Definition
替罪羊 literally means 'a sheep that takes the punishment for a crime', but it's a fixed metaphor for a scapegoat — someone who is blamed for a mistake or wrongdoing that others are actually responsible for. You can use it for a person, a group, or even an organization that gets unfairly blamed. It's a common term in news, politics, and workplace discussions.
n.
scapegoat
Examples
- ,替罪羊。Chū le shì, lǐngdǎo zǒngshì zhǎo tì zuì yáng.When something goes wrong, the boss always looks for a scapegoat.
- 替罪羊。Tā chéngle zhè cì shìgù de tì zuì yáng.He became the scapegoat for this accident.
- ,替罪羊。Gōngsī bùnéng bǎ zérèn dōu tuī gěi yí gè rén, nà shì bù gōngpíng de tì zuì yáng.The company can't push all the responsibility onto one person — that's an unfair scapegoat.
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