Sob是哭泣的意思，story就是故事。Sob story的意思就是“某人编造一个令人伤心的故事来赢得别人的同情，甚至于让别人给钱来帮助他”。下面是一位女士在描述她怎么听了一个sob story以后受骗的：

        Usually I don't give money to beggars. But this nice young man told me a sob story about needing money for a bus ticket to see his dying mother, so I gave him two dollars.

        一般我是不给乞丐钱的。但是，这个看上去挺不错的年轻人告诉我他需要钱坐公共汽车去看他那快要死的妈妈。他说得这么悲惨，我就给了他两块钱。

        世界上好心人是不少的，下面这个例子又是一个人上了sob story的当：

        On my way to work this man stopped me and said that he hadn't eaten in three days so I gave him a dollar. On my way home I saw him get into a new car and drive off and now I know he had given me a sob story.

        在我去上班的路上那个人挡住了我，对我说，他已经三天没有吃东西了。所以我给了他一块钱。可是，我在回家的路上看见他跨进了一辆新汽车开走了。我这才知道他说的全是假的。