Question of the Day #982

Some months could be great, and your invoices are paid on time, while others may feel like trying to draw water from a stone.

From the headline of this article at Witbank News.

  上記の文で、water from a stoneの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "water from a stone" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎等に"water from a stone"の訳はありません。問題文の"draw water from a stone"の他に"squeeze/wring/get water from a stone"という表現はありますが、どれも直訳をすれば「石から水を絞る」ということになります。つまり、「不可能またはとても困難である」という意味になります。下記英語の定義にあるように、これは特に人と対応しているときに使うことが多いのです。

   

Answer

In addition to "draw," other verbs used with "water from a stone" include, squeeze, wring, and get.
According to The Free Dictionary, "wring water from a stone" means:

To do something that is very hard to accomplish, especially when dealing with other people in some way.

 

Examples

• Good luck getting a group of toddlers to sit still—it's like wringing water from a stone.
• Don't bother trying to get an answer from him. You can't wring water from a stone.
• Trying to borrow money from my father is like trying to squeeze water out of a stone!
• You’re impossible to get along with! Trying to talk sense into you is like squeezing water from a stone.
• Trying to get you to do what I want is like getting water from a stone!

   

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