coach had nobody to fill his shoes． 杰克受伤后，教练找不到合适的人选来接替他。

Can he step into the big shoes of James Wolfensohn?He does not have to． 他能继承詹姆斯·沃尔芬森的衣钵吗？他未必要这么做。

①参阅141．等死人的鞋子。