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作者：BG1FPX@qsl.net 我曾写过一个帖子，介绍一些形容词与动物搭配的比喻，比如as busy as a bee（像蜜蜂一样繁忙）。新浪网友songsea78刚才给我发邮件，认为这些比喻由于被滥用，早已经成为cliché（陈词滥调），不值得介绍。对于这位网友的看法，我一半同意，一半不同意。假如我们的英语是中、高级水平，我们再使用这些平庸的比喻，确实显得很幼稚，就好象一个大学生喜欢唱幼儿园的儿歌。但是，假如我们是英语初学者，那么我们使用这些浅显的比喻，我认为是完全可以的，甚至是应当鼓励的，因为这种比喻能够使死板的文字变得稍微生动一点。 看到这里，有些网友可能会问，如果不用as busy as a bee，用什么来比喻繁忙呢？其实方法很多很多，比如一篇关于政治的文章，您可以说as busy as a politician during poll（像选举期间的政客一样繁忙），一篇关于动物的文章，您可以说as busy as a spider spinning a web（像吐丝结网的蜘蛛一样繁忙），一篇关于交通的文章，您可以说as busy as an expressway on Monday morning（像星期一早晨的高速公路一样繁忙），等等。刚才我在Google检索，还找到下面一句话，是用四个美国地名来比喻繁忙的，写的就很巧妙。 ①Like Manhattan, a brain is a busy place. A heart is as busy as San Francisco, a lung is as busy as Los Angeles, and a kidney is as busy as Kansas City. ②头脑是一个繁忙的器官，类似曼哈顿。繁忙的心脏类似旧金山，繁忙的肺类似洛杉矶，繁忙的肾类似堪萨斯城。 下面是美国一个网站评选出来的英语中最常见的120个cliché，这个网站希望人们（主要是指美国人）避免使用它们。不过我个人认为，这些说法，对我们中国的英语初学者来说，还是很好的修辞表达方式，完全可以拿过来使用，不必顾忌美国人的看法，但对于中、高级英语学习者来说，这些说法确实过于平庸，不用也罢。 a chill in my bones / ate like a pig / avoid it like the plague / beauty is in the eye of the beholder / behind closed doors / big as a mountain / black as coal / blowing up a storm / bone-white / bright as the sun / built like a tank / burning with desire / came out of thin air / can't put my finger on it / caught my eye / cleaned me out / clear as water / coal black / cold as ice / crossed my mind / cry me a river / cut to the chase / dark as night / disappeared like a puff of smoke / docile as a lamb / drank his coffee to the grounds / dropped like a stone / easy as pie / eyes sparkled / fair as day / fast as lightning / faster than a speeding bullet / fiery eyes / flat as a pancake / flower among women / fly like a bird / grabs my attention / green with envy / hair like silk / happy as a clam / healthy as a horse / heavy as lead / hit me like a ton of bricks / hot as Hades / hotter than hell / I feel it in my bones / ice cold / icy blue eyes / in a flash / in any way, shape or form / jade green / jet black / jiggles like jelly / left out in the cold / lies like a rug / light as a feather / like a fish in water / mad as a wet hen / makes my skin crawl / milk-white skin / mind like a sieve / money doesn't grow on trees / my blood froze / nipped in the bud / on solid ground / out of the blue / packed my bags / piece of cake / pissing down rain / pitch black / pouring rain / pull a fast one / pure as the driven snow / quick as a bunny / quiet as a mouse / raining cats and dogs / red as blood / reed-thin / rose red / rough as sandpaper / ruby red lips / sat bolt upright / scream bloody murder / sharp as a knife / shining like the sun / sick as a dog / sing like a bird / skin like milk / sleep like a log / slender as a willow / slipped my mind / slower than a snail / smooth as silk / snowy white / so hungry I could eat a horse / soar like a bird / sour as lemons / sparkled like diamonds / stiff as an old boot / stood out like a sore thumb / strong as a bull / tall as a tree / tastes like battery acid / that rings a bell / the ball is in your court / thick as mud / thicker than blood / thin as water / throw out the baby with the bath water / time on my hands / tough as leather / turn over a new leaf / used to death / weak as a baby / when all is said and done / white as snow / wide as the sea / wishful thinking / with an iron fist / you look as if you've seen a ghost 《闲聊英语第143期》最常见的一组Chinglish说法 作者：bg1fpx@qsl.net 在各个英语学习论坛上，经常可以看到有关Chinglish（中式英语）的文章，但一般都是中国人写的。昨晚，浙江大学吴先生给我发来一篇长文，也是有关Chinglish的，但却是美国人写的，很有意思。这篇长文的标题是Chinglish 2 English（从中式英语到标准英语），作者是浙江大学的美国外教Chuck Allanson，内容则是Chuck在中国五年任教期间所听到、所看到的各种Chinglish说法。 比如Chuck第一次来中国，下飞机后，负责接待他的东北某大学英语系陈老师说：您刚到，我们吃点饭吧。我们要点Chinese dumpling（饺子）和Chinese beancurd（豆腐），您看可以吗？Chuck以前从未听说过这两种东西，但出于好奇，就说可以，结果饭菜端上来一看，原来就是ravioli（饺子，来自意大利语）和tofu（豆腐，来自日语）。Chuck当时心里暗想，这两种东西，国际上早已经有通用的说法（ravioli和tofu），他们中国人为什么还要用那种生僻的说法呢？以后Chuck跟陈先生混熟了，就问他，当初你为什么不说ravioli和tofu呢？陈先生听了大吃一惊，连忙解释说，我真的不知道这两个词，而且我们的《英汉词典》上也没有这两个词。 于是Chuck开始意识到，中国的英语教师、英语课本、甚至英语词典肯定存在问题，否则不可能发生这种事情。在中国五年的任教期间，Chuck收集了大量的Chinglish说法，从中挑选出一组最常见的，编写了上面提到的那篇长文。下面就是这些Chinglish说法，其中每行第一部分是汉语说法，第二部分是Chinglish说法，第三部分则是英语的标准说法。至于那篇长文，我再跟吴先生联系一下，看看是否有版权问题，如果没有，我将上载到下列网址，您可以下载，好好读一读。 http://www./english/c2e.doc ① 欢迎你到... ② welcome you to ... ③ welcome to ... ① 永远记住你 ② remember you forever ③ always remember you（没有人能活到forever） ① 祝你有个... ② wish you have a ... ③ I wish you a ... ① 给你 ② give you ③ here you are ① 很喜欢... ② very like ... ③ like ... very much ① 黄头发 ② yellow hair ③ blond/blonde（西方人没有yellow hair的说法） ① 厕所 ② WC ③ men's room/women's room/restroom ① 真遗憾 ② it's a pity ③ that's too bad/it's a shame（it's a pity说法太老） ① 裤子 ② trousers ③ pants/slacks/jeans ① 修理 ② mend ③ fix/repair ① 入口 ② way in ③ entrance ① 出口 ② way out ③ exit（way out在口语中是crazy的意思） ① 勤奋 ② diligent ③ hardworking/studious/conscientious ① 应该 ② should ③ must/shall ① 火锅 ② chafing dish ③ hot pot ① 大厦 ② mansion ③ center/plaza ① 马马虎虎 ② so-so ③ average/fair/all right/not too bad/OK（西方人很少使用so-so） ① 好吃 ② delicious ③ good/nice/tasty/appetizing（delicious在中国被滥用） ① 尽我最大努力 ② try my best ③ try/strive（try的本意就是try my best） ① 有名 ② famous ③ well-known/renowned/legendary/popular（famous在中国被滥用） ① 滑稽 ② humorous ③ funny/witty/amusing/entertaining ① 欺骗 ② to cheat ③ to trick/to play a joke on/to con/to deceive/to rip off ① 车门 ② the door of the car ③ the car's door ① 怎么拼? ② how to spell? ③ how do you spell? ① 再见 ② bye-bye ③ bye/see you/see you later/later（bye-bye有些孩子气） ① 玩 ② play ③ go to/do（play在中国被滥用） ① 面条 ② noodles ③ pasta（noodles有些孩子气） ① 据说 ② it is said ③ I heard/I read/I was told ① 等等 ② and so on ③ etc. ① 直到现在 ② till now ③ recently/lately/thus far ① 农民 ② peasant ③ farmer ① 宣传 ② propaganda ③ information |
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