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西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

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idgaf是什么意思呢?其实就是I don't give a fuck的缩写,意思是我才不在乎,管它呢!相当于我们平时常说的I don't care,与I don't give a shit意思相同。
idgaf其实就是I don't give a fuck的缩写,意思是我才不在乎,管它呢!相当于我们平时常说的I don't care,与I don't give a shit意思相同。


有时可以去掉字母i,写成dgaf,例如"I dgaf about her".,意思是我才不在乎她。

例句:
A: Hey hey you you I don't like your girlfriend
B: idgaf
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

scared to death,吓死了
When she is scared to death, I will be there to comfort her. She will think I am her knight in shining armor.


另外再学两个
吓得毛发倒立是 to make one's hair stand on end;
吓得浑身冰凉是 to make one's blood run cold.
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

扫货 buy a lot of things的地道说法就是 shopping spree



Spree is spelt s-p-r-e-e. Going on a shopping spree means you spend a lot of money during a single shopping trip. 头脑发热,看什么都买。
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

我们常说的“精力充沛”hustle, 如依据美国最具权威的俚语字典 Dictionary of American Slang所列的意思,其使用的方法则大异。
  ① 偷窃
  ② 卖春
  ③ 以不道德的手段赚钱
  ④ 乞食
  每一句的涵意都不很好。尤其是在形容女性“hustle“时,会引起很大的误会。
  “她到夜里就会精神旺盛。”如译成英语,十之八九会被认为是妓女。
  在中学的英语就学到“活跃的人”是hustler,然而hustler用在指女性时, 就成为“娼妇”,男人就成为“用不道德的手段赚钱的人”。
  如是指男人在事业上获得成功, 别人还会带几许羡慕地说:“他是很能干的人” 或“很活跃的人物”,但女性是绝不可hustle的。 当然女性更不能对男性说“我现在很hustle。”

  还有缩写的BG代表business girl,容易受到误解,所以后来有人又创造OL(office lady)以示区别。
  说business girl时,也并不是百分之百指干那种生意,在英国也有office girl的意思。所以即使你不小心地说:
  My sweetheart is a business girl.
  听到你正经八百的英语,也必能体会“他是指OL”,而往好的方面解释。
  但千万不能说刚才的:
  She is a hustler.
  或一时忘记BG的B是什么字时也不能随意说成

 
 She is a B-girl.
  因为B-girl百分之百是指不好的意味。B-girl是Bar-girl的简称。
  (注:BG不是真正的英语,但B-girl是道地的英语。)
  Bar girl使人联想到妓女,是因为美国只能在低级酒吧找到女人。 而她们并没有拿薪水,是让好色的男人请她们喝酒,然后向酒吧拿rebate。
  客人肯请客喝酒, 目的在以后的节目,所以酒吧的女郎几乎都会卖春。
  欧洲也大致相同。在bar或cabaret的女郎可能比美国还要多, 她们是完全以金钱做为交际的代价。让男人开一瓶香槟酒,拿了rebate之后,再和男人出去。 欧美的男人认为B-girl都是可以用金钱买的。而在我国, 高级俱乐部的女侍应生是只卖笑不卖身,否则会认为这些外国佬小看了她们。其实, 罪不在这些外国佬轻视了我们的女性,而是因为欧美的B-girl都是准妓女。

  在此顺便一提的是BG也可认为是Bachelor Girl的简写,“单身女郎”原本并没有坏的意思,但几年前, 美国的赫莲勃朗女士出版了一系列如《单身女郎与性》或《单身女郎与办公室》等畅销书, 结果使得“在办公室工作的单身女性”与“ 性”有了密不可分的印象。
  男性的那个东西是cock,很容易和cook的发音混淆。 一位董事长请外国朋友来家吃饭,接受赞美后,拍一拍凸出的肚子说:“I have a good cook ”如果再向下拍可糟了,真叫人冒冷汗。
  cock是自来水龙头,由此不难想象其中的意思了。
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

美国厕所
toilet是最常用的一个词。可指“公厕”,也可指“私厕”。例如:I wonder where the toilet is.(我想知道厕所在哪儿。)
lavatory是个客气的词,但不如toilet常用
bathroom是书面语
powder room是美语,女士常用
wash room, washing room, westroom常用于美国

John是俚语。如:Last night I went to visit John twice.(昨晚我去了趟厕所。)
英国厕所~别用错
W.C.是water closet的缩写,常用于英国英语,表示“有抽水没有设备的厕所”,有时也可用手势表示,即拇指和食指圈成圆,其他三指向上,模仿成英文W和C的形态。
wash room, washing room, westroom常用于美国英语。
go and see one’s aunt是俚语,常用于英国英语,表示“上厕所”“去大便”。
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

Some-sex marriage:无性婚姻或者性生活极少的婚姻
我们知道Same-sex marriage是指同性婚姻,那Some-sex marriage是什么意思呢?(注意一个是same一个是some)
解释:A marriage where a couple participates in minimal sexual activity。意思就是无性婚姻或者性生活极少的婚姻。
例句:
"Bill and Lily’s sex life was almost non-existent. They had a some-sex marriage.”
比尔和莉莉的性生活几乎不存在,他们是无性婚姻。


 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

Don't have a cow! 让别人冷静,别慌

Take a chill pill. Pill, p-i-l-l, pill是“药丸”的意思,所以, take a chill pill字面意思就是“吃个冷静药丸”,就是叫人别激动,别慌。


以上两句,都可以表达别荒的意思~~
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

text-killer是什么意思?使发短信人无话可说的话,就是耶死你~~
例如"lol yeah" 和"haha ok"这样的短语,就属于text-killer,假如两个人在互发短信,其中一个人回复类似"lol yeah" 或者"haha ok"这样的话,那么另一个人将不知道该回复什么好。

模拟情景:(下面对话中有大量缩写,不属于拼写错误)
"r u coming 2 the prty 2nite?"

"no i cant cuz i hav 2 go 2 a family reunion"

"haha ok"

"way to use a text-killer... now wat do i say?"
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

这个情况经常遇到,节目中间插播广告,声音巨大,吓一跳
adverblasting:广告的声音比普通节目大很多

When a commercials audio is much louder than the program that you actually want to watch's audio.

例句:
Man, I was watching NCIS, and then I had to turn down my TV when the commercials came on because of damn adverblasting.
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

中国人说英语为什么听起来没有礼貌

中国人的英语以Chinglish或Chenglish闻名于世;中国人最大的英语发音问题就是没有连读,但这都不是最主要的语言问题。老外们时常议论,很多中国人在说英语时,听起来没有礼貌;并不是这些中国人本身没礼貌,而是他们还没有习惯英语的礼貌表达方式。

比如,中国人在餐厅或咖啡厅,会说:“我想要一个汉堡包。”或者“我想要一杯咖啡。”但是,如果直接把这些话翻译成英语“I want to have a hamburger.”或“I want to have a coffee.”老外们会觉得这样说话很没有礼貌,当然他们也不会直接告诉你。而在西方国家,老外们一般会说:“Could I have a hamburger, please?”或“Can I have a coffee, please?”

再比如,中国人在拒绝别人邀请的午宴或晚宴时,会说:“抱歉,我不能去,我还有别的安排。”翻译成英文就是“Sorry,I can’t. I have another appointment.”如果这样说,那别人第二次也许不会再邀请你了。老外们一般会这样说:“That is a good idea! I would like to join in but I have another appointment today.”

我们可以从中总结一些“有礼貌”的技巧:

1,西方人(主要指有一定修养的欧美人)在与他人交流时,比较多地使用情态动词:can、could、may、might、would等等;情态动词(Model Verbs)又称为情态助动词(Model Auxil-iaries),表示说话人的语气,可表达建议、要求、可能和意愿等,使得说话的语气比较有礼貌;

2,比较多地使用虚拟语气,比如would (had) rather、would (had) sooner、would (just) as soon等等,或者在陈述句中使用过去式表示虚拟语气,或者使用if等引导的从句表示“可能性”。这样说话可以使人感觉表达者是在考虑达到最佳的结果或方式,尽量避免不好的结果或方式,或者推测可能出现的问题,并找出可能解决的办法;

3,往往在句尾加please,而不是在句首加please。当please用在句首的时候,语气听起来就比较强,听起来像命令。比如请求别人做某事的时候,我们中国人会说“请在周一前给我回复。谢谢。”但是如果你直接用英语说“Please reply to me by Monday. Thank you.”听者会觉得你是在命令他,一点礼貌也没有。而如果这样说:“Could you please reply to me by Monday? Thank you.”就显得有礼貌了;

4,在陈述句的表达可能显得生硬、没礼貌时,尽量使用疑问句、否定句或从句,尽量避免自己的主观判断或武断,以积极的、建议的、比较的、人性的语气,代替消极的、命令的、直接的、武断的语气;

5,说话要以他人为中心,以肯定他人、赞同他人为前提,让自己显得谦卑、渺小。说完之后,还要附带一句“Thank you”或“Thanks”。其实,这种礼貌的表达方式是来自古老的中国。这是东西方文化的共同点,也是为人处世的基本原则。了解英语中礼貌的表达方式,尽量让自己的英语表达更有礼貌,融入社会。
 

狗狗凡

Moderator
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

和外国朋友聊天如何远离尴尬

Alison老师来自美国,现在在上海复旦大学攻读学业。Alison很高兴能成为沪江专属外教,也欢迎各位沪友同她做朋友!目前她专门开设了一个外教课堂小组,帮助大家学习最地道的英语!戳我去看Alison的主页>>
  不知道大家有没有酱紫的经历:有时和外国朋友聊天不知道该说些什么?因为不知道想说的话题会不会是人家文化里不应该谈及的,问了会不会造成尴尬的局面。
  今天就请Alison老师来跟我们说一说,对于西方人,哪些话题是绝对安全的,甚至是受欢迎的?(不过要申明,人跟人终究是不同哒,这只是个指导,不能保证是“万金油”话题哟!)
  1. 首先,电影、餐厅、公众事件、假期和电视节目(films, restaurants, public events, vacations and TV shows) 这几个都是西方人乐于聊的东西,用它们作为聊天话题绝对没错,不用担心触到雷区~~此外,传说中外国人很喜欢谈论的天气也是可以拿来当话题的,不过有些人会觉得有点无聊就是了。
  2. 其次大家要了解,西方人还蛮喜欢给朋友建议的,所以如果你拿某件事儿来问他们,他们会很乐意给你答案的哟~~比方说:
  Do you know if anything good is playing at the cinema right now?
  你知道影院里现在有上映什么好电影吗?(“电影院”英国人说cinema,美国人则说movie theater)
  I really want to find a good Italian restaurant; any suggestions?
  我很想找到一家好的意大利餐馆,你有什么推荐吗?
  I saw an advertisement on TV last night for that new show, Prison Break. Have you seen it?
  昨晚我在电视里看到那部新剧《越狱》的广告,你看到了吗?
  3. 最后,要想把谈话继续下去,最好的办法就是多问问题啦!
  比如你问,"Do you know any good Italian restaurants?"(你知道什么吃意大利菜的好地方吗?)对方却回答,"No, sorryI don't really like Italian food."(对不起我不知道,其实我不太喜欢吃意大利菜……)那你可以接着问,"Oh, ok. What kind of food do you usually go out for then?"(哦~~那你一般出去吃哪种菜呢?)这样就能比较顺利地把话题继续下去啦!
  【共通问题讲解】
  下面是Alison老师对于同学们所存在的一些普遍问题的点评,包括我们在聊天提问时要注意哪些地方,以及大家共通的发音问题:
  1. 有很多同学会用一点小恭维来开始聊天,比如“你头发剪得真好,哪儿剪的呀?”或是“我一直想买个这样的包包,你在哪儿买的呀?”这都很好,不过要小心,别让人家觉得你是在拿自己和他/她比较。比如,如果你说“你唱歌比我好多了!我要怎么才能改进?”或是“你的包包比我的漂亮,哪儿买的呀?”这样的对话会让西方人觉得有点不舒服。
  西方人的习惯是不怎么在聊天中做比较,因为可能会让人觉得不礼貌。所以即便你是想用这个比较来抬高别人,西方人也会觉得有点唐突哟,这点得注意了。
  2. 还有一些同学会问过于宽泛的问题,那样可能会让人家无从回答:比如问“我要去法国,给点儿建议呗?”或是“我要去eBay上买夹克,有啥意见不?”这些问题都要再细化一下才好~~
  3. 最后我们看一下发音的问题:
  首先,"Italian"这个单词,它的重音在第二个音节上。要发好这个音,你的嘴巴要张大,让那个[]音发出来。
  其次,"advertisement"这个单词在英音和美音中的念法是不同的。英式的发音重音在第二个音节上,且卷舌的R音要弱化;相对的,美音的重音在第一个音节上。请大家注意区分一下哦~~
 

狗狗凡

Moderator
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

[FONT=黑体]元宵佳节的习俗英文怎么说?[/FONT]
[FONT=黑体][/FONT]


The Lantern Festival (元宵节) is the last day of the Chinese New Year celebration. This day is for the last moment for setting off fireworks, the last excuse for eating a big feast and the last chance for family getting together before the “年” celebrations are over. (Latern Festival is also a traditional time of celebration for foreigners who live in China).

The Lantern Festival, the 15th of the first month of the lunar calendar, is the first full moon of the year. Celebrations and traditions on this day date back to the Western Han Dynasty.

Traditions for this festival: as the name indicates, hanging and looking at lanterns is the main tradition. Lanterns of various shapes and sizes are displayed on trees, or along river banks.

Parents often take their children to Lantern Fairs and sometimes lucky kids even get a mini toy lantern.

Another tradition is guessing lantern riddles. These are riddles that are hung on lanterns for people to shoot down and solve. The riddles are usually short, wise, and sometimes humorous. The answer to a riddle can be a Chinese character, a famous person's name, a place name or a proverb. This tradition has become a popular game with serious staying power even as social development changes other traditions.

Other than that, the most important thing to do today is to eat sweet dumplings. In northern China, sweet dumplings made of glutinous rice flour are called “元宵” while in southern part they are called “汤圆”. Typical sweet dumplings are filled with black sesame sauce, sweetened bean paste, or hawthorn. Making “元宵” today is like a game or an activity, so it's seldom done without a reason and a group of friends or family present to help out.

Of course, today is the Lantern Festival, so if you haven't already started cooking, you may have to buy your 元宵 (yuánxiāo). Where to buy the most authentic “元宵” in Beijing? My strong recommendation is the“老字号” such as “稻香村” and “锦芳” shops. But prepare yourself; these places are going to be crowded today!

While you're waiting in line, here are two riddles for you to work on. We'll post the answers in tomorrow's blog post.

十五天 (the answer is a Chinese character)

门前有一人 (the answer is a Chinese character)
 

狗狗凡

Moderator
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

英语口语中的“热”词HOT

Hot在口语中可算是个露脸频率很高的词,它可以表示天气炎热、味道辣、性感、受欢迎等多重意思。下面我们一起来看一下hot的多种不同含义吧!
  1. Iceland is a really hot weekend destination at the moment。
  现在冰岛可是炙手可热的周末度假胜地。
  2. Red Rum was always the hot favourite to win the Grand National。
  “红朗姆”总是最有希望获得国家大赛冠军的赛马。
  3. He gave me a hot tip for my interview。
  他给了我非常有用的面试建议。
  4. Climate change is a hot topic at the moment。
  气候变化是当下的一个热门话题。
  5. This gossip is hot off the press。
  这些流言是最新传出来的。
  6. Things are getting too hot and the relief agencies are pulling out of the area。
  事态开始变得极其危险,救援机构准备撤离这片地区了。
  7. Her new boyfriend is hot stuff。
  她的新男友很有魅力。
  8. You make the decisions - you're in the hot seat now!
  你得做决定,这现在是你的责任了。
  9. If you send that email now, you'll find yourself in hot water with the boss。
  如果你现在发出那封邮件,你的老板就会来找你麻烦了。
  10. He has a hot temper, so don't provoke him into an argument。
  他脾气很坏,所以别惹他吵架。口语中的“热”词HOT
  11. You always seem to get hot under the collar about people's driving habits. Don't let it worry you!
  你好像总是因为别人的驾车习惯而发火,别为这种事心烦嘛!
  12. What's the matter with her? She's like a cat on a hot tin roof this morning。
  她怎么了?今早看上去焦躁不安的。
  13. The pickpocket ran off, with members of the public in hot pursuit。
  扒手逃走了,群众在后面紧紧追赶。
  14. The police are hot on the trail of the mastermind behind the bank robbery。
  警察很快就要找到银行抢劫案的幕后操纵者了。
  15. What he says is just a lot of hot air - don't take it too seriously。
  他说的都是些空话,不要太当真。
  16. Young man, I've been to more football matches than you've had hot dinners, so you don't have to explain the rules of the game to me。
  年轻人,我看过的球赛比你吃过的饭还多,你用不着给我讲解比赛规则。
  17. I'm blowing hot and cold about moving to the countryside。
  对于是否搬到农村去我一直摇摆不定。
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

Caraoke
Caraoke的意思是在车里大声地唱歌。与Karaoke(卡拉OK)读音相同,car是指汽车,所以得来这个词。

英文解释:Singing along with music in a car, especially loudly and passionately.

例句
That long road trip felt a lot shorter because of the Caraoke. 漫长的路程因为在车里高歌而变得很短暂。
 
英美英文日期的写法


  在日期方面,美英的表达方式是有差别的。以日为先,月份为后,此为英国式,美国式则与此相反。如一九九六年三月二日的写法:2nd March, 1996(英)March 2, 1996(美)。
  在美式的写法中,1st, 2nd, 3rd的st, nd, rd是不使用的。由于日期书面表达不同,读法也不一样。如1987年4月20日,英式的写法是20th April, 1987,读成the twentieth of April, nineteen eighty-seven;美式的表达是April 20, 1987,则读成April the twentieth, nineteen eighty-seven.
  同样,全部用数字表达日期时,英美也有差别。1998年5月6日按照英国式应写成6/5/98,而按照美国式应写成5/6/98;01.08.1998是英国式的1998年8月1日,按照美国的表达方式却是1998年1月8日,美国的1998年8月 1日应写成08,01,1998.因此,全部使用数字来表示日期时,往往发生误解,在雅思考试中我建议考生月份写全称,避免误会。
  表达百万以上的数字概念英美的差别甚大,如one billion英语指的是“万亿”,“兆”,而美语则只“十亿”;one trillion英语晨相当于million million million=1018,是百万兆,在美语里却相当于英国英语的one billion,是“万亿”、“兆”。
  在数字口头表达方面,两国也存在着差别。(175美元)英语读成a(one) hundred and seventy five dollars,美语读成one hundred seventy five dollars,常省略and;表达连续同样数字的号码时,英语习惯用double或triple,美语一般不这样用,如电话号码320112,英语读成three two zero, double one two,美语则读成three two zero one one two, 999 234英语读成nine double nine (triple nine) two three four,美语则读成nine nine nine two three four,不过美国人也把连续三个相同的号码读成three加上这个数字的复数形式,如999读成three nines.对于以上的数字读法,雅思考试听力部分多跟英式的规则,比如我们课上讲过的$184,就是读成one hundred and eighty-four,8前面出现连读,相当多考生听成是ninety-four,造成失分。试练下面几个机经的题目:
  金钱 285
  电话号码 98 18 40 78
  008 65 4713
  划横线部分数字分别都可以连读。
英文书信的日期写法


日期一般位于写信人的地址下方,即写在信笺的右上角。若书信格式是完全平头式,则写在左上角。常见的日期写法有:
1) 8th March,2004 或8 March,2004(英式)
2) March 8th,2004 或March 8,2004 (美式)

日期写法宜遵从下列规则:
1)年份必须完全写明,不可用"04代替2004;
2)月份必须用英文拼出或采用公认的简写,即 January (Jan.),February (Feb.),March(Mar.),April(Apr.),May,June,July,August (Aug.),September
(Sept.),October(Oct.),November(Nov.),December(Dec.);
3)日期可用序数词,如:1st,2nd,3rd,4th,...;也可用基数词,如:1,2,3,4,...。但美式书信大多采用后者;
4)在年份和月日之间必须用逗号隔开;
5)日期不可全部采用如7.12.2003或7/12/2003的阿拉伯数字书写,否则会引起误解。因为英美在这方面的习惯用法不同。按美国人习惯,上述日期为2003年7月12日,而按英国习惯则是2003年12月7日




 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

英国最传统的婚礼习俗

The wedding tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” has been around for hundreds of years. Many brides have been asked on their respective wedding days if they have gathered something old, new, borrowed and blue to carry with them as they walk down the aisle. The tradition of carrying or wearing one of each item is said to bring luck and fortune to the newly married couple. Have you ever stopped to think what the saying really means What is its origin and what does each item represent
  The original saying dates back to the Victoria times and states, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe.”
  Something old...
  A bride may wear or carry something old to represent her continued ties to her family and her old life. Many brides wear a piece of family jewelry as their old item. Some brides wear the wedding dress worn by their mother or grandmother. In many cases, something old may also be something borrowed.
  Something new...
  Wearing something new is supposed to represent success and hope in the bride’s new life and in her marriage. If the bride purchased her wedding dress new, it may represent her new item, but any item that is new may be used. Something “new” is usually the easiest category1 to fill.
  Something borrowed...
  The borrowed item should be something borrowed from a friend that is happily married. It is suggested that their happiness will rub off on2 you and bring lasting happiness to your marriage. Some brides borrow an item of clothing, a piece of jewelry, a handkerchief or perhaps a beaded purse.
  Something blue...
  Wearing something blue dates back to biblical3 times when a blue wedding dress was worn to represent purity, fidelity4 and love. Over time this has changed from wearing a blue dress to wearing just a blue band around the bottom of the bride’s wedding dress to modern times where it is commonplace for the bride to wear a blue garter5.
  Silver sixpence...
  Placing a silver sixpence in the bride’s left shoe is said to be a symbol of wealth. This not only refers to financial wealth, but also a wealth of happiness and joy throughout her married life. Since most brides probably don’t even know what a sixpence is, this part of the tradition is not used very often in modern times. However, if a bride would like to include it in her wedding, she can purchase a silver sixpence from many companies that sell bridal supplies such as garters and invitations.
  Some brides are more traditional than other and may take a great deal of care in selecting one item for each category. It may be traditional for the women in their families to wear the same piece of jewelry.
  Other brides aren’t bound by tradition but still may choose to carry out the custom at someone else’s request. If they don’t want to carry numerous items, they may simply carry two handkerchiefs in a small beaded bag--hey may choose to buy a new, white handkerchief and borrow a blue one from a family member. That would provide them with something new--the white handkerchief, as well as something that is old, borrowed and blue--the blue handkerchief. The handkerchief just may come in handy6 during the wedding for drying their joyful tears.


有旧有新有借有蓝--百年婚礼习俗
  “有旧、有新、有借、有蓝”的婚礼习俗已经有好几百年的历史了。许多新娘在她们举行婚礼的当天都曾被问到是否已经备好了那些“有旧、有新、有借、有蓝”的服饰,以穿戴它们缓缓走过教堂内的通道。穿戴这每一件服饰的传统据说各有其独特的涵义,但都能够给新婚夫妇带来吉祥和财富。你曾想过这种说法到底是什么意思吗?是如何起源的?每件服饰各有何涵义?

  最初的说法源自维多利亚时代,原文是:“有旧,有新,有借,有蓝;在一只鞋里放一枚六便士的银币。”
  有旧   新娘可以穿着或佩戴一样旧衣物来象征她和她娘家及过去生活之间的历史纽带。许多新娘佩戴一件家传的珠宝饰品作为“有旧”的选择。有些新娘穿着她们母亲或祖母穿过的结婚礼服。实际上,旧的东西同时也可以是借来的东西。
  有新   穿戴一样新衣物是要象征新娘在新生活和婚姻中拥有成功和希望。如果新娘置办的是新的结婚礼服,那它就可以是她的“有新”,但是任何别的新服饰也是可以的。“有新”常常是最容易做到的。
  有借   借来的服饰应该是从一位已幸福地结了婚的朋友那里借来的。据说他们的幸福会惠及于你,给你的婚姻带来长久的美满。有些新娘会去借来一种衣着用品、一件首饰、一块手帕或者一个饰以珠子的手袋。
  有蓝   穿戴一件蓝色服饰源自《圣经》时代,当时蓝色结婚礼服代表着纯洁、忠诚和爱情。随着时间的推移,这一传统已从穿蓝色结婚礼服,演变成后来的在新娘的结婚礼服下摆处缝上一圈蓝色的镶边,再演变到现代的普遍做法新娘用蓝色的吊袜带。
  六便士银币   在新娘的左脚鞋子里放一枚六便士银币据说是财富的象征。它不仅代表财产上的富有,还代表婚姻生活的幸福与快乐。由于今天许多新娘恐怕连一枚六便士是什么样子都不知道,传统习俗的这一部分在现代婚礼中已经不常被遵守。但是,如果新娘想要在她的婚礼中包括这一项目,她可以从许多出售如吊袜带和请柬等婚礼用品的公司里买到六便士银币。
  有些较为传统的新娘或许会花很多心思选择每一件服饰。传统的做法是:同一家族的女性佩戴同一件首饰。
  而有些新娘不太为传统所束缚,但在别人的请求下也会遵循这一传统。如果她们不想面面俱到,她们可以就携带一个小小的珠子手袋,里面装有两块手帕她们可以买一块新的白色手帕,然后从家人那里借一块蓝色手帕,这样她们就“有新”白色手帕,还“有旧、有借、有蓝” 蓝色手帕。手帕在婚礼中正好可以派上用场擦拭喜悦的泪水!

 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

不能说出口的英语

我们常说的“精力充沛”hustle, 如依据美国最具权威的俚语字典 Dictionary of American Slang所列的意思,其使用的方法则大异。
  ① 偷窃
  ② 卖春
  ③ 以不道德的手段赚钱
  ④ 乞食
  每一句的涵意都不很好。尤其是在形容女性“hustle“时,会引起很大的误会。
  “她到夜里就会精神旺盛。”如译成英语,十之八九会被认为是妓女。
  在中学的英语就学到“活跃的人”是hustler,然而hustler用在指女性时, 就成为“娼妇”,男人就成为“用不道德的手段赚钱的人”。
  如是指男人在事业上获得成功, 别人还会带几许羡慕地说:“他是很能干的人” 或“很活跃的人物”,但女性是绝不可hustle的。 当然女性更不能对男性说“我现在很hustle。”

  还有缩写的BG代表business girl,容易受到误解,所以后来有人又创造OL(office lady)以示区别。
  说business girl时,也并不是百分之百指干那种生意,在英国也有office girl的意思。所以即使你不小心地说:
  My sweetheart is a business girl.
  听到你正经八百的英语,也必能体会“他是指OL”,而往好的方面解释。
  但千万不能说刚才的:
  She is a hustler.
  或一时忘记BG的B是什么字时也不能随意说成

 
 She is a B-girl.
  因为B-girl百分之百是指不好的意味。B-girl是Bar-girl的简称。
  (注:BG不是真正的英语,但B-girl是道地的英语。)
  Bar girl使人联想到妓女,是因为美国只能在低级酒吧找到女人。 而她们并没有拿薪水,是让好色的男人请她们喝酒,然后向酒吧拿rebate。
  客人肯请客喝酒, 目的在以后的节目,所以酒吧的女郎几乎都会卖春。
  欧洲也大致相同。在bar或cabaret的女郎可能比美国还要多, 她们是完全以金钱做为交际的代价。让男人开一瓶香槟酒,拿了rebate之后,再和男人出去。 欧美的男人认为B-girl都是可以用金钱买的。而在我国, 高级俱乐部的女侍应生是只卖笑不卖身,否则会认为这些外国佬小看了她们。其实, 罪不在这些外国佬轻视了我们的女性,而是因为欧美的B-girl都是准妓女。

  在此顺便一提的是BG也可认为是Bachelor Girl的简写,“单身女郎”原本并没有坏的意思,但几年前, 美国的赫莲勃朗女士出版了一系列如《单身女郎与性》或《单身女郎与办公室》等畅销书, 结果使得“在办公室工作的单身女性”与“ 性”有了密不可分的印象。
  男性的那个东西是cock,很容易和cook的发音混淆。 一位董事长请外国朋友来家吃饭,接受赞美后,拍一拍凸出的肚子说:“I have a good cook ”如果再向下拍可糟了,真叫人冒冷汗。
  cock是自来水龙头,由此不难想象其中的意思了。
 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

如何在英语写作中避免性别歧视

近四十年来,尽管非性别歧视语还没有达到非不可的程度,但它毕竟已进人日常会话和写作的主流之中。随便翻开一张英美的报纸,或瞧一下五花八门的宣传广告,就会发现supervisor(工头,领班)替代了原来的foreman, workman‘s compensation(工人赔偿金)变成了worker‘s compensation; sales rep, sales associate或seller(推销员)取代了常用词salesman等。为此,笔者将有关资料整理如下,供英语学习者参考。请注意,所选用的例句,除个别注明外,均选自Rosalie Maggio编写的The Nonselist Word Finder: A Dictionary of Gender-Free Usage (Maggio, 1989)。
1.尽量不用通性代词he,除了明确地指代一个男性人物时,都要设法避免使用之。可以根据语境需要,选用下列替换方式:
1) 采用复数形式:
Sexist: When bathing a baby, never leave him unattended.
Revised: When bathing babies, never leave them unattended.
给婴儿洗澡时,一定不能让他们无人照料。

2) 用we/us/our改写原句:
Sexist:From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.
Revised:From each of us according to our abilities, to each of us according to our needs.
各尽所能,按需分配。

3) 改用第二人称:
Sexist: No man knows his true character until he has run out of gas, purchased something on the installment plan and raised an adolescent.
Revised: You don‘t know what your true character is until you have run out of gas, purchased something on the ! installment plan and raised an adolescent.
只有当汽车大的油用光了,按分规付款方式购物和抚养大一个孩子时,人的本来品性才会显露出来。

4)改用被动语态
Sexist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both.
Revised: One who, when given the choice of two evils, chooses both.
一个在两种恶行之中要作出选择就两者都选的人。

5)完全省略代词:
Sexist: What a person thinks of after he becomes a departee?
Revised: What a person thinks of after becoming a departee?
一个人离去后,会作何感想呢?

6)用冠词替代:
Sexist: Can a critic give his opinion of an omelet without being asked to make one?
Revised: Can a critic give an opinion of...?
评论家议论煎蛋时难道到非要他去自己煎鸡蛋吗?

7)用someone, one, the one, no one等替代:
Sexist: He who can take advice is sometimes superior to him who can give it.
Revised: Someone who can take advice is sometimes superior to the one who can give it.
接受忠告者有时胜过发出忠告者。

8)使用he and she或his and her,但使用的次数不宜太多。
s/he仅可用于备忘录(memos), 便条(notes), 或者非正式的交谈之中。

9)用名词或上下文中用过的同义词替换:
Sexist: To find a friend one must close one eye - to keep him, two.
Revised: To find a friend, one must close one eye - to keep a friend, two.
想找朋友;就得睁一只眼,闭一只眼;想留住朋友,就得双眼都闭上。

2.尽量使用那些包括两性在内的词,即无性别之分的词(gender-free words),
例如: child, teacher, officer(警官),people, worker, immigrant(移民),voter(投票者,选民), coach(教练),church member(教友), sale rep(推销员),grand parent(外/祖父或祖母),leader, evening student, employee (雇员),testee(考生,应试者),engineer,customers(顾客), dealer(交易者,商人),clerk(职员,办事员),civilian(平民),scientist, operator(接线员,办事员),patriot(爱国者),person, planner(策划者,计划者), politician(政客), producer(生产者、制造者), tutor(家庭教师,导师,[美国]助教),reporter,writer,chief executive(首席行政长官),everybody, expert等.
3、如非特指男性或女性,尽量用同义词或近义词替换含有-girl, -woman, -wife, -man后缀的词,
例如:
calendar girl(月份牌上的美女像)-calendar model 挂历模特
call girl(应召女郎)--prostitute妓女
cover girl(杂志封面女郎)--cover model封面模特
flag girl(女司旗手)--flag bearer司旗手,执旗员
flower girl(卖花女)--flower seller卖花人
housewife(家庭主妇)--house worker(家务工人)
midwife(接生婆)--birth attendant(助产士)
showgirl(舞女,歌女)--dancer(伴舞者)
chairman(主席)--chair, head(主席,头头)
ring man(赌/赛马者)--bettor; gambler(赌马者,赌博者)
seaman(海员,水兵)--sailor; navigator; mariner pilot, captain 水手,航海者,船员,领航员,船长
spokesman (发言人) -speaker; representative, voice; press agent 发言人,代表,
right-hand man(得力助手) --right hand; deputy; assistant; helper 得力助手,副手,助理,助手

4.写信时,如果不知道收信人的性别,最好不要使用传统的Dear Sir; Dear Gentleman, Dear Madam. 可以选用下列之一:
1) Dear friends of the library(亲爱的图书馆的朋友们)
2) Dear Madams and Sirs(亲爱的女士们及先生们)
3) Dear Personnel Officer(亲爱的人事处长)
4) Dear Committee Member(亲爱的委员)
5) Dear Citizen(亲爱的公民)
6) Dear Customer(亲爱的顾客)
7) Dear Councilor(亲爱的参议员,或顾问)
8) Dear Agent(亲爱的代办)
9) Dear Director(亲爱的厂长或局长;主任;)



5.尽量少引用含有通性词man; men的引语,如果非引用不可,下列处理办法可供选择:
1)不直接引用,把引语进行释义
Sexist: W. Phillips said: "The best use of laws is to teach people to trample bed laws under their feet."
Revised: W. Phillips suggested that the best use of law is to teach people to trample bad ones under their feet.
W菲利普斯说:“行使法律的最好办法是教导人们把不好的法律踩在脚下。"

2)使用[sic](原文如此)让读者意识到原文中的man使用得不大恰当。例如:
w. Phillips said: “The best used laws is to teach men[sic] to trample bad ones under their feet.”

3)对上述引语,也可只引用其中的一部分,例如:
W. Phillips said the best use of laws was to teach people "to trample bad laws under their feet”。

我们赞同Rosalie Maggio所讲的话:
“It is also necessary to acknowledge that there can be no solution to the problem of sexism in society on the level of language alone. Using the word secretary inclusively, for example, does not change the fact that only 1.6% of American secretaries are men. Using director instead of directress does not mean a woman will necessarily enjoy the same opportunities today a man might.

 
回复: 西方基本文化常识扫盲Hot

guitar face 弹吉他时候陶醉的表情
中文解释:
guitar face是指弹吉他时候的面部表情,通常是比较陶醉,甚至是有感觉痛苦的表情。

英文解释:
The act of making an unusual face while playing the guitar. The look typically resembles a look of pain, intense ecstacy, or sometimes even plain old gas.

例句:
John has some crazy guitar face.
约翰弹吉他时候表情很陶醉。

Bill looked at John's guitar face just now.
比尔刚才看了下约翰弹吉他时候陶醉的表情。
 

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