【字面理解】第五縱隊隊員。
【英文解析】a member of a subversive organization who tries to help an enemy invade.
【中文解析】在城內作內應的人;敵人派入的間諜;通敵的 內奸。
【典型例句】① When Anna learned that Dale had been killed aboard the ship, she took steps to identify the fifth columnist who might be responsible.安娜得知戴爾在 船上被殺后,她采取措施要抓出干這件事的內奸。
② The country was betrayed from within by a fifth columnist. 這個國家被內奸出賣了。
【注釋】1936年西班牙內戰(zhàn)時期,西班牙獨裁者弗朗哥的 部下莫拉率領的四個縱隊進攻首都馬德里(Madrid)。 攻城前他發(fā)表廣播講話:我率領的四個縱隊已包圍了 馬德里,第五縱隊則部署在城內。后來該習語用于指 “間謀、內奸”。變體:fifthcolumnism(間諜活動)。