So, it's used in a metaphorical sense to mean that something bad is going to happen.

所以，它被用于比喻意义，意思是不好的事情将要发生。

You could also use the verb " to beget" in a more metaphorical sense to mean to bring about or to give rise to, to create.

你也可以在更隐喻的意义上使用动词“to beget”来表示 bring about or to give rise to, to create。

So if you think literally someone has no backbone, they're going to go over like that, but this is used in a metaphorical sense, not a literal sense.

因此，如果您从字面上认为某人没有骨气， 他们就会那样过去，但这是在比喻意义上使用的， 而不是字面意义上的。

The lines between fiction and reality become blurred, and in a metaphorical sense, when enough people believe in the urban legend, to them it might as well be real.

虚构与现实之间的界限变得模糊， 从隐喻的意义上讲，当有足够多的人相信这个都市传说时， 对他们来说它就像是真实的一样。

I should premise that I use this term in a large and metaphorical sense, including dependence of one being on another, and including (which is more important) not only the life of the individual, but success in leaving progeny.

我应该假设我在广泛和隐喻的意义上使用这个术语， 包括一个人对另一个人的依赖，并且（更重要的是）不仅包括个人的生命， 还包括成功地留下后代。

We can also use this in a more metaphorical sense, you can say that becoming president of the company is out of my grasp – it's too far away from me, I can't reach it, I can't obtain it.

我们也可以用更隐喻的方式来使用这个，你可以说成为公司的总裁是我无法企及的——离我太远了， 我够不着，我得不到。