尷尬的一詞多義:出國要慎用的8個英文單詞
作者:滬江英語
來源:smartertravel
2014-11-17 10:16
Eight English Words You Shouldn't Use Abroad
You may think it's easy to communicate when you're visiting another English-speaking country, but think again! Certain words mean something entirely different on the other side of the world. Read on to see which eight words could cause you embarrassment across the pond or down under.
也許你認(rèn)為自己去英語國家旅游完全沒問題,再仔細(xì)想想!不同的英語國家對于同一個英文單詞可能有不同的理解??纯茨?個單詞會令你在其他英語國家遭遇尷尬吧。
Pants
Pants
Be careful who you tell in the U.K. that you have to go pants shopping—across the pond, "pants" means "underwear." When you're talking about jeans and khakis, you should call them "trousers."
在英國,如果你和人家說你要去買“pants”(美式英語中意為“長褲”),那意思是你要買“內(nèi)褲”。如果你要買的是牛仔褲或卡其褲,你應(yīng)該用“trousers”這個詞。
Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland
避免使用的國家:英國、愛爾蘭
Fanny
Fanny
Own a fanny pack? In most other English-speaking countries, they're called "bum bags" because "fanny" is slang for a part of the female anatomy (and no, we're not talking about the rear end). So don't tell someone to stop being lazy and get off their fanny, either!
你有“fanny pack”(美式英語中意為“腰包”)嗎?在大多數(shù)英語國家,“腰包”更多地被稱作“bum bags”,因為“fanny”是對女性私處的俚語說法(沒錯,我們說的不是臀部)。所以也千萬不要對別人說:別懶了,抬起“fanny”干活吧!
Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
避免使用的國家:英國、愛爾蘭、澳大利亞、新西蘭、南非
Pissed
Pissed
In America, we may get "pissed off" when we're angry, but the Brits and Irish who are "pissed" are extremely intoxicated. "Taking the piss," however, means "to make fun of," not "to get drunk."
在美國,我們生氣時會說“get pissed off”,但是英國人和愛爾蘭人如果說“pissed”,意思是爛醉如泥。不過“taking the piss”意思是“取笑”,而不是“喝醉”。
Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand
避免使用的國家:英國、愛爾蘭、澳大利亞、新西蘭
Bangs
Bangs
Prepare for weird looks if you're bragging about your new "bangs" in England. A forehead-covering haircut over there is referred to as a "fringe" instead. Overseas, "bangs" is more commonly used as the somewhat vulgar slang that it is?interchangeable?with in America.
如果你在英國炫耀自己的新“bangs”(劉海),恐怕不少人會向你投去怪怪的眼神。在那里“劉?!?被叫做“fringe”而不是“bangs”。在美國以外的地方,“bangs”是一種粗俗的俚語說法。
Avoid Using In: Anywhere outside of North America
避免使用的國家:北美以外的任何國家
Knob
Knob
Americans hear the word "knob" and think "doorknob" or "lever." It has a much dirtier meaning in other countries, like Australia and the U.K., where it's an insult or slang for a part of the male anatomy. Now you'll know to be offended if someone calls you a "knob head."
美國人聽到“knob”這個詞想到的是“門把手”。但是在澳大利亞和英國等其他國家,“knob”的意思要“黃”得多。在那里國家,“knob”指的是男子生殖器的一部分?,F(xiàn)在你知道別人叫你“knob head” 你應(yīng)該是什么反應(yīng)了吧。
Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
避免使用的國家:英國、愛爾蘭、澳大利亞、新西蘭、南非
Root
Root
Americans may "root around" looking for a lost object, but Australians and New Zealanders use the term to refer to having sex.
美國人用“root around”來指“尋找”失物,但澳大利亞人和新西蘭人用這個詞組指代發(fā)生性關(guān)系。
Avoid Using In: Australia, New Zealand
避免使用的國家:澳大利亞、新西蘭
Pull
Pull
If someone "pulled" last night in the U.K., they're probably not talking about pulling a muscle or drawing something apart. It's commonly used as slang for successfully picking up someone while out on the town. Likewise, "going on the pull" means that someone is going out with the express goal of getting some action.
如果在英國某人昨晚“pulled”,他們很可能不是在說肌肉拉傷或是把什么東西拉開,而是指外出時成功“釣”到某人。同樣,“going on the pull” 意思是某人為了獵艷而出動。
Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland
避免使用的國家:英國、愛爾蘭
Bugger
Bugger
If you affectionately call your child or pet "little bugger," you might want to reconsider doing so in pretty much any other English-speaking country. In most other places, from Canada to Australia, it is commonly used as an?expletive?similar to the f-word.
在美國,如果你親切地叫你的孩子或?qū)櫸铩發(fā)ittle bugger”(小家伙),到其他講英語的國家可千萬別這么說。在大多數(shù)其他英語國家,如加拿大和澳大利亞,“bugger”都是罵人的話,相當(dāng)于“fuck”。
Avoid Using In: Most places outside of America
避免使用的國家:美國以外的其他國家