2024 美国大选进入最后倒数，民主党候选人卡玛拉·哈里斯（Kamala Harris）与共和党的特朗普（Donald Trump）上台后对世界会有什么影响？
最新一期《经济学人》一篇关于美国大选的文章——How bad could a second Trump presidency get? 特朗普若第二次当选会有多糟糕？导语指出，特朗普若再次当选对美国经济和制度以及整个世界都将造成巨大的伤害。
那么，再看小标题“a sting in the tail risks”，应该能猜出来“a sting in the tail”的意思吧？
a sting in the tail 固定搭配，英文释义为：an unpleasant feature that comes at the end of a story, an event, etc. and spoils it，表示“煞风景的结局”、“使人不快的结尾”。
再看一个《经济学人》的标题：The coming global economic boom could have a sting in the tail。
福布斯杂志Forbes在一篇关于苹果公司警告iPhone手机偷盗者的文章中也使用了“a sting in the tail”：
Apple stores were attacked or damaged in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Philadelphia, with looters stealing whatever products were accessible at the time. But this being Apple, there is a sting in the tail for anyone stealing a boxed iPhone from one of those retail stores
The Guardian 多次用到“a sting in the tail”这个表达：
That statement certainly had a sting in the tail.
Climate change has a sting in the tail for a city's trees, though.
Sunday Times例句：
Even when he ended up with a winners' medal around his neck, there has been a sting in the tail.
But if you are a higher-rate taxpayer the gift comes with a sting in the tail.
Rising wages carry a sting in the tail, though.
回到sting 这个单词：
作名词时，表示“（昆虫的）刺、螫针，（植物的）刺”，“刺伤、蜇伤、叮伤”，引申义表示“（身体或心灵的）剧痛、痛苦”，英文释义为any sharp pain in your body or mind。
A wasp or bee sting is painful but not necessarily serious. 被黄蜂或蜜蜂蜇一下疼是疼，但未必碍事。
He smiled at her, trying to take the sting out ofhis words . 他冲她微微一笑，想使他的话不至于刺痛她。
作动词时，本义表示“蜇；刺痛”，引申义是“使不安、激怒”，英文释义为to make sb feel angry or upset，常见搭配 sting sb (to/into sth)~ sb (into doing sth)。
Tears stung her eyes. 她流泪流得眼睛疼。
Their cruel remarks stung her into action. 他们伤人的话激怒了她，使她不得不采取行动。
Ted-Ed在“如何应对拒绝”中提到：
It can sting when a stranger doesn't laugh at your joke, but it doesn't make sense to react strongly to a rejection with little impact on your life.
当一个陌生人对你的笑话不屑一顾时，确实会让你感到扎心，但如果这个拒绝不怎么会影响你的生活，那就没必要作出什么强烈的反应。
sting的同根词有：stingy adj. 吝啬的；有刺的，刺人的；stingless adj. 无刺的，无针的；stinger n. 讽刺者。
碎片化学英语，今天搞定a sting in the tail，感谢大家阅读。
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