red tape

red tape. A bureaucratic procedure required to be followed before official action can be taken; esp. rigid adherence to time-consuming rules and regulations; excessive bureaucracy. • The phrase originally referred to the red ribbons that lawyers and government officials once used to tie their papers together.

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词条贡献者

译者Celia，毕业于新加坡知名法学院，擅长翻译涉及信息和智能技术领域的法律文件。