A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth.The term derives from the story that the kings of Siam (now Thailand) were accustomed to make a present of one of these animals to courtiers who had rendered themselves obnoxious,in order to ruin the recipient by the cost of its maintenance.In modern usage,it is an object,scheme,business venture,facility,etc.,considered to be without use or value.
白象、大白象,詞源自英語(yǔ)“White Elephant”,指一項(xiàng)很貴重,需要很高昂費(fèi)用維持,但卻難有巨大經(jīng)濟(jì)效益的資產(chǎn).這名詞的來(lái)源有不同說(shuō)法,一般認(rèn)為是1901年,當(dāng)時(shí)的紐約巨人棒球隊(duì)（今舊金山巨人）經(jīng)理John McGraw評(píng)論費(fèi)城商人Benjamin Shibe收購(gòu)當(dāng)時(shí)的費(fèi)城運(yùn)動(dòng)家棒球隊(duì)（今奧克蘭運(yùn)動(dòng)家）時(shí)說(shuō)的.當(dāng)時(shí),運(yùn)動(dòng)員隊(duì)經(jīng)理Connie Mack選擇了象作為球隊(duì)的標(biāo)志及吉祥物,球隊(duì)有時(shí)被稱為白象.
白象詞源的另一個(gè)說(shuō)法,是從前泰國(guó)國(guó)王如果不喜歡某人,便會(huì)送一只大白象給他.白象是稀有且珍貴的動(dòng)物,受到保護(hù),不可被屠殺,但飼養(yǎng)起來(lái)的耗費(fèi)卻十分龐大,因而往往導(dǎo)致受贈(zèng)白象者苦不堪言.