大家也許都熟悉envelope這個詞，知道它是“信封”的意思。但在push the envelope這個習慣用語中，envelope可不是信封的意思，它是個技術性的詞匯，指機械或其它設備的性能范圍，或者功用極限。例如，一輛汽車的設計規格為最高時速180公里，如果你以190公里的時速駕駛這輛車，那么你就是在push the envelope，超越它的性能范圍或者是在玩命了。
再例如: “Test pilots often have to put themselves into danger. Sometimes they have to push the envelope to see whether a newly designed plane really can meet the limits the designers planned.”
不過現在這個短語已經不僅僅局限于機械工程領域使用了，日常生活中人際關系的緊張化也可以用這個短語來形容。例如: “He push the envelope when he hit his wife at the party after getting drunk. She asked for divorce the next day. “ (在晚會上他喝醉了酒，當眾毆打了妻子，這已經超過了他太太的忍耐極限，她第二天就提出要和他離婚。)
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