刀俎 meaning in English

[书面语] (宰割工具) butcher's knife and chopping board (比喻宰割者或迫害者)

Alternately anvil and hammer, morocco has seen the glories and the foibles of man, his triumphs and degradations .
摩洛哥或为刀俎，或为鱼肉，历尽人间沧桑，有显赫的时候，也有衰败的时候。
The average man is either victorious or defeated and , depending on that , he becomes a persecutor or a victim
常人抑或战胜,抑或失败,据此,他或是刀俎,或成鱼肉。
These slaps from my father caused me much pain , but they could not compare to the suffering of animals before they are slaughtered
我想，父亲这两巴掌，就让我感到如此痛楚，而那同样是父母所生有血有肉的众生，它们在刀俎下所受的苦又将是如何地难以忍受？