大家也许都熟悉envelope这个词,知道它是“信封”的意思.但在push the envelope这个习惯用语中,envelope可不是信封的意思,它是个技术性的词汇,指机械或其它设备的性能范围,或者功用极限.例如,一辆汽车的设计规格为最高时速180公里,如果你以190公里的时速驾驶这辆车,那么你就是在push the envelope,超越它的性能范围或者是在玩命了.
再例如:“Test pilots often have to put themselves into danger.Sometimes they have to push the envelope to see whether a newly designed plane really can meet the limits the designers planned.”
不过现在这个短语已经不仅仅局限于机械工程领域使用了,日常生活中人际关系的紧张化也可以用这个短语来形容.例如:“He push the envelope when he hit his wife at the party after getting drunk.She asked for divorce the next day.“ (在晚会上他喝醉了酒,当众殴打了妻子,这已经超过了他太太的忍耐极限,她第二天就提出要和他离婚.)
