英語(yǔ)陷阱系列

字號(hào):

He is a bicycle doctor.
    他是單車修理工.
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     此句不能譯作:"他是個(gè)騎單車的醫(yī)生",因句中的doctor是委婉語(yǔ)(euphemism),
    是對(duì)某種職業(yè)的美稱,故不作"醫(yī)生"解,而是表示repair man的涵義.
    委婉語(yǔ)起源于遠(yuǎn)古,維多利來(lái)女王時(shí)代中期為其鼎盛時(shí)期,在現(xiàn)代英語(yǔ)中,
    其出現(xiàn)頻率依然頗高,因?yàn)槿藗兺ㄟ^委婉語(yǔ),可以用溫順悅耳的詞語(yǔ)去談?wù)摶?BR>    敘述一些原來(lái)令人不快或逆耳之事物.為此,他們用domestic help,day help或
    live-in help代替mail或servant(傭人); 以custodian或superintendent替代
    doorkeeper,caretaker或janitor(看門人或管理人);用She has a tile loose或
    She has a cylinder missing去代替She is crazy或Sh is not right in the head(神經(jīng)失常).
     委婉語(yǔ)多如恒河沙數(shù),不勝枚舉,在此略舉數(shù)例,以見一斑:
     原 稱 委 婉 語(yǔ)
    無(wú)線電修理工 radio electrician radio doctor
    理發(fā)師 barber cosmotologist
    妓女 whore working girl/ street girl
    家庭婦女 housewife household executive
    收垃圾工人 garbage collector sanitary engineer
    老年 old age second childhood
    老人 old people senior citizens
    假牙 false teeth dentures
    小解 piss urinate/ number one
     最后請(qǐng)看幾個(gè)委婉類例:
    Nowadays many weight-watchers would like to go to the gym.
    如今有不少胖人喜歡到健身房去鍛煉.
    That luster has taken a fancy to Middle Eastern dancing.
    那個(gè)好色之徒現(xiàn)在開始喜歡肚皮舞.
    They are the culturally deprived.
    他們是沒有學(xué)識(shí)的人.
    A libray of teaching materials for preventing teenage suicides
    will open for educators in Hong Kong this year.
    今年香港將為教師開設(shè)一家圖書館以提供防止青少年自殺的教學(xué)資料.
     值得注意的是,委婉語(yǔ)雖然是"古已有之,于今為烈",但決不能用得過多過濫.
    使用時(shí)要考慮場(chǎng)合和對(duì)象,如用得不得體,反而會(huì)使你"欲禮而不達(dá)",甚至令人不知所云,一頭霧水.