Then they condemn him. They lead him away to the galleys. They chain him to the bench and to the oar. There follow the days and long years when he pulls on the oar under the lash. Day after day he pulls on the oar. Day after day he writhes under the sting of the lash. Years of the cruel injustice pass. Ben Hur is the helpless victim of a mocking fate.英文原著 · 《The University of Hard Knocks》
That seems to be your life and my life. In the kitchen or the office, or wherever we work we seem so often like slaves bound to the oar and pulling under the sting of the lash of necessity. Life seems one futureless round of drudgery. We wonder why. We often look across the street and see somebody who lives a happier life. That one is chained to no oar. See what a fine time they all have. Why must we pull on the oar?英文原著 · 《The University of Hard Knocks》
They slipped down to the sea without attracting the attention of Gaspare, got into the little boat, and rowed gently out towards Nisida. "I feel like a contrabandista," said Artois, as they stole under the lee of the island towards the open sea--"as if Gaspare would fire upon us if he heard the sound of oars."
"Quick! Quick! Let us get away. Pull harder, Monsieur Emile! How slow you are!"
Laughingly Artois bent to the oars. "Vere, you are a baby!" he said. "And what are you, then, I should like to know?" she answered, with dignity.英文原著 · 《A Spirit in Prison》
The kings now laid out their oars, and prepared to attack (A.D. 1000). King Svein laid his ship against the Long Serpent. Outside of him Olaf the Swede laid himself, and set his ship's stern against the outermost ship of King Olaf's line; and on the other side lay Earl Eirik. Then a hard combat began. Earl Sigvalde held back with the oars on his ships, and did not join the fray. So says Skule Thorsteinson, who at that time was with Earl Eirik: --英文原著 · 《Heimskringla》
"'Tis in the fight, not on the wave, That oars may break and fail the brave. At sea, beneath the ice-cold sky, Safely our oars o'er ocean ply; And when at Throndhjem's holy stream Our seventy cars in distance gleam, We seem, while rowing from the sea, An erne with iron wings to be."英文原著 · 《Heimskringla》
Thee, loved virgin, freed from fear Home the Argive bark shall bear: Mountain Pan, with thrilling strain, To the oars that dash the main In just cadence well agreed, Shall accord his wax-join'd reed: Phoebus, with a prophet's fire Sweeping o'er his seven-string'd lyre, And his voice attuning high To the swelling harmony, Thee shall guide the wild waves o'er To the soft Athenian shore. Leaving me, thy oars shall sweep Eager o'er the foaming deep: Thou shalt catch the rising gales Swelling in thy firm-bound sails; And thy bark in gallant pride Light shall o'er the billows glide.英文原著 · 《Iphigenia in Tauris》
My guess is cousin Isobel. She always likes to stick her oar in.美剧 · 《Downton Abbey》
And after Sulla had him killed, he held up his head in the forum and looked into the boy's dead eyes and said, "First, you must learn to pull an oar.美剧 · 《House of Cards》
Let's bring this ship back into shore and throw away the oars forever.美剧 · 《Shameless》