美語(yǔ)中的非正式用語(yǔ)
Informal Language
美語(yǔ)中的非正式用語(yǔ)
Ever go jogging in a business suit? What about going to a job interview in pajamas? Dressing appropriately is a lot like using a foreign language in the right way. It all depends on the situation. People in America use formal English for making speeches and writing business letters. But they prefer informal language when they talk to friends. Americans are fairly laid-back, both in styles of dress and in language. So to understand their culture, it pays to know something about informal language-in other words, English in blue jeans and a T-shirt.
你曾經(jīng)穿著辦公的西裝慢跑嗎？或者穿著睡衣去應(yīng)征工作？得體的穿著很像正確地使用外國(guó)語(yǔ)言，都得視情境而變化。美國(guó)人使用正式的英文作演說(shuō)和寫(xiě)商務(wù)信件；但是當(dāng)他們和朋友談話的時(shí)候，則較喜歡使用非正式的語(yǔ)言。美國(guó)人不論是在穿著的風(fēng)格或是語(yǔ)言上，都是非常輕松自在的。所以要了解他們的文化，就得認(rèn)識(shí)他們的非正式用語(yǔ)，換句話說(shuō)，就像穿著牛仔褲和T恤的英文。
English, like every language, is always changing. New slang terms are created all the time. Often they\'re here today, gone tomorrow. For instance, if you wanted to call something exciting in the 1960s, you would say it was groovy or far out. Today you might describe it as cool or even bad. Each sub-group of American society-from teenagers to soldiers to thieves to ethnic groups-has its own slang. People who aren\'t a part of the "in-group" can\'t understand the meaning, even though the words are "English." So it\'s not easy for outsiders to use slang correctly.
英語(yǔ)就像每一種語(yǔ)言一樣是一直在變。新的俚語(yǔ)不斷地出現(xiàn)，常常今天還在使用的，明天就被淘汰了。例如，在一九六O年代你若要形容一件很興奮的事，你會(huì)說(shuō)很「groovy」美好的，或是「far out」走在時(shí)代尖端的。而今天會(huì)形容為「cool」很酷，甚至「bad」好菜喔。從青少年、軍人、小偷、到少數(shù)民族，美國(guó)社會(huì)中每一種附屬團(tuán)體都有自己的俚語(yǔ)。即使它們確實(shí)是英語(yǔ)，但是不屬于那個(gè)團(tuán)體的人就不會(huì)明白它的意思。因此局外人要正確地使用俚語(yǔ)實(shí)在不容易。
Like many languages, American English has numerous idioms that paint word pictures. These colorful expressions come from everyday life and add spice to language. When Americans want to make a good first impression on someone, they try to put their best foot forward. That way, they won\'t get off on the wrong foot in their relationship. Learning about idioms in a language and culture can be difficult, but don\'t get cold feet. Just be careful when using these expressions. Otherwise, you might put your foot in your mouth.
就像許多的語(yǔ)言一樣，美語(yǔ)中也有許多的成語(yǔ)，刻畫(huà)出文字的圖像。這些多樣化的表達(dá)方式來(lái)自于每天的生活，并為語(yǔ)言增添了許多風(fēng)味。當(dāng)美國(guó)人想要給某人良好的第一印象時(shí)，他們會(huì)先「伸出最好的那一只腳」（表現(xiàn)較好的一面）；如此，在他們的關(guān)系上就不會(huì)「下錯(cuò)腳」（搞砸）了。學(xué)習(xí)一個(gè)語(yǔ)言和文化中的成語(yǔ)可能相當(dāng)困難，但是也不要「讓腳發(fā)寒了」（恐懼、受挫），只要在用的時(shí)候小心一點(diǎn)就是了。否則你可能會(huì)「把腳放進(jìn)嘴巴里去了」（說(shuō)錯(cuò)話）。
Americans enjoy making things easy on themselves. Even their pronunciation is relaxed. Sounds or syllables that are not stressed are shortened or combined with other sounds. As a result, "What do you want to do?" becomes "Whaddaya wanna do?" And "I don\'t know" sounds like "I dunno." See if you can understand the following conversation:
Gene: Jeet yet?
Tim: No, ju?
Gene: Skoeet!
Now let\'s translate it into regular English:
Gene: Did you eat yet?
Tim: No, did you?
Gene: Let\'s go eat!
School teachers probably cringe at this kind of pronunciation. But the fact is, that\'s how Americans often talk in real-life situations.
Informal Language
美語(yǔ)中的非正式用語(yǔ)
Ever go jogging in a business suit? What about going to a job interview in pajamas? Dressing appropriately is a lot like using a foreign language in the right way. It all depends on the situation. People in America use formal English for making speeches and writing business letters. But they prefer informal language when they talk to friends. Americans are fairly laid-back, both in styles of dress and in language. So to understand their culture, it pays to know something about informal language-in other words, English in blue jeans and a T-shirt.
你曾經(jīng)穿著辦公的西裝慢跑嗎？或者穿著睡衣去應(yīng)征工作？得體的穿著很像正確地使用外國(guó)語(yǔ)言，都得視情境而變化。美國(guó)人使用正式的英文作演說(shuō)和寫(xiě)商務(wù)信件；但是當(dāng)他們和朋友談話的時(shí)候，則較喜歡使用非正式的語(yǔ)言。美國(guó)人不論是在穿著的風(fēng)格或是語(yǔ)言上，都是非常輕松自在的。所以要了解他們的文化，就得認(rèn)識(shí)他們的非正式用語(yǔ)，換句話說(shuō)，就像穿著牛仔褲和T恤的英文。
English, like every language, is always changing. New slang terms are created all the time. Often they\'re here today, gone tomorrow. For instance, if you wanted to call something exciting in the 1960s, you would say it was groovy or far out. Today you might describe it as cool or even bad. Each sub-group of American society-from teenagers to soldiers to thieves to ethnic groups-has its own slang. People who aren\'t a part of the "in-group" can\'t understand the meaning, even though the words are "English." So it\'s not easy for outsiders to use slang correctly.
英語(yǔ)就像每一種語(yǔ)言一樣是一直在變。新的俚語(yǔ)不斷地出現(xiàn)，常常今天還在使用的，明天就被淘汰了。例如，在一九六O年代你若要形容一件很興奮的事，你會(huì)說(shuō)很「groovy」美好的，或是「far out」走在時(shí)代尖端的。而今天會(huì)形容為「cool」很酷，甚至「bad」好菜喔。從青少年、軍人、小偷、到少數(shù)民族，美國(guó)社會(huì)中每一種附屬團(tuán)體都有自己的俚語(yǔ)。即使它們確實(shí)是英語(yǔ)，但是不屬于那個(gè)團(tuán)體的人就不會(huì)明白它的意思。因此局外人要正確地使用俚語(yǔ)實(shí)在不容易。
Like many languages, American English has numerous idioms that paint word pictures. These colorful expressions come from everyday life and add spice to language. When Americans want to make a good first impression on someone, they try to put their best foot forward. That way, they won\'t get off on the wrong foot in their relationship. Learning about idioms in a language and culture can be difficult, but don\'t get cold feet. Just be careful when using these expressions. Otherwise, you might put your foot in your mouth.
就像許多的語(yǔ)言一樣，美語(yǔ)中也有許多的成語(yǔ)，刻畫(huà)出文字的圖像。這些多樣化的表達(dá)方式來(lái)自于每天的生活，并為語(yǔ)言增添了許多風(fēng)味。當(dāng)美國(guó)人想要給某人良好的第一印象時(shí)，他們會(huì)先「伸出最好的那一只腳」（表現(xiàn)較好的一面）；如此，在他們的關(guān)系上就不會(huì)「下錯(cuò)腳」（搞砸）了。學(xué)習(xí)一個(gè)語(yǔ)言和文化中的成語(yǔ)可能相當(dāng)困難，但是也不要「讓腳發(fā)寒了」（恐懼、受挫），只要在用的時(shí)候小心一點(diǎn)就是了。否則你可能會(huì)「把腳放進(jìn)嘴巴里去了」（說(shuō)錯(cuò)話）。
Americans enjoy making things easy on themselves. Even their pronunciation is relaxed. Sounds or syllables that are not stressed are shortened or combined with other sounds. As a result, "What do you want to do?" becomes "Whaddaya wanna do?" And "I don\'t know" sounds like "I dunno." See if you can understand the following conversation:
Gene: Jeet yet?
Tim: No, ju?
Gene: Skoeet!
Now let\'s translate it into regular English:
Gene: Did you eat yet?
Tim: No, did you?
Gene: Let\'s go eat!
School teachers probably cringe at this kind of pronunciation. But the fact is, that\'s how Americans often talk in real-life situations.
