《瓦尔登湖》用词(3): Augean stables, encumbrance, woodlot, portionless, peck dirt, well-nigh
Augean stables 奥革阿斯牛栏
解释:the stables in which King Augeas kept 3000 oxen, and which had not been cleaned for 30 years. The cleaning of these stables was accomplished by Hercules, who diverted the river Alpheus through them.
希腊神话中厄利斯国王奥革阿斯的“牛栏”里养了3000头牛, 30年从不打扫, 粪秽堆积如山。这些马厩的清理工作是由赫拉克勒斯(Hercules)完成的,他让两条河改道穿过马厩冲刷干净。牛圈是清扫干净了,但“奥革阿斯的牛栏”却永远地作为了藏污纳垢的代名词。Augean stable 最常出现在短语“clean the Augean stable”中,通常意思是“清除腐败”或“执行长期以来备受关注的令人不快的大型任务”。Augean 发音:(ɔːˈdʒiːən)