摘要：“cat's paw”是英语中极具隐喻色彩的习语，核心语义为“被他人利用、充当工具或傀儡的人”，强调“使用者借其达成目的，而被利用者往往未察觉或最终受损”的逻辑。

“cat's paw”是英语中极具隐喻色彩的习语，核心语义为“被他人利用、充当工具或傀儡的人”，强调“使用者借其达成目的，而被利用者往往未察觉或最终受损”的逻辑。

该短语起源于伊索寓言《猴子与猫》（The Monkey and the Cat）：猴子米克罗（Mikro）想吃火中的栗子，却狡猾地哄骗猫普罗米修斯（Prometheus）用爪子去抓取；猫爪子被火焰烫伤，好不容易取出栗子，却全被猴子抢走独享。后来“cat's paw”逐渐固化为“傀儡，被人利用的人,工具人，被人利用的棋子”的习语含义。

英义：a victim of exploitation

如：

The president was just a cat's paw for the wealthy people who really controlled the country.

总统不过是真正掌控国家的富豪财团的傀儡。

The new employee realized he’d been a cat's paw—his colleague used him to take the blame for the project failure.”

新员工才意识到自己被当成了工具人——同事利用他为项目失败背锅。

Investors warned that the small company would become a cat's paw for the giant corporation to take over the market.

投资者警告，这家小公司会沦为大集团抢占市场的棋子。

Some small countries are unwilling to be a cat's paw for major powers in regional conflicts.

部分小国不愿在地区冲突中成为大国的傀儡。

The spy later found out he was a cat's paw—his agency had no intention of rescuing him after the mission.

这名间谍后来发现自己成了弃子——任务结束后，他的机构根本没打算救他。

The student felt like a cat's paw when the teacher asked him to collect classmates’ complaints, only to blame him for ‘stirring up trouble’.

学生觉得自己被当成了跑腿的替罪羊——老师让他收集同学的不满，转头却指责他“挑事”。

She realized her friend had used her as a cat's paw to spread rumors about their mutual acquaintance.

她意识到朋友把她当成了传声筒，借她之口散布关于共同熟人的谣言。

Critics said the young actor was just a cat's paw for the studio—they exploited his popularity to promote bad movies.

评论家称，这位年轻演员不过是制片厂的赚钱工具——他们利用他的人气宣传烂片。

He finally saw that he was a cat's paw to her—she only dated him to make her ex-boyfriend jealous.

他终于明白，自己只是她的备胎工具人——她和他约会，只是为了让前男友吃醋。

That senator is nothing but a cat's paw—his party leaders pull the strings behind him. 《纸牌屋》

那位参议员不过是个傀儡——他的政党领袖在背后操控一切。

The gangster thought he was in control, but he was just a cat's paw for the Corleone family. 《教父》

这个黑帮分子以为自己掌控全局，实则只是科莱昂家族的棋子。

Many young people don’t want to be a cat's paw for others—they hope to make their own decisions and not be controlled.（2024年全国高考英语（新课标卷II）翻译题）

许多年轻人不愿做别人的工具人——他们希望自己做决定，不被操控。

In the Cold War, some neutral countries were forced to be a cat's paw for either the US or the Soviet Union. They had to follow the policies of the superpowers even if it harmed their own interests.（2023年研考）

在冷战期间，一些中立国家被迫成为美国或苏联的棋子。他们不得不遵循超级大国的政策，即使这损害了他们自己的利益。

来源：翅膀英语一点号