push the boat out用法解析

“push the boat out”的词源根植于19世纪英国民间航海文化：早期渔民或水手需合力将岸边的小船推入海中才能起航，这一动作既需“额外费力”，又常伴随起航前的小型庆祝（如分享食物酒水），最初语义聚焦“为特定目标（起航）投入额外精力”。随着语言演化，该短语衍生出双重核心语义，均围绕“主动投入更多资源”，但因“投入目的”不同而有明确边界：

1. 核心义一（主流）：为特殊场合隆重庆祝；铺张庆祝；重金庆祝

指因事件重要（如生日、婚礼、纪念日），主动投入更多金钱、时间或精力，办得比日常更隆重、更具仪式感，无贬义，多带“重视、值得”的积极色彩。本质是“为‘有意义的事’匹配‘超常的投入’”，必须绑定“明确的特殊场景”。

2. 核心义二（延伸）：无目的挥霍享乐

当“投入”脱离“特殊事件”，指向“无明确理由的奢侈消费、单纯追求享乐的铺张”时，衍生出此义。常带“无必要、略显浪费”的轻微贬义（或口语中的调侃、自嘲），本质是“为‘一时开心’而‘无节制投入’”，核心是“无特殊目的，仅为享乐”。

如：

They really pushed the boat out for Annie’s wedding.

他们为了安妮的婚礼确实花了一大笔钱。

The host country pushed the boat out for the international summit—arranging a state banquet, cultural performances, and personalized gifts for each leader.

主办国为这次国际峰会搞得很隆重——安排了国宴、文艺表演，还为每位领导人准备了定制礼物。

He pushed the boat out for the proposal—he rented a hot air balloon, hired a violinist, and even flew her favorite flowers from her hometown.

他为求婚搞得极为隆重——租了热气球，雇了小提琴手，甚至从她家乡空运了她最爱的花。

For their 10th wedding anniversary, they pushed the boat out with a two-week cruise in the Mediterranean, instead of their usual home-cooked dinner.

结婚10周年时，他们一改往常的家常菜，下了血本去地中海游轮旅行两周。

To show he truly cared about their reunion, he pushed the boat out by booking the restaurant where they first met and preparing a handwritten letter.

为证明对复合的重视，他特意搞得很用心——订了他们初遇的餐厅，还写了手写情书。

The university pushed the boat out for its centenary—inviting Nobel laureates to give lectures and holding a three-day academic festival.

这所大学为百年校庆大操大办——邀请诺贝尔奖得主讲学，并举办了为期三天的学术节。

The army pushed the boat out for the veterans’ homecoming—organizing a parade with a guard of honor and a welcome ceremony attended by senior officers.

军方为老兵返乡搞得很隆重——组织了仪仗队游行，还有高级军官出席的欢迎仪式。

We pushed the boat out last weekend—no birthday, no celebration, just splurged on a fancy hotel and ate at a Michelin-starred restaurant for fun.

我们上周末挥霍了一把——没生日，没庆典，就是为了开心，住了高档酒店，还去米其林餐厅吃了饭。

The CEO has been pushing the boat out since the company made a small profit—buying private jets and throwing expensive parties for his friends, with no business purpose.

公司小赚一笔后，这位CEO就开始挥霍——买私人飞机，为朋友办奢华派对，毫无商业目的。

It’s Lady Mary’s wedding—we must push the boat out. No half-measures, no shortcuts; this day deserves perfection.

这是玛丽小姐的婚礼——我们必须搞得隆重些。不能敷衍，不能省事；这样的日子就该完美。《唐顿庄园》

Mark said he wanted to push the boat out for our reunion—turns out he booked the hotel where we first met. How sweet!

马克说要为我们的复合搞得隆重些——结果他订了我们初遇的酒店。太贴心了！《BJ单身日记2：理性边缘》

After making his first million, Jordan started pushing the boat out—buying yachts, partying every night, and spending money like it was going out of style.

赚到第一桶金后，乔丹开始挥霍无度——买游艇，夜夜派对，花钱如流水。《华尔街之狼》

It was their son’s 18th birthday, so the family decided to push the boat out—they booked a private room at a five-star hotel and invited all his classmates.（2023年江苏高考）

那天是他们儿子的18岁生日，所以全家决定隆重庆祝——他们在一家五星级酒店预订了一个私人房间，并邀请了他所有的同学。

They pushed the boat out for the festival—some said it was a grand celebration for the harvest, while others thought it was just an excuse to splurge on food and drinks.

他们为这个节日搞得很隆重——有人说这是为丰收举行的盛大庆祝，也有人认为这只是挥霍吃喝的借口。（2025年考研英语一翻译题）