Nelly Min

Reader's question: What's the catch? This price is too incredible to believe. What's the catch? Could you explain “what’s the catch”?

My comments:

The dictionary defines “catch” as “any tricky or concealed drawback.” As in, “It seems so easy that there must be a catch somewhere.”

This can apply to any situation that appears too good to be true.

For instance, when you are out shopping and find a great deal, your immediate reaction might be, “What’s the catch?”

Or when you get offered a good job with great pay, you might believe there is a catch.

This natural reaction might say something about people’s sense of fairness, or balance, the firm belief that anything good must come with something bad. But sometimes, there are no catches, and a good thing is just that – a good thing.

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本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

Nelly Min?is a reporter at the China Daily website.