Chain Is No Stronger Than Its Weakest Link ——一環薄弱全局壞

** meaning，alternatives，origin，usage

** A system, organization, or process is only as strong or effective as its most vulnerable or flawed component.

一環薄弱全局壞；木桶定律；一著不慎，滿盤皆輸；千里之堤，潰於蟻穴；細節決定成敗

~~ chain is only as strong as its weakest link; organization is only as strong as its weakest person; a rotten apple spoils the barrel; one sickly sheep infects the flock; a small leak sinks a great ship; one false step brings everlasting grief

!! Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid wrote in 1786 Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man: "In every chain of reasoning, the evidence of the last conclusion can be no greater than that of the weakest link of the chain." In 1887, Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes applied the same principle tactically. Hunting a gang of criminals, Holmes declared, "No chain is stronger than its weakest link." and made it his strategy to target the most vulnerable member, who would then lead him to the others.

蘇格蘭哲學家托馬斯 · 里德在一七八六年《論人的理智能力》中寫道：“在任何推理鏈中，最終結論的證據力，絕不會大於該鏈條中最薄弱環節的證據力。”一八八七年，亞瑟 · 柯南 · 道爾筆下的偵探夏洛克 · 福爾摩斯，將同樣的原則運用於策略上。在追緝一個犯罪團伙時，福爾摩斯宣稱：“鏈條的強度絕不超過其最薄弱的環節。”策略是鎖定最脆弱的成員，然後讓他帶領自己找到其他成員。

>> In the Iran war, if U.S. runs short on artillery shells and precision missiles, its entire military effort could falter——proving that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link.

在伊朗戰爭中，如果美國砲彈和精確導引導彈短缺，其整個軍事行動都可能崩潰——這證明，一環薄弱全局壞。

>> The Strait of Hormuz is blocked——proving that the global oil and gas chain is no stronger than its weakest link.

霍爾木茲海峽被封鎖——這證明，全球油氣供應鏈是木桶定律。

學勤教育中心英語專科導師 李啟文 教授