106．穿上绸袍

［词语］to take silk

［含义］担任王室律师

［趣释］【物事喻指】过去在英格兰（England）和威尔士（Wales），资质浅的律师穿毛质长袍，王室的律师穿丝绸长袍。据说有位律师被聘为英国女王的法律顾问之后，他便脱下毛质长袍换上丝绸长袍。后人们用“穿上绸袍”（to take silk）来喻指担任王室律师（to become a Queen's Counsel at the British Bar）。英国著名作家约翰·高尔斯华绥（John Galsworthy）在其作品《小人物和其他讽刺》（The Little Man and Other Satires）中就引用了这个典故。

［运用］About this time he took silk, sacrificing nearly half of his income． 大约在这个时候他担任了王室律师，差不多贺失了一半的收入。（高尔斯华绥语）

After fifteen years as barrister, she took silk． 她当了15年讼务律师之后，担任了御用律师。

When the time comes that the barrister is getting more work than he can comfortably deal with and fees have reached a ceiling, he will have to consider whether he will take silk． 当律师的业务量达到应接不暇，收费达到最高限度时，该律师就得考虑是否要争取成为王室律师。

My father became a distinguished barrister and in due course took silk． 我父亲成了一个杰出律师，并最终成了国王的法律顾问。