dead letter

英 [ˌded ˈletə(r)]

美 [ˌded ˈletər]

n.  无人遵守的法律; 形同虚设的规定; 空文; 死信; 无法投递(或退回)的邮件

法律

牛津词典

noun

• 无人遵守的法律；形同虚设的规定；空文
  a law or an agreement that still exists but that is ignored
• 死信；无法投递（或退回）的邮件
  a letter that cannot be delivered to an address or to the person who sent it

柯林斯词典

• N-COUNT 形同虚设的法律（或协议）；空文
  If you say that a law or agreement is adead letter, you mean that it still exists but people ignore it.
  1. No one does anything about it and the law becomes a dead letter.
     没有人执行它，该法律变成了一纸空文。

英英释义

noun

• mail that can neither be delivered nor returned
  Synonym:dead mail
• the state of something that has outlived its relevance
  Synonym:non-issue

双语例句

• No one does anything about it and the law becomes a dead letter.
  没有人执行它，该法律变成了一纸空文。
• In addition, it is a good system will also need bodies to implement, or it amounted to a dead letter.
  另外，再好的制度也需要人来贯彻执行，否则无异于一纸空文。
• It is regrettable that our appeal remains a dead letter.
  遗憾的是，我们的呼吁没有得到响应。
• If the preferential agricultural policy implementation is not in place, and even to develop unreasonable, not timely introduction of preferential agricultural policy, is bound to make a dead letter.
  如果惠农政策实施不到位，乃至制定不合理，出台不及时，则必然会使惠农政策成为一纸空文。
• Without sound implementation, even a perfect law would be nothing more than a dead letter.
  制定再完美的法律，如果不能得到很好的实施，也无异于一纸空文。
• To reign in the late escape people basically disappeared, although the law did not escape were abolished, has lost its value and significance of its existence, become a dead letter.
  到康熙中后期，逃人基本绝迹，逃人法虽未被废止，却失去了其存在价值和意义，成为一纸空文。
• A telephone call is dead as soon as it's over, but a letter can last forever.
  电话一打完就结束了，而信件可以永久保存。
• Articles of association should be a place where the investors compete for their interest and regulate the orders of the company rather than a dead letter.
  公司章程不应再是一纸空文，而应当是投资者争取投资利益，规范公司管理秩序的战场。
• Our appeal remained a dead letter.
  我们的呼吁犹如石沉大海。
• It also forbade exchange rate manipulation but the term was never coherently defined and the relevant provision became a dead letter.
  它也禁止汇率操纵，但这个术语从未得到过一致的定义，相关条款成为一纸空文。