52．被同一把刷涂过焦油

［词语］to be tarred with the same brush/stick

［含义］同样的毛病；同一路货色；一丘之貉

［趣释］【经典喻指】焦油（tar）是煤焦油和木焦油的统称。煤焦油是生产炭或煤气的副产品。一种黑褐色有臭味的黏稠液体，可提取苯、酚、萘、蒽化工原料。过去，英国人认为焦油可治疗羊疮，方法是用小刷（brush）或小枝梗（stick）把焦油涂抹羊的患处。于是，“被用同一把刷或同一根枝条涂过焦油”（to be tarred with the same brush/stick）就被用来喻指有同样毛病、同一路货色、一丘之貉。

［运用］She is horribly mean, but all her family are tarred with the same brush． 她吝啬得可怕，而她家里的人跟她是一路货色。

His father was lazy, his grandfather was lazy, and this boy seems to be tarred with the same brush． 他的父亲懒，祖父懒，这男孩似乎也有同样的毛病。

I won't trust either of the two brothers; they are tarred with the same brush． 兄弟俩我谁都不信，他们是一路货色。

My friend Bob is a trouble maker in our school. None of the pupils will talk to me for I've been tarred with the same brush． 我的朋友鲍勃在我们学校里是个捣蛋鬼。几乎没有同学愿意同我讲话，他们把我和鲍勃视为一丘之貉。