嗨，大家好 ！rob這個詞有「搶劫，掠奪」的含義，pay有「支付，償還」的含義，那英語習語rob Peter to pay Paul是什麼意思呢？
rob Peter to pay Paul的意思是「to borrow money from one person to pay back money you borrowed from someone else」，即「拆東牆補西牆，挖肉補瘡，借新債還舊債」。
有人說這句習語可能源於the Peter tax and the Paul tax這個詞。the Peter tax指的是人們為修建聖彼得教堂而必須繳納的稅款，而the Paul tax則是指人們為修建聖保羅大教堂而必須繳納的稅款。 而一個人如果不交稅，也就是指某人在掠奪教皇應得的東西。所以說不交聖彼得教堂的稅是為了交修建聖保羅大教堂的稅，後來就慢慢有了習語rob Peter to pay Paul。
而在1661年， Peter Heylyn的一篇文章解釋了這句習語的來源：
The lands of Westminster so dilapidated by Bishop Thirlby, that there was almost nothing left to support the dignity; for which good service he had been preferred to the see of Norwich, in the year foregoing. Most of the lands invaded by the great men of the court, the rest laid out for reparation to the church of St Paul - pared almost to the very quick in those days of rapine. From hence first came that significant by-word (as is said by some) ofrobbing Peter to pay Paul.
不過，也有人認為，Peter和Paul就像我們中文中的「張三和李四」，是個泛指，不是具體的某人。某人搶一個人的東西用來補償另一個人，引申一下，也就能表達「借新債還舊債」這樣的含義。
不管這句習語源於哪裡，我們需要記住，這句習語的含義為「拆東牆補西牆，挖肉補瘡，借新債還舊債」。
例句：
The only way we can settle the gas bill is to rob Peter to pay Paul and use the money we've put by for the electricity.
我們能用來解決煤氣費帳單的唯一辦法是先拿出準備付電纜的錢來墊一下。
以上就是今天所學內容，你學會了嗎？