Eating A Dead Cat 吃死猫

The explicit Chinese expression of Eating A Dead Cat （吃死猫 - Chi Si Mao) is commonly used to describe a person suffering a wrong accusation but yet could do nothing about it. Either you can't explain or you don't bother to or you are in a peculiar situation to accept it. The three simple Chinese words many times best describe the helpless situation a person is in. In life, you just cannot totally avoid to Eat A Dead Cat at times. The result could be a harmless laughing matter but it could also have a devastating effect.

Probably because of character, went through more times than others in such situations. Right from school days when you were young and playful but popular, you ended up as a notorious student in the teachers' eyes. When you gained recognition because of your maturity and ability, you were labelled as bootlickers by fellow schoolmates. It seemed that you just could not have the best of both worlds. But there was probably nothing you could do except to Eat the Dead Cat.

When you started working, your drive and passion could well ended up a sabotaging act to the mediocre colleagues. But when an accountable person is needed in a bad light, your boss may not hesitate to put you forward. Again there was probably nothing much you could do except to Eat the Dead Cat. Your counter-actions may again be seen negatively as promoting office politics.

Likewise in the earlier mention of the relationship, it would have been common because out of love or you were not given the opportunity to explain yourself. But for love, Eating A Dead Cat is basically done willingly and there would be no bad feeling.

But A Dead Cat is never good to Eat at anytime; especially if the end result proves too damaging or it was offered so someone else could escape justice or simply for you to take all the hits. That was the situation 5 months ago at work, despite all the hard works; all the goods you had done were easily forgotten. So easy forgotten because it would bring a sense of guilt if you Eat the Dead Cat for them. So easy because it would help to defuse and divert the attention of the bad shape they were in.

To complete the loop; they acted as though they tried to reconcile the situation and yet they prevented you from accessing your defence. They knew only too well if you survive, they were probably gone down the drains. They knew having you to Eat a Dead Cat was definitely better than they swallowed a Living Tiger.

Not that you do not want to defend yourself but just felt sick to the way they were and what is the point of defending when you know that all they want is a scapegoat. That was why for the near 3 months seclude living, to find within self what have you done to deserve this. You were the first to stand in the line for any battle, the first to cut short your vacation so others could enjoy a longer stay; the first to take a pay cut so others could support a bigger family and finally they place you first and the only to face the firing squad.

Numbers don't lie; this is a favorite because it always tells the truth. When they did not have them, they implied something fishy. When the numbers showed, they said they were too busy to look at them. But again, this is a fact of life. Eating a Dead Cat is happening everyday and everywhere, but it tasted awful if it was offered by your closed pals.

中文词汇常常点出一样事情的精髓；‘吃死猫’就是绝佳的例子。那是对你在那种无可奈何，生吞委屈情况的最佳描述。你可能无法解释，也可能不肖解释，甚至于不能解释。但那种吃死猫的无助感却在这三个字里表露无疑。一个人一生中无法完全避免这个状况。后果可能无伤大雅，却也可能破坏极大。

可能性格使然，吃死猫的次数应该比别人多。少年学生时代的年少轻狂在老师眼中是叛逆不羁；而后稳重能力的显现在同学眼中则是奉承拍马。很难两面讨好，你也只有吃下这只死猫 。长大工作后，对工作的热忱和干劲是平庸同事的胸口痛；面对艰难时刻，老板却毫不犹豫将你推向断头台。你的反抗可能就落个大耍办公室政治的不利标签。反正这只死猫你是吃定了。

吃死猫在前篇所说的感情事里时有发生。出于爱或者你没有机会辩解；但是这只死猫你却吃得心甘情愿，没有怨言。但是死猫并不好吃；尤其吃后‘消化不良’, 后果不堪设想。五个月前工作上的种种；无论先前如何卖力，所作的好事都不曾记得。不曾记得可以减少给你吃死猫的内疚感 不想记得因为可以借此转移视线，忘了他们的狼狈相。

做戏全套是专长，表面极力化解事情，暗地里将你的辩解切断。了解你生则他们亡；了解你吃一只死猫好过他们去啃下一只活老虎。不是不想辩解，只是对于一切反胃之极；只是了解他们所要的是一只代罪羔羊罢了。这造就了近三个月的隐居生活，想要寻找所造何孽，为何此报？你是第一个冲上前线的战士，第一个缩短假期让他们陪伴家人的同事；第一个消减薪水让他们安心养家的朋友。最后你也成了第一个被他们推向火枪队的牺牲品。

数字不会说谎是最爱；皆因它常说真话。当没有数字时的绘声绘影，和数字显现后的无暇兼顾形成强烈对比。这就是人生的一部分，吃死猫时刻发生，但是如果请客的是你原先的战友，那种滋味实在非常人所能忍受。