词源趣谈 | there's the rub 这就是困难所在

there's the rub 意为“这就是困难所在”。比如:

  • And there's the rub. There are no rules or even societal norms for friendship breakups.
    问题是,对于朋友之间的分手,并没有什么规则可言,甚至没有社交惯例可循。

该短语出自莎士比亚的戏剧《哈姆莱特》第3 幕第1场:

To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.
死了;睡觉了;
睡觉了也许还会做梦;嗯,阻碍就在这儿;
因为当我们摆脱了这一具腐朽的皮囊以后,
在那死的睡眠里,究竟将要做些什么梦,
那不能不使我们踌躇顾虑。