snake oil

英 [ˈsneɪk ɔɪl]

美 [ˈsneɪk ɔɪl]

n.  推销者的所谓“万应灵药”; 毫无用处(或效果)的推销品

牛津词典

noun

• 推销者的所谓“万应灵药”；毫无用处（或效果）的推销品
  something, for example medicine, that sb tries to sell you, but that is not effective or useful
  1. a snake-oil salesman
     劣质品推销员

英英释义

noun

• communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive
  Synonym:humbug
• (medicine) any of various liquids sold as medicine (as by a travelling medicine show) but medically worthless

双语例句

• For Sarah Palin and her pals, man-made global warming is nothing but a "bunch of snake oil science".
  对莎拉佩林（sarahpalin）及其同党来说，由人类导致的全球变暖不过是些“江湖科学”。
• The authors rightly eschew the determinism peddled by the snake oil salesmen of futurology.
  报告作者正确地避开了未来学贩卖者散播的决定论。
• Thoroughly clean the section of the new drilling line to be spliced with the snake, and remove any grease or oil ( the snake line depends on friction to function).
  彻底清洗新大绳穿入蛇皮接绳器的部位，把油污都弄掉。（蛇皮接绳器主要靠摩擦锁紧）
• Not only that: it may also produce the want for the snake oil itself.
  不仅如此：它可能还会生产对万金油的需求。
• It fails to take into account the roles of confidence, stories and snake oil in economic fluctuation.
  它没有考虑到信心、故事以及万金油对经济波动产生的影响。
• It would throw everything we've done into disrepute, could make us look as if we reinvented snake oil.
  那会使我们所干的一切名誉扫地，可能使我们显得像是在重新搬出蛇油膏那一套玩艺儿。
• They'll react as if you're selling snake oil.
  他们会反应好像你是在贩卖蛇油。
• Please. Don't let the double dealing, snake oil politicians from Beijing share the spoils of this war.
  拜托，不要让那些从北京来的里外装好人，油腔滑调的政客分享这次战争的战利品。
• It will produce snake oil.
  它将会生产万金油。
• On the other hand, when confidence is high, and since financial assets are hard to evaluate by those who are buying them, people will and do buy snake oil.
  另一方面，当信心过高时，由于购买金融资产的人难以对这些资产进行估值，人们将愿意并且确实会购买万金油。