“sitting duck”是英语中最形象的喻指类习语，词源直接源于打猎与射击场景：鸭子在水面游动时灵活难击中，但“坐着不动的鸭子（sitting duck）”毫无躲避能力，是最容易命中的目标。其核心语义可精准概括为“易受攻击、毫无防备的人或事物,易被击中的目标,待宰羔羊，坐以待毙者，活靶子，囊中之物”，强调“因缺乏警惕、无法移动或毫无反抗能力，而成为他人轻易攻击、利用的对象”，既可指“人”（如毫无防备的受害者），也可指“物”（如易被摧毁的目标），语境中自带“被动、脆弱”的隐含逻辑。如：

Nancy knew she'd be a sitting duck when she raised the trap door.

南希明白，只要一打开天窗，她马上就会成为受攻击的目标。

She’s so trusting—when he lied about his past, she was a sitting duck for his deception.

她太容易相信别人了——当他隐瞒过去时，她完全是他欺骗的“活靶子”。

If you keep forgiving his cheating without setting boundaries, you’ll be a sitting duck for more heartbreak.

如果你总是原谅他的出轨却不设底线，你只会成为他再次伤害你的“软柿子”。

He pretended to be a kind stranger, and she, lonely and naive, was a sitting duck for his romantic tricks.

他装作善良的陌生人，而孤独又天真的她，成了他浪漫骗局里的“囊中之物”。

Students who don’t prepare for the oral exam will be sitting ducks when the teacher asks unexpected questions.

不准备口语考试的学生，在老师提问意外问题时，会成为“任人提问的靶子”。

The politician’s past scandal was exposed, making him a sitting duck for his opponents’ attacks during the election.

这位政客的过往丑闻被曝光，使他在选举中成为对手攻击的“活靶子”。

Small companies without digital transformation plans are sitting ducks in the face of market changes led by big tech firms.”（没有数字化转型计划的小公司，在科技巨头主导的市场变革中，就是“待宰的羔羊”。

The country’s weak military made it a sitting duck for neighboring powers’ territorial demands.

这个国家军力薄弱，在邻国的领土要求面前成了“软骨头”。

The unguarded outpost, located in an open field, was a sitting duck for the enemy’s night raid.

这个无人守卫的前哨站位于开阔地带，是敌人夜袭的“绝佳目标”。

The agent warned Bond: “The hotel is surrounded—if you stay there, you’re a sitting duck for the assassins.”

特工警告邦德：“酒店已经被包围了——如果你留在那儿，就是刺客们的“囊中之物”。《007：大破量子危机》