Readerquestion:
Pleaseexplain"makesahash"inthissentence:"DonotleavethejobtoJohn,whoalwaysmakesahashofthings."
Mycomments:
ThespeakerdoesnottrustJohn,who,inotherwords,alwaysmakesamessofthings.
Yes,makingahashissynonymouswithmakingamessormix-up.
Itmayhelpifweunderstandthewordhashfromthecookingperspective.Hashpotatoes,forexample,referstochoppedpotatoes,sometimestogetherwithmeatchops,boiledorbakedtilltheircolorturnsbrown,whichiswhythey'realsocalledhashbrowns.
Hashrice,foranotherexample,involvemoreingredients,suchaschoppedonion,pepper,beansandwhateverelsehaveyou.
Onethingincommonwithallhashfoodsisthatalltheingredientsarechoppedorhashedintotinybitsandmixedupbeforethey'recooked."Hash",yousee,sharesthesamerootwithhatchet,whichisanaxwithashorthandle.
Anyways,thisideaofchoppingthingsintopiecesandmixingthemperhapswillhelpyouunderstandtheexpression"makingahashofthings",meaningmakingamixtureandamix-up,perhapsputtingthewrongingredientstogether.
Hence,makingamess-makingamessbymakingmistakesandblunderingeverystepoftheway.
Which,backtoourexample,iswhythespeakerdoesnotwantthejobputintothehandsofJohnwhotendstomakemistakesallthetime.
Gotit?
Allright,herearerecentmediaexamplesofpeoplewhomakeahashofthingsinvarioussituations:
1.PresidentTrumplefttheG7summitinCanadaearly,declaringitconcluded.Itwasactuallystillgoingon,butforhimitwasover,becausehemadeahashofitinrecordtime.
EvenbeforehegotonAirForceOne,Trumpalienatedoursisternationbyembarkingonabizarreandinexplicabletradewar.AshelefthelashedoutatouralliesandpartnersinEurope—playingallofhisgreatesthitsofimaginaryAmericangrievance,from“theUnitedStateshasbeentakenadvantageoffordecadesanddecades”to“theEuropeanUnionisbrutaltotheUnitedStates.”
Someofthiscouldbeexcusedasthenormalwranglingamongalliesovertradeandspending.ThisisnotthefirsttimethattheU.S.anditspartnershavedisagreedoverimportanteconomicmatters,andironingoutthosedisputesiswhyorganizationsliketheG7havesummitsinthefirstplace.
Butgripingabouttheunfairnessofinternationallifewasn’tenoughforthepresident,whoknewhewasgoingtofacesomeangryquestionsabouthisimpenetrablybackwardviewsontrade.SoTrumpuppedtheantebyraisingthebafflinglydumbandpoliticallyludicrousideaofbringingRussiabackintotheG7.ThenheinsultedCanadianPrimeMinisterJustinTrudeauonTwitterandsaidhewouldn'tsignthefinalcommunique.
-DonaldTrumpinvitescrisisatG7byattackingallies,embracingRussia,USAToday.com,June9,2018.
2.RogerFedererhaslosthisopeningmatchoftheATPFinalsafterbeingstunnedbyDominicThieminstraightsets.
The38-year-oldsuccumbedtoa7-5,7-5defeatin100minutesofplayafteracloseencounteratthe02Arena.
Thiemcameintothismatchasoneofthefewplayersinthegameboastingafavourablehead-to-headrecordwithFederer,winningfouroftheirsixmeetingsandbothmatchesin2019.
ButFedererprevailedinthisfixtureattheATPFinalslastyearandhisstellarindoorrecordlookedasifitwouldservehimwellonceagain.
...
Whenfinallypresentedwiththematchpoint,ThiemmadeahashofitandFederersawthecurtainsopenonceagain.Heworkedhardtofindasecondbreakpointoftheset,butmorefineworkfromThiemallowedhimtokeepFedereratanarm'sdistance.
Atthesecondtimeofasking,Federer'sreturnlandedintothenetandThiemhaddoneit.ArockystarttothetournamentforFederer,whonowhasitalltodotoqualifyfromhisgroupandstillhastofaceNovakDjokovic.
-RogerFedererlosesopeningATPFinalsmatchtoDominicThieminstraightsets,MSN.com,November10,2019.
3.ChelsearuinedArsenalmanagerMikelArteta'shomedebutasTammyAbraham'slatestrikesealedadramatic2-1winafterBerndLeno'shorrificblunderturnedthetideinathrillingLondonderbyonSunday.
LeadingthroughPierre-EmerickAubameyang'searlygoalattheEmiratesStadium,Artetawasjustsevenminutesawayfromsecuringhisfirstvictoryinhissecondgameincharge.
ButGunnersgoalkeeperLenomadeahashofcomingtocatchafree-kickandJorginhotappedintosparkaChelseafightbackthatclimaxedinAbrahamfiringhomewiththreeminutesleft.
Afterdominatingthefirsthalf,itwasashockingbutfamiliarcollapsefromArsenal,whoselackofsteelwasthekeyelementinthedownfallofArteta'spredecessorUnaiEmery.
Intheirfinalgameofthedecade,ArsenalshowedjusthowmuchworkArtetahastodotosteertheGunnersbacktorespectabilityinhisfirstmanagerialrole.
Aftercomingfrombehindtorescuea1-1drawatBournemouthinhisfirstmatchonThursday,Artetawouldhavebeenencouragedbytheirbrightstart-butnotthewoefulmeltdownthatleavesArsenalwithonlyonewinintheirlast15gamesinallcompetitions.
Arsenal,12pointsadriftofthetopfour,havelostfourconsecutivehomefixturesinallcompetitionsforthefirsttimein60years.
Theyalsosufferedthreesuccessivetop-flighthomedefeatsforthefirsttimesince1977.
WhileArtetaheldhisheadindespairafterAbraham'swinner,FrankLampard'swildcelebrationshowedChelsea'sneedforthewinafteradifficultperiodoftheirown.
FourthplacedChelseahadlostfiveoftheirlastsevenleaguegames,butasecondsuccessiveawaywin-followingtheirrecentimpressivesuccessatTottenham-movesthemfourpointsclearoffifthplacedManchesterUnited.
-ArtetarockedasChelseasinkArsenal,AFP,December29,2019.
本文仅代表作者本人观点，与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题，尊重他人，禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。
Abouttheauthor:
ZhangXinisTraineratchinadaily.com.cn.HehasbeenwithChinaDailysince1988,whenhegraduatedfromBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity.Writehimat:zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn,orraiseaquestionforpotentialuseinafuturecolumn.
（作者：张欣编辑：丹妮）
来源：中国日报网
