该短语的核心含义是“举起双手”。本义是字面动作,即把双手举过头顶或前方。引申义主要有三个:其一,表示“放弃”或“认输”,源自举手投降的动作,常见于无法解决问题或面对困境时,如“He threw up his hands and gave up.”(他举起双手,放弃了)。其二,表示“无奈”或“束手无策”,当人们感到无能为力时,常以此动作表达挫败感,如“She threw up her hands in despair.”(她绝望地举起双手)。其三,表示“震惊”或“强烈反应”,有时用于夸张地表达惊讶或不满,如“They threw up their hands in horror.”(他们惊恐地举起双手)。这些引申义均源于字面动作,从投降到情感表达,逐步抽象化。
该短语多用于日常口语和文学作品,较少用于正式学术或法律文本。在口语中,常用于表达个人情绪,语气随意,如“I just threw up my hands and walked away.”(我只是摊手走开了)。在新闻报道中,可能用于描述某人面对困境的无奈,语气相对客观,如“Officials threw up their hands at the rising costs.”(官员们对不断上涨的成本束手无策)。在文学作品中,常用来渲染人物情绪,增强画面感,如“He threw up his hands, a gesture of utter defeat.”(他举起双手,一副彻底认输的样子)。在商务邮件中较少使用,除非是描述对方或己方的无奈态度。
语法说明
该短语为及物动词短语,但宾语通常是反身代词所有格“one's”,如“throw up my hands”、“throw up his hands”。常见句型为“throw up one's hands (in/at/with + 名词/动名词)”,如“She threw up her hands in frustration.”(她沮丧地举起双手)。注意:该短语不可拆开使用,不能说“throw my hands up”虽然口语中偶尔出现,但标准用法是“throw up one's hands”。另外,“throw up”本身有“呕吐”之意,但在此短语中无此含义,切勿混淆。
近义比较
与“give up”(放弃)相比,“throw up one's hands”更强调肢体动作和情绪表达,通常带有无奈或震惊,而“give up”更直接表示停止尝试。例如,“He gave up after many failures.”(多次失败后他放弃了)与“He threw up his hands and walked away.”(他举起双手走开了)相比,后者更具戏剧性。与“surrender”(投降)相比,“throw up one's hands”更口语化,且不一定指正式投降,可能只是象征性认输。与“shrug”(耸肩)相比,“throw up one's hands”动作更大,情绪更强烈,而“shrug”多表示轻微无奈或不在乎。
常见误区
该短语属于非正式用语,语域较低,适合口语和文学描写,不宜用于正式文书或学术论文。褒贬色彩偏中性,但多含负面情绪,如无奈、绝望或愤怒。常见误用包括:将其与“throw up”的“呕吐”义混淆;或将“one's”省略,如说“throw up hands”而不带所有格,虽口语中可接受,但标准用法应带所有格。此外,注意不要与“throw one's hands up”混淆,后者是变体,但标准形式为“throw up one's hands”。
常见搭配
throw up one's hands in despair
绝望地举起双手
throw up one's hands in frustration
沮丧地举起双手
throw up one's hands in horror
惊恐地举起双手
throw up one's hands in surrender
举手投降
throw up one's hands in defeat
认输地举起双手
throw up one's hands and give up
举手放弃
throw up one's hands in protest
举手抗议
句子示例
After hours of trying to fix the computer, he threw up his hands and called a technician.
在尝试修复电脑几个小时后,他举起双手认输,打电话叫了技术人员。
The teacher threw up her hands in despair when the students refused to listen.
当学生们拒绝听讲时,老师绝望地举起了双手。
I can't deal with this anymore—I throw up my hands!
我再也受不了了——我认输了!
The negotiators threw up their hands, unable to reach an agreement.
谈判者们举起双手,无法达成协议。
She threw up her hands and laughed at the absurdity of the situation.