third rail

1. N-COUNT The third rail on a railway track is the steel bar which passes electric current to a train. (鐵路軌道)第三軌; 輸電軌

2. N-SING If you refer to something as the third rail of a political situation, you mean that it would be dangerous to make changes to that thing because people feel very strongly about it. (政治上的)險(xiǎn)局[美國(guó)英語(yǔ)] ['the' N]

Politicians speak of Social Security as the third rail. To touch it is to commit political suicide. 社保對(duì)政客們來說是個(gè)高危帶電的話題，碰它就等于政治自殺。