美国人听不懂英国人说的话？或许是真地听不明白哦！

昵称22998329 2017-01-17

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虽然英国人和美国人都说着同样的英语，而且也有大量的文章在讲他们之间说的是同一种语言，只是有一些词语上的不同。有人还撰文称解释《美式英语为何没能象美国一样”独立“？》，或者觉得即便英式和美式英语有所不同，也不妨碍两国人之音的交流，毕竟口音这事还是能接受的。

另外一种说法是，作为一个超级大国，美国在全球的影响力足以让美式英国成为一种全球性的语言，英国也不免受到美式英语的影响，向它靠拢，因此，英国人也自己能听懂美式英国。

慢着，有点跑偏了。翻吧君要说的是美国人听不懂英国人，不是相反！～～～

那么，这个问题真是一个问题吗？如果说英国人说一些单词让美国的人不明白，但在一个句子，或是一段话里，应该还是能大致听明白的吧？

那就来看看下面几句英国人说的话，让美国人看得一愣一愣的，不明白是什么意思！

1、They lost the plot

When someone has “lost the plot,” it means they have lost their cool. The phrase is particularly common in English football, where it is generally used when a player or coach gets in a fight or performs poorly during the game.

明白了吧，lost the plot的意思就是情绪失控了。这个句专门用在足球上上，指球员或是教练在比赛期间打架或是表现糟糕的情况。

在这一句里，plot的意思有点不常见。在柯林斯字典里有一个解释：

A plot of land is a small piece of land, especially one that has been measured or marked out for a special purpose, such as building houses or growing vegetables.

例如：

I thought that I'd buy myself a small plot of land and build a house on it.
我想我该给自己买一小块地，在上面建一座房子。

The bottom of the garden was given over to vegetable plots.
花园的尽头留作了菜地。

2、“I haven’t seen that in donkey's years.”

“Donkey’s years” translates to “a really long time,” mainly because “donkey’s ears” kind of sounded like “donkey’s years” and became a rhyming slang term.

The phrase was underscored by the belief that donkeys live a long time (which can be true) and have very long ears (definitely true).

“Donkey’s years” 其实源于Donkey's ears的谐音，即后者ears会很容易误听成years.另外，也有传说认为驴的寿命很长，耳朵也很长。

再来两个句子：

It's donkey's years since we've seen each other.
我们许多年没有见面了.

The new motorway won't be ready for donkey's years.
要修好新高速公路,那得等到猴年马月了.

3、 “Quit your whinging!— it's always raining in London.”

When someone is “whinging,” it means they’re whining or crying. The next time your coworker is complaining about something, feel free to call him a whinger.

Whining的意思就是“哀号’，”哭“。

不过，whining还有另外一个意思，就是complain。在柯林斯辞典里的解释如下：

If you say that someone is whining, you mean that they are complaining in an annoying way about something unimportant.

例如：

They come to me to whine about their troubles.
他们到我这儿来不停地唠叨他们的烦恼。

4. “He’s such a chav.”

This is a pejorative epithet in Britain that’s used to described a specific kind of stereotype: A working-class person who is loud or brash and wears (usually fake) designer clothes — especially the classic Burberry check.

在英国，这个词通常是贬义的称呼，用来描述某一种人，如一个属于工人阶层的人穿着一件（假冒）定订款巴伯莉招摇过市。

chav在柯林斯字典里的解释是：

If you call someone a chav, you think that the way they look shows a lack of taste and education, although they may wear expensive clothes. 品位低俗者；文化素养低的人

5. “You’ve thrown a spanner in the works.”

When you “put/throw a spanner in the works,” it means you’ve ruined a plan.

这句话的意思就是将计划全毁了。

再来一个例句：

A bad result is sure to throw a spanner in the works.
糟糕的成绩肯定会坏事的。

另外，spanner即是工具”板手“，但与美式英语里的wrench不一样。

图右的是spanner，图右的是wrench

6. “Let’s have a chin-wag.”

Though fairly self-explanatory, having a “chinwag” (sometimes 'chin-wag') means that you’re having a brief chat with someone, usually associated with gossip. Just imagine a chin wagging up and down, and you’ll get the idea why.

chigwag/chin-wag就是与人闲聊，说些家长里短的事。当人们聊天的时候，下巴一上一下地动，很形象吧？

例句：

He told me he had a chinwag with Dave the other day.
他告诉我他前几天跟戴夫一块闲聊来着.

7. “I’m chuffed to bits.”

If you’re “chuffed to bits,” it means that you’re really happy or thrilled about something. It’s also acceptable to say “chuffed” all on its own

chuffed to bits的意思就是很高兴。也可以直接用chuff。例如：

“I’ve just scored free tickets to the Beyoncé concert, and I’m well chuffed!
我幸运地得到了一张碧昂斯演唱会的票，我太高兴了！

又如：

When I was in trouble, he would chuff me up and help me.
当我遇到麻烦时, 他就会鼓励并帮助我.

8. “That’s manky.”

Something that is “manky” is unpleasantly dirty or disgusting. Its slang usage dates back to the 1950s and was probably a combination of 'mank' (meaning mutilated or maimed), the Old French word 'manqué' (to fail), and the Latin 'mancus' (maimed).

manky一词有时有粗俗下流的意思，算是一个俚语，最高出现在1950年代。

例如：

Why are they all standing around that a manky old boot?
他们干嘛要围着一只破靴子?

Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf.
两个贱人和一个有种族主义的矮子l t

9. “My cat? She’s a moggy.”

A “moggy” or “moggie” refers to an alley cat or a cat without a pedigree, but it is often used interchangeably as another word for “cat.'

Moggy或moggie指指一种野种猫，查不到血统的，通常可与cat一词互换。

例如：

The moggy is most closely related to the African and European wild cat.
与家猫亲缘关系最近的是非洲野猫和欧洲野猫.

10. “This was an absolute doddle to do.”

A “doddle” is a task or activity that is extremely easy. Though the origin is unknown, it dates back to the 1930s and is still common.

Doddle是指轻而易举的任务或工作。其出处不详，最早出现在1930年代，现在仍然常见。

柯林斯词典的解释是：

If you say that something is a doddle, you mean that it is very easy to do.

例句：

Transferring cine film or slides to video should be a doddle.
把电影胶片或幻灯片转换成视频应该不费吹灰之力。

11. “You’re taking the piss.”

When you “take the piss” with someone, that means that you’re being unreasonable or taking liberties.

”Take the piss“里有piss一词，就可想其意思了，即”戏弄“国。

It can also be a stand-in phrase for when you’re mocking or teasing someone, though this is more commonly said as “taking the piss out of” someone or something.

这个词也可以用于嘲笑或取笑人的时候，不过，更多地时候是take the piss out of someone or something的句式

例如：

They’re always taking the piss out of John because he likes Taylor Swift.
约翰长得象霉霉，他们总是取笑他。

12. “I’ve dropped a clanger.”

When someone makes an embarrassing gaffe that upsets someone else, that person has “dropped a clanger.”

如果一个人让人一个很尴尬地失礼或出丑，就可以用这个词dropped a clanger。

例句：

If you offer your seat to a pregnant woman on the subway and she tells you she’s not actually pregnant, you may have dropped a clanger.
如果你在地铁里给一个孕妇让座，可她去说没有怀孕，你可就让人犯尴尬癌了。