发新话题
打印【有0个人次参与评价】

[推荐] BBC,英国人吐槽美式英语

BBC,英国人吐槽美式英语

BBC杂志发表了一篇关于美式英语入侵英国的文章,引起了很多英国人的共鸣。读者纷纷发来电子邮件,说出最困扰自己、最让自己恼火的美式英语表达。​

​​

1. When people ask for something, I often hear: "Can I get a..." It infuriates me. It's not New York. It's not the 90s. You're not in Central Perk with the rest of the Friends. Really."​​

当某些人想要什么东西时,我经常听到他们说:“Can I get a...(我能要一个……)”这让我大为恼火。这里又不是纽约,又不是90年代,你以为你是在Central Perk里演《老友记》啊,真是的!​​

​​

2. The next time someone tells you something is the "least worst option", tell them that their most best option is learning grammar.​​

下次要是有人跟你讲XXX是the “least worst option”(最好选择),你就告诉他们对于他们来说最最最好的选择是滚回去学语法。​​

​​

3. The phrase I've watched seep into the language (especially with broadcasters) is "two-time" and "three-time". Have the words double, triple etc, been totally lost? Grammatically it makes no sense, and is even worse when spoken. My pulse rises every time I hear or see it. Which is not healthy as it's almost every day now. Argh!​​

我经历过的渐渐渗入到英语里的短语(特别是播音员使用的)是“two-time(两次)”和“three -time(三次)"。难道double啊triple啊什么的都彻底消失了么?从语法上来说,这根本构不成短语,而且用在口语中更糟糕。每次听到或者看到它我就心跳加速。这对我的健康造成了威胁,因为基本每天都要经历这些。我去!​​

​​

4. Using 24/7 rather than "24 hours, 7 days a week" or even just plain "all day, every day".​​

使用24/7来表达“全天候”,而不是“24 hours, 7 days a week”,或者就朴实地说“all day, every day”。​​

​​

5. The one I can't stand is "deplane", meaning to disembark an aircraft, used in the phrase "you will be able to deplane momentarily".​​

我不能忍受的就是“deplane”这个词,意思就是下飞机,用法是这样的:“You will be able to deplane momentarily(您很快就能下飞机了)”。​​

​​

6. To "wait on" instead of "wait for" when you're not a waiter - once read a friend's comment about being in a station waiting on a train. For him, the train had yet to arrive - I would have thought rather that it had got stuck at the station with the friend on board.​​

用“wait on”而不是“wait for”,而且你还不是服务员。有次我读了一段朋友就在车站等车(waiting on a train)发表的评论。他所表达的意思是,火车一直没到站。而我却以为朋友在车上,但是车却困在了车站里。​​

​​

7. "It is what it is". Pity us.​​

这就是事实。同情同情我们吧!It is what it is.(该是什么就是什么。)美剧中经常出现,那么它的英式表达呢?There is no British way of saying this… it means nothing! 好吧,英国人觉得这个说法毫无意义!​​

​​

8. Dare I even mention the fanny pack?​​

敢不敢提fanny pack(腰包)啊?​​

​​

9. "Touch base" - it makes me cringe no end.​​

“Touch base(联系)”——这让我不停地哆嗦。​​

​​

10. Is "physicality" a real word?​​

“Physicality(物质性)”真的是一个词吗?​​

​​

11. Transportation. What's wrong with transport?​​

Transportation(交通工具)。就不能用transport吗?​​

​​

12. The word I hate to hear is "leverage". Pronounced lev-er-ig rather than lee-ver-ig. It seems to pop up in all aspects of work. And its meaning seems to have changed to "value added".​​

我讨厌听到的词是“leverage”。把它读成lev-er-ig(美),而不是lee-ver-ig(英)。好像各行各业突然都这么读了,意思貌似也变成“附加值”了。(leverage在美式英语中有“举债经营”的意思,英式英语用gearing表达此意)​​

​​

13. Does nobody celebrate a birthday anymore, must we all "turn" 12 or 21 or 40? Even the Duke of Edinburgh was universally described as "turning" 90 last month. When did this begin? I quite like the phrase in itself, but it seems to have obliterated all other ways of speaking about birthdays.​​

难道没人庆祝生日(celebrate a birthday)了吗?我们一定都要“turn”12岁或者21岁或者40岁吗?连爱丁堡公爵过生日也统统说成上个月他“turning”90岁。这是什么时候开始的?我喜欢这个表达本身,但它似乎取代掉其他所有谈论生日的说法了。​​

​​

14. I caught myself saying "shopping cart" instead of shopping trolley today and was thoroughly disgusted with myself. I've never lived nor been to the US either.​​

我发现现在自己会说:"shopping cart(购物手推车)”而不是shopping trolley ,我非常讨厌这一点。我从没去过美国,也没在美国生活过。​​

​​

15. What kind of word is "gotten"? It makes me shudder.​​

"Gotten(get的过去分词,美式用法)"到底是个什么词?它总是让我不寒而栗。​​

​​

16. "I'm good" for "I'm well". That'll do for a start.​​

用“I'm good(我很好)”替代“I'm well”。刚开始感觉都可以。​​

​​

17. "Bangs" for a fringe of the hair.​​

用"bangs"表示刘海。​​

​​

18. Take-out rather than takeaway!​​

说take-out(外卖)而不是takeaway!​​

​​

19. I enjoy Americanisms. I suspect even some Americans use them in a tongue-in-cheek manner? "That statement was the height of ridiculosity".​​

我喜欢美式英语。不过我怀疑甚至一些美国人也是虚情假意地在用它们。“这份声明简直是荒谬(ridiculosity)。”​​

​​

20. "A half hour" instead of "half an hour".​​

说“a half hour(半小时)”而不是“half an hour”。​​

​​

21. A "heads up". For example, as in a business meeting. Lets do a "heads up" on this issue. I have never been sure of the meaning.​​

A “heads up(提醒)”。比如,在商业会议上说,Lets do a "heads up" on this issue. 我至今还不知道是什么意思。​​

​​

22. Train station. My teeth are on edge every time I hear it. Who started it? Have they been punished?​​

Train station(火车站)。每次听到它,我就很恼火。谁开始用这个词的?他们没有被罚吗?​​

​​

23. To put a list into alphabetical order is to "alphabetize it" - horrid!​​

把一张表按照字母顺序排列就是去“alphabetize it”——非常不爽!​​

​​

24. People that say "my bad" after a mistake. I don't know how anything could be as annoying or lazy as that.​​

那些在犯错后说“my bad(我的错)”的人,我真不知道事情怎么可以变得如此让人恼火、将惰性体现得淋漓尽致的。​​

​​

25. "Normalcy" instead of "normality" really irritates me.​​

用“normalcy(正常状态)”而不是“normality”真的会激怒我。​​

​​

26. As an expat living in New Orleans, it is a very long list but "burglarize"is currently the word that I most dislike.​​

作为一名生活在新奥尔良的侨民,我有很长一串清单,但是“burglarize(破门盗窃)”是我目前最不喜欢的词。(英国用burgle)​​

​​

27. "Oftentimes"just makes me shiverwith annoyance. Fortunately I've not noticed it over here yet.​​

“Oftentimes(经常)”会让我恼怒得直哆嗦。幸运地是,我在这里还没看到过。​​

​​

28. Eaterie. To use a prevalentphrase, oh my gaad!​​

Eaterie(餐馆)。经常听到,天呐!!​​

​​

29. I'm a Brit living in New York. The one that always gets me is the American need to use the word bi-weeklywhen fortnightlywould sufficejust fine.​​

我是住在纽约的英国人,让我难受的一点是美国人需要用bi-weekly(每两周一次),fortnightly明明足够好用了。​​

​​

30. I hate "alternate"for "alternative". I don't like this as they are two distinct words, both have distinct meanings and it's useful to have both. Using alternate for alternative deprives us of a word.​​

我讨厌用“alternate”替代“alternative”。我不喜欢这个因为它们是不同的两个词,它们分别有不同的意思,两者都很有用。用alternate替代alternative会让我们失去一个词。​​

​​

31. "Hike"a price. Does that mean people who do that are hikers? No, hikers are ramblers!​​

“Hike(提升)”价格。那是不是意味着“提升价格的人”可以用hikers表示?不,hikers(旅行者)是“漫游者”的意思好不好!​​

​​

32. Going forward? If I do I shall collide with my keyboard.​​

.Going forward(前进)?如果我要打这个词,我势必要和我的键盘搏斗一番。​​

​​

33. I hate the word "deliverable". Used by management consultants for something that they will "deliver" instead of a report.​​

我讨厌“deliverable(交付物)”这个词。管理顾问常用这个词来表达他们要“deliver(交付)”的某个替代report的东西。​​

​​

34. The most annoying Americanism is "a million and a half"when it is clearly one and a half million! A million and a half is 1,000,000.5 where one and a half million is 1,500,000.34.​​

最让人恼火的美式英语是“a million and a half”,正确的明明应该是one and a half million. A million and a half 是1000000.5,one and a half million是1500000。​​

​​

35. "Reach out to"when the correct word is "ask". For example: "I will reach out to Kevin and let you know if that timing is convenient". Reach out? Is Kevin stuck in quicksand? Is he teeteringon the edge of a cliff? Can't we just ask him?​​

用“reach out to”而不是正确的“ask”。比如,“I will reach out to Kevin and let you know if that timing is convenient.(我会问一下凯文,看看时间是否方便。)”难道凯文在流沙区吗?或者他在悬崖边摇摇欲坠?难道我们就不能“问”一下他?​​

​​

36. Surely the most irritating is: "You do the Math."Math? It's MATHS.​​

最激怒人的当然就是:You do the Math.(你自己来算一下。)”Math?应该是MATHS!​​

​​

37. I hate the fact I now have to order a "regularAmericano". What ever happened to a medium sized coffee?​​

我讨厌我现在必须点“regularAmericano(常规美式咖啡)。”为什么就不能说a medium sized coffee呢?​​

​​

38. My worst horror is expiration, as in "expiration date". Whatever happened to expiry?​​

我最讨厌的词是expiration(截止),比如“expiration date(截止日期)”。为什么不用expiry?​​

​​

39. My favourite one was where Americans claimed their family were "Scotch-Irish". This of course is totally inaccurate, as even if it were possible, it would be "Scots" not "Scotch".​​

我最喜欢的一个就是美国人宣称他们的家庭是“Scotch-Irish(苏格兰-爱尔兰血统的)”。这当然是完全错误的,即使这是一种可能的表达,那么也应该是“Scot”而不是“Scotch”。​​

​​

40. I am increasingly hearing the phrase "that'll learn you"- when the English (and more correct) version was always "that'll teach you". What a ridiculous phrase!​​

我听到越来越多人说“that'll learn you(这是给你的教训。)”——明明英语(更加正确的)的版本应该是“that'll teach you.” 多么荒谬的表达!​​

​​

41. I really hate the phrase: "Where's it at?"This is not more efficient or informative than "where is it?" It just sounds grotesqueand is immenselyirritating.​​

我真的很讨厌这个表达:“Where's it at?(在哪儿?)”这并没有比“where is it?”更有效率或蕴含更多信息。它听起来很荒唐,而且非常惹人厌。​​

​​

42. Period instead of full stop.​​

用“period(句号)”代替full stop。​​

​​

43. My pet hate is "winningest", used in the context "Michael Schumacher is the winningest driver of all time". I can feel the ragerising even using it here.​​

我最讨厌文本中出现“winningest(常胜的)”,比如“迈克尔·舒马赫是有史以来的最常胜(winningest)赛车手”。即使这样用,我也觉得很愤怒。​​

​​

44. My brother now uses the term "season"for a TV series.​​

我的弟弟现在用“season(季)”来谈论电视剧了。​​

​​

45. Having an "issue"instead of a "problem".​​

Having an "issue(问题)"而不是"problem"。​​

​​

46. I hear more and more people pronouncing the letter Z as "zee". Not happy about it!​​

我听到越来越多人把字母Z发成zee的音。不开心!​​

​​

47. To "medal"instead of to win a medal. Sets my teeth on edge with a vengeance.​​

“medal(赢得奖牌)”而不是win a medal。我差点要破口大骂了。​​

​​

48. "I got it for free"is a pet hate. You got it "free" not "for free". You don't get something cheap and say you got it "for cheap" do you?​​

“I got it for free(我免费得到它)”是我最讨厌的表达。你是“免费(free)”得到它,而不是“为了免费(for free)”。你不会买到一个便宜的东西,然后说你买到它“为了便宜”,对吧?​​

​​

49. "Turn that off already". Oh dear.​​

Turn that off already.(把那个关掉)。天呐!​​

​​

50. "I could care less"instead of "I couldn't care less" has to be the worst. Opposite meaning of what they're trying to say.​​

用“I could care less(我一点也不在乎)”,而不是“I couldn't care less”,是我见过最糟糕的表达。与他们想要说的意思完全相反。​.

TOP



Hey Dude!
It's not your bad, it is what it is!  lol.

TOP

.

TOP

确实
当时移民美洲的人基本都是破落贵族和农民
不怎么注意语法
当代美式英语影响更大
“让别人听得懂”即可这个准则的美式英语更容易让人接受
让我惊讶的是爱尔兰人说英语,口音很接近美国,却不像英国.

TOP

英国人一直说美国人说的是美语不是英语。.

TOP

这篇文章副作用大,看了以后更加不知道怎么说英语了.

TOP

回复 4楼牛牛他妈 的帖子

北美Irish 人口很多,算个大族裔。三月St. Patrick's Day就是他们的节日,满街Irish green, 戴绿帽,穿绿衣, 还有parade。.

TOP

回复 4楼牛牛他妈 的帖子

美式口音的雏形就是爱尔兰口音。.

TOP

.

TOP

上次小的考试,为了transport还是transportation被扣了分。到现在我还搞不清。.

TOP

takeaway!
英国人自己也这么说滴.

TOP

他要看到澳洲英语更奔溃,原则就是能懒则懒.

TOP

上次我和一个英国老外讨论唐顿庄园,我一直说“season”, 她坚持说“series”。
而且拥有正宗伦敦口音是很骄傲的一件事。。

[ 本帖最后由 vivian2006 于 2014-3-28 14:18 编辑 ].

TOP

能表达沟通就行。

我第一次发现老美说“Long time no see" 的时候也很惊诧,不过想通就了没事儿了,世上本没有路,走的人多了就成了路。”.

TOP

回复 13楼vivian2006 的帖子

多亲切的用法啊,好多读书时学到的用法,现在不大听到了,偶然看人家用,觉得还挺开心的。.

TOP

回复 14楼嘎嘎的妈妈 的帖子

呵呵,多好用呢!在沟通中你中有我,我中有你 .

TOP

好玩·~~.

TOP

回复 1楼不二周助 的帖子

歪下楼,今天早上听广播,说到听众不二周助,是你吗.

TOP

回复 18楼简颜 的帖子

当然不是,哈哈。.

TOP

回复 14楼嘎嘎的妈妈 的帖子

是的

中国人多需求大,
外人要分经济羹,学习我们的语言就够他们受的。.

TOP

孩子到学校的tuckshop买食物,被要求使用Can i……,please?的句式,我们在澳大利亚。
澳式英语也很搞,有时英式,有时美式,再加澳式。.

TOP

孩子到学校的tuckshop买食物,被要求使用Can i……,please?的句式,我们在澳大利亚。
澳式英语也很搞,有时英式,有时美式,再加澳式。.

TOP

can i please, 很标准的。.

TOP

还遇见过一个美国老外吐槽过英式英语的...

TOP

回复 23楼不二周助 的帖子

俺就是一个,长期听美音,偶尔听英音,感觉刺耳拗口

TOP

《老友记》有一集就是嘲笑罗斯女友的英国口音

TOP

哈哈哈,第49个,好搞笑!

TOP

哈哈,我女儿和英国人一起,其中有演一个大傻妞,英国人说这里全线说美音,因为只有美国人那么傻。

TOP

提示: 该帖被自动屏蔽

TOP

发新话题