double-edged sword
词源链
- 希伯来语Hebrew
仿译
- 阿拉伯语Arabic
仿译
- 英语English
double-edged sword
词源说明
From the notion that if two sides of the same blade are sharp, it cuts both ways. The metaphor may have originated from the Arabic expression سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ (sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni, “double-edged sword”) or from the Hebrew expression חֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת (ẖérev pifiyót, “double-mouthed sword”).
释义
名词noun
- 1figurativeA benefit that is also a liability, especially a benefit that carries some significant but not-so-obvious cost or risk.
- 2figurativeA neutral principle that has applications that may be either positive (beneficial) or negative