| 释义 |
snakehead, n.2
Brit. |ˈsneɪkhɛd|, U.S. |ˈsneɪkˌ(h)ɛd|
[‹ snake n. + head n.1, after Chinese (Mandarin) shétóu, (Cantonese jatoh), lit. ‘snake-head’ ‹ Mandarin shé snake + tóu head, after rén shé smuggled immigrant, lit. ‘human snake’.]
In China: a person who takes money in return for organizing or facilitating the illegal immigration of Chinese nationals into another country, esp. one in North America or Europe.
1965China Q. No. 22 182 They wait for relatives in Hong Kong to make arrangements with the ‘snakeheads’, or Hong Kong immigration smugglers. 1985Observer 28 July 15/3 The terrorist snakeheads..carry out brutal acts of murder. 1998National Geographic Aug. 71/1 (caption) To reach the U.S., some recent arrivals promised as much as $35,000 to smugglers, called snakeheads, who don't hesitate to use intimidation and violence to exact payment in full. 2004Daily Tel. 10 June 1/4 Boat owners..were approached by snakeheads and asked to drop immigrants ‘close to the shore of the UK’. |