Zero tolerance_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Zero tolerance

Reader question: In this passage – In Spain, about 75,000 lorry drivers have been on strike since Sunday night and more than 70 have been arrested. The Spanish government has promised zero tolerance for any violence by the drivers, following a series of incidents which included an attack on a trucker who broke the strike. That attack left him with 25% burns to his body (Truckers strike worldwide, BBC Learning English, June 13, 2008) – what does "zero tolerance" mean? Is it a good phrase to learn to use?

My comments: "Zero tolerance", literally meaning no tolerance at all is by and large a political jargon. Use it with care.

I mean, by all means use it insofar as you use it in the right situations and in proper context.

"Zero tolerance" was originally a law enforcement term popularized by the police in America, at first referring to "get tough" policies against certain widespread crimes. It's very similar to what the Chinese police call a "crackdown". A "crackdown" on theft, for instance, means severe punishment for pickpockets, burglars and the like – during a crackdown, even the slightest crimes could get the longest sentences allowable by law. In fact, a pickpocket might get the same sentence during a crackdown as does a government official who has stolen millions from the people in normal circumstances. That's what a crackdown means. That's exactly what "zero tolerance" means. In the trucker strike story, when the Spanish government "promises zero tolerance for violence", it means to punish violent strikers most severely, without leniency and disregarding extenuating circumstances which in normal times might lead to nicer treatment. In other words, all violence during the strike, whether serious or not serious, will be treated as, well, serious (for lack of a more specific word). Authorities like to be vague, anyway, so that may as well do.