hell—on—wheels暴徒；不法分子；没有法治的地方

【使用地区】：美国西部

【释义】：

Union Pacific Railroad construction gangs in the 1860s lived in boxcars that were pulled along as the line progressed．Traveling and living with these hard—drinking，often violent men were gamblers，prostitutes，and other unsavory characters．The wiid congregation assembled in the boxcars suggested the population of hell to settlers，and the transient town was called hell—on—wheels，a colorful term soon applied to any violent，vicious person or lawless place．

19世纪60年代，联邦太平洋铁路建设队生活在篷车里，这些篷车随着铁路线的推进而向前移动。与这些经常狂饮的暴徒一起跋涉和生活的是赌棍、妓女和其他残暴的人。这些聚集在篷车里的乌合之众对当地居民而言是一种灾难，而这些篷车就象短暂逗留的城镇，就被称为hellon—wheels(在车子上的灾难)。这个富于表现力的词语很快就被用来指暴徒、不法分子或没有法治的地方。