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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
What is the meaning of 'trenches'?
Hi,
Can someone help me by giving me the meaning of 'trenches' in this context:
Chua's reports from the trenches of authoritarian parenthood are indeed disconcerting, even shocking, in their candid admission of maternal ruthlessness. Her book is a Mommie Dearest for the age of the memoir, when we tell tales on ourselves instead of our relatives. But there's something else behind the intense reaction to Tiger Mother, which has shot to the top of best-seller lists even as it's been denounced on the airwaves and the Internet. Though Chua was born and raised in the U.S., her invocation of what she describes as traditional "Chinese parenting" has hit hard at a national sore spot: our fears about losing ground to China and other rising powers and about adequately preparing our children to survive in the global economy. Her stories of never accepting a grade lower than an A, of insisting on hours of math and spelling drills and piano and violin practice each day (weekends and vacations included), of not allowing playdates or sleepovers or television or computer games or even school plays, for goodness' sake, have left many readers outraged but also defensive. The tiger mother's cubs are being raised to rule the world, the book clearly implies, while the offspring of "weak-willed," "indulgent" Westerners are growing up ill equipped to compete in a fierce global marketplace.
Can someone help me by giving me the meaning of 'trenches' in this context:
Chua's reports from the trenches of authoritarian parenthood are indeed disconcerting, even shocking, in their candid admission of maternal ruthlessness. Her book is a Mommie Dearest for the age of the memoir, when we tell tales on ourselves instead of our relatives. But there's something else behind the intense reaction to Tiger Mother, which has shot to the top of best-seller lists even as it's been denounced on the airwaves and the Internet. Though Chua was born and raised in the U.S., her invocation of what she describes as traditional "Chinese parenting" has hit hard at a national sore spot: our fears about losing ground to China and other rising powers and about adequately preparing our children to survive in the global economy. Her stories of never accepting a grade lower than an A, of insisting on hours of math and spelling drills and piano and violin practice each day (weekends and vacations included), of not allowing playdates or sleepovers or television or computer games or even school plays, for goodness' sake, have left many readers outraged but also defensive. The tiger mother's cubs are being raised to rule the world, the book clearly implies, while the offspring of "weak-willed," "indulgent" Westerners are growing up ill equipped to compete in a fierce global marketplace.
Top answer
Trenches are where the common foot soldier fights — on the ground and facing the enemy. 'In the trenches' refers to those people who are actually doing (usually, 'suffering') on a daily basis what is being discussed.
- Trenches are where the common foot soldier fights — on the ground and facing the enemy.
- 'In the trenches' refers to those people who are actually doing (usually, 'suffering') on a daily basis what is being discussed.
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2 Answers
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Trenches are where the common foot soldier fights — on the ground and facing the enemy. 'In the trenches' refers to those people who are actually doing (usually, 'suffering') on a daily basis what is being discussed.
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Thank you very much Mister Micawber. I knew the meaning relating to the military part but I didn't know how to paraphrase it in context. Thank you for helping me out.
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