Ask & Learn闻问切英语口语:Powers that be

读者William来电邮问："The powers that be have appallingly done the HKU vice-chancellor"一句中，powers that be从语法该如何解释？为什么不是powers that are？

从语法去理解powers that be是解不通的，powers that are才是正确。但powers that be是惯用语，就是所谓的idiomatic English，powers that are反而没有人说。

翻查字典，我们得知这句惯用语源出十六世纪William Tyndale翻译的圣经，原文如下：

"The powers that be are ordeyned of God. Whosoever therfore resysteth power resisteth the ordinaunce of God. And they that resist shall receave to the selfe damnacio."

用二十一世纪的英语写出来应该是：

"The powers that be are ordained by God. Therefore, whoever resists the power resists the ordinance of God. And they who resist the power shall receive on to themselves damnation."

由此可见，the powers that be说的是当世的力量，但背后却有神圣的力量支撑。当然，没有宗教信仰的人才不管你神圣不神圣，因此，用这句话时，就暗含讥讽，说那些当权者把自己看作神，不容抗命。

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