词语掌故：大人物(1/2)
概括：当人们形容一个人很重要，或者他认为自己很重要的时候，会用到一些短语，“大人物”就是从假发的大小长短衍生而来的一个。Hints:
World War Two
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答疑：天地一沙鸥wphttp://t1.g.hjfile.cn/listen/201204/201204120738378606377.mp3Some expressions describe people who are important, or who at least think they are. One such expression is bigwig.
In the 17th century, important men in Europe began to wear false hair, called wigs. As years passed, wigs began to get bigger. The size of a man's wig depended on how important he was. The more important he was -- or thought he was -- the bigger the wig he wore. Some wigs were so large they covered a man's shoulders or back.
Today, the expression bigwig is used to make fun of a person who feels important. People never tell someone he is a bigwig. They only use the expression behind his back.
Big wheel is another way to describe an important person. A big wheel may be the head of a company, a political leader, a famous movie star. They are big wheels because they are powerful. What they do affects many people. Big wheels give the orders. Other people carry them out. As in many machines, a big wheel makes the little wheels turn.
Big wheel began a popular expression after World War Two. It probably comes from an expression used for many years by people who fix parts of cars and trucks. They said a person rolled a big wheel if he was important and had influence.当人们形容一个人很重要，或者他认为自己很重要的时候，会用到一些短语，“bigwig”就是从假发的大小长短衍生而来的一个。
从17世纪开始，在欧洲的要人们开始佩戴假发。到了后来，假发越来越长。一个人假发的长短取决于他的重要程度。他越重要——或者他自认为如此——他的假发就越长。有些假发甚至过肩、齐背。
今天，“bigwig”用来嘲笑那些自恃甚高的人。人们从不对人说自己是“bigwig”。他们只会私下这么说。
“big wheel”是另一个形容大人物的短语。此人可能是公司的老总，一位政治领袖，或是一位电影明星。他们被称作“big wheel” 的原因在于他们实力强大。他们的行为影响了众人。这些大人物下命令，让其他人去执行。正如许多机器中，小轮子总是围绕着大轮子转的。
该短语在二战后被广泛是使用。它可能源于一个被汽车或卡车修理工用了许多年的表述。人们说如果一个人是个人物、有影响力的话，便能转动大轮。
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