看見今天的題目，你們沒有懷疑Bella 怎麼不文起來吧？其實，人有三急，此乃生理需要，那些部位跟手腳頭頸一樣，僅人體一部份而已，人皆有之，沒什麼大不了。何況，我們今天童心看世界，又有什麼不文可言呢？

成人跟小孩說話，不自覺會用了「BB話」，特別提到噁心、敏感或尷尬的事物，都會以童言童話  (child's words) 取代，是委婉語 (euphemism) 的一種，以保存兒童世界的純真。

相信很多網友都已為人父人母，都有教小朋友「坐痰罐」、「去廁所」的經驗。以下一起看看男孩學上廁所的兩文三語：

Amy has been potty-training her toddler, Marty, lately. She hopes that he can get toilet-trained before his second birthday. But little Marty isn’t quite ready to say goodbye to his diapers yet. 愛美最近在教她的學步寶寶小馬田坐便盆，她希望他兩歲能學會自己上廁所。可是，小馬田似乎還沒準備好跟尿布說再見。

Amy: Marty, when you need to pee or poo. Just tell Mum immediately and say, ‘I want a wee,”  or “I need a poo. That simple. Okay? 小馬田，想尿尿或便便，就趕快告訴媽媽，說「我想尿尿」或「我要便便」，這麼簡單。行嗎？

Marty nods with a frown, face turning red and hands grasping his willy. 小馬田皺著眉、臉色發紅的點點頭，雙手抓緊著小雞雞。

Amy: So, what are you doing with you hands now?  Wanna wee-wee or poo-poo? Or both? 那你的手在幹嗎？要尿尿還是便便？還是尿尿便便一起來？

下會再談：小女孩沒有小雞雞，那她們有的叫什麼？

相關網誌：看便便學英語 – 此Stool不同彼Stool，兩文三語對對碰【3】:起了個大包

兩文三語怎樣說？

昨天談到手提電話「無電」、「收唔到」的各種英文表達。那你們試過電器的電池「用舊咗臣臣地」沒有？英文又怎樣說？

「用舊咗」（可視程度選用以下句子）：

1. 開始用舊：The battery is showing its age/ is aging. The battery is beginning to wear out.
2. 已經用舊：The battery has worn out (<-- 作動詞用）. The battery is worn-out. (<-- 作形容詞）

「臣臣地」：temperamental
Temperamental 本指人「喜怒無常」、「易怒的」，也指人物或事物「難以捉摸 / 無規律可循 （= 無譜、估佢唔到）」，引申指機器等not always working properly，偶爾出現故障, 像人一樣難以捉摸。無獨有偶，「部機臣臣地」，普通話的說法是「這機器愛耍脾氣」，又再一次印證，中西方的思想，原來可以這樣接近。

例子：

1. The actress was so temperamental that nobody could get along with her. 這女星總是喜怒無常，誰也跟她相處不來。
2. The weather has been temperamental lately. 最近天氣變幻無常，陰晴不定。
3. You have to handle our TV with care - it's rather temperamental. 你要小心碰我們的電視機，它有點愛耍脾氣。

相關網誌: 「無電、得一格電、收唔到」,英文點講?

廿一世紀的今日, 手提電話已成為都市人必不可少的隨身物品。相信大家都會試過手提電話「收唔到」,「得番一格電」, 甚至「無電」, 那種徬徨的滋味一定不好受。這些話英文怎麼說?

「呢度電話收唔到」:

1. No signal is available here.
2. My cell/ mobile phone gets poor reception here.
3. Cell/ mobile phone reception is poor here.

「電話得番一格電」:

Bella 做傳譯時曾給這個難倒了, 「有電」、「無電」、「無乜電」或「就快無電」我也會說, 但「一格電」該怎樣說呢? 原來是:

1. The phone battery is down to one bar only.
2. The battery indicator is showing one bar only.
3. I've only got one bar left.

「無乜電」、「就快無電」:

1. I'm running out of battery.
2. The battery is going flat.
3. The battery is low.

「無電」: The battery is flat [UK]/ dead [US].

以下是女朋友或「阿媽」的經典投訴事例, 用來總括今天的分享最好不過了!

Girlfriend:  Why didn't you call me last night? You're always out of reach! (你琴晚做乜唔打電話俾我? 成日都搵你唔到o既!)

Boyfriend: I was running out of battery. It already came down to one bar only when I left work. When I walked out of the office building, the reception was poor. Soon the phone beeped to warn me of low battery and before I got to the bus-stop, it went completely flat. (我無乜電呀嘛。放工果時都已經得番一格電咋, 行出公司大廈又收唔到。無奈就「嘟」一聲話就快無電, 我都未行到去巴士站就無哂電啦!)

Girlfriend: And it didn't occur to you that you could make a call in a phone booth while your phone at home happened to be out of order. Is that what you're going to say?  Please get lost, you liar! (你係咪想話唔醒起去電話亭打電話, 屋企電話又咁啱壞咗? 躝開啦, 大話精!)

相關網誌:  「雪花」、「一間間」、「鬼影」和「沙沙聲」英文點講?

「騎呢」、「另類」、「硬耳」和「似樣」的英文

 Cast:

• Hugh Grant as William Thacker

• Rhys Ifans as Spike

So the story goes:

The following is one of Bella's favourite scenes from the movie.

This is the immediate scene after William’s opening monologue where we come to meet the funniest character of the film – Spike.

(William has just returned home and calls out to his offbeat and rather eccentric Welsh flatmate, Spike, who appears in an extremely tight pair of shorts obviously too small for him, at least one size smaller than his measurements. Spike's helpless but eager eyes greet William as he enters the hallway.)

Spike: Hey, you couldn't help me with an incredibly important decision, could you?

William: (Busy fixing himself a quick breakfast without giving Spike a single glance, obviously too used to his friend's alternative style and grotesque ideas.) This is important in comparison to, let's say, whether they should cancel Third World debt?

Spike: (Seriously, short of breath) That's right. I am at last going out on a date with the great Jenine and I just wanna be sure I've picked the right T-shirt.

William: (Still quite indifferently, obviously not taking him seriously) What are the choices?

Spike: Well, wait for it.

(William puts two slices of bread into the toaster, turns and waits for Spike.)

Spike: (Making his way down the stairs at a slightly hurried pace in his first T-shirt reading "I love blood") First, there's this one. [Growls] (Quite confidently, seeking approval) Cool, huh?

William: (Confused & struggling to tell him the truth tactfully without hurting his feelings by first showing his agreement to make his remark easier/ less hard on the ear.) Yeah, it might make it hard to strike a really romantic note.

Spike: (Not discouraged, still on a positive note) Point taken. Don't despair. (Scurrying upstairs again.) If it's romance we're looking for, I believe I have just the thing. (Coming down in the second T-shirt reading "Get it here" with an arrow pointing down at his -- you know what.)

William: Yeah, well, there again, she might not think you had true love on your mind.

Spike: (A shade of disappointment crosses his face. Smile disappears.) Right. Just one more.

(William walks away from the foot of the staircase, back to the open-plan kitchen, with an amused smile on his face, wondering what a cute flatmate he has.)

Spike: True love, here I come. (Appears in the third T-shirt printed with the words "You're the most beautiful women in the world" and hearts and an arrow over his left chest.)

William: (So surprised at the decent T-shirt which finally comes before him that he runs out of words at a stage, just looking for the right word to say) Well, yeah, yeah, that's -- that's, um, (sincerely) perfect.

Spike: (Relieved) Great. Thanks. Wish me luck.

William: Good luck.

(Just when all of us feel that Spike is really serious about his date this time, the following shot jolts us into laughter -- as Spike turns, his back reveals the words ' Fancy A Fuck?'.)

這是男主角 William 開場獨白後的第一幕戲, 對手正是電影中最搞鬼的角色—Spike。William 一進門, 他那「騎呢」又古怪的同屋馬上光著上身, 以無助而熱切的眼神歡迎他回家, 明顯有事相求。

Spike向來行徑怪異, 頭腦簡單, 做事直接, 故一開腔招呼也不打便老實不客氣地找William 幫忙。 (Spike 的問題運用了英語中的question tag, 前半句選用否定詞couldn’t, 心中已有答案, 預期友善的William 必會幫忙, 意思是「你能替我做個極之重要的決定, 是吧?」, 而非普通問句「你能否替我做個決定?」Could you help me with a decision?)

William 早已習慣他這個朋友的另類作風和奇怪主意, 沒有看他一眼, 逕自給自己做早餐, 幽Spike 一默, 問他那決定是不是跟取消第三世界債項與否同樣重要。怎料Spike 卻認真得上氣不接下氣地說, 就是了, 他正煩惱約會心儀對象時該穿哪件T-shirt 才好。William 明顯不當他一會事, 冷淡地問他有什麼選擇。接著Spike 的「另類」T-shirt 便逐一出場, William為人厚道, 為了不傷害朋友的感受, 竭力委婉進諫, 回應時先同意再說真話, 使不哪樣忠言逆耳(「冇咁硬耳」), 例如說「這樣很難造就浪漫的感覺」。

那邊廂頭腦簡單的Spike總是語帶積極, 叫自己別灰心, 快步跑上樓, 再接再厲。可是, 選擇二還是遭到同樣的命運, Spike面上也略過一抹失望。

正當William退回開放式廚房，給逗樂了發出會心微笑時，Spike終於穿著一件像樣（「似樣」）, 走到William 的跟前。William感到驚喜，一時說不出話來，最後由衷地說句「這時最好不過了」。Spike終於鬆了口氣，謝謝老友。豈了Spike一轉身才叫我們笑個人仰馬翻...

By the Way...

1. 最近Bella 學習說話的藝術, 看電影時嘗試多留意戲中人的表情動作(non-verbal language) 和遣詞造句, 從而透視說話者的思想心理, 順道練習寫作。在這裡和大家分享我的學習筆記, 希望你們喜歡。
2. 由於篇幅所限, 不能把字詞逐一介紹, 我把值得學習的都highlight 了, 你們自己在中英文裡對號入座查看解釋吧。
3. 我把好些英文字連結至Cambridge Online Dictionary , 大家有時間可click 來看看例句, 學習詞語的用法。

何家拍拖十誡（9 April 08)

Lorinda Ho, casino tycoon Stanley Ho's 17-year-old daughter with his third wife, revealed the family's tough house rules to a magazine recently. To stay in her dad's good books, she must comply with the Ten Commandments of the Hos, namely:

賭業大亨何鴻燊與三姨太所生的女兒何超蓮（17歲），最近向一家雜誌透露何家拍拖十誡。要討何爸爸歡心，超蓮必須遵守以下的《何家十誡》：

In a nutshell, be a lady. 一言以蔽之：做個淑女。

知多一點點

相關網誌：「緝私犬」、「索K」、「臍帶」、「產前夭折」英文是什麼?

看《摘星奇緣》學英語 (1)

The film Notting Hill is a 1999 romantic comedy set in Notting Hill, London, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. It portrays the unlikely but lasting romance between an average Englishman and a Hollywood superstar . The "surreal-but-true" love story is truly a modern-day cinderella tale.

Notting Hill is definitely one of our all-time favourites. First, we have a preference for Hugh Grant, who also starred in Nine Months (btw, does the title ring any bell to you?), the movie we first watched together on our first date on the X'mas Eve 12 years ago.  Second, Brother Yeung loves Notting Hill for its subtlety and wonderful, subdued sense of humour.

Let's first watch the opening of the film featuring its theme song, 'She', and see if you can resist Anna's (Julia Roberts) captivating charisma.

《摘星奇緣》是 1999 年出品的愛情喜劇，由曉治格蘭和茱莉亞羅拔絲領銜主演。故事以英國倫敦的Notting Hill為背景，講述一名平凡的英國男子如何巧遇荷里活大明星，譜出虛實交疊的摘星奇緣，十足現代男版《灰姑娘》。

論我和楊大哥歷年來最愛的電影，《摘》片肯定榜上有名。一來我倆對曉治格蘭本來就有情有獨鍾（12 年前的平安夜，我們初次約會看電影，看的就是曉治格蘭的《九月之癢》，你們對它有印象嗎？），二來楊大哥愛《摘》片細膩中隱含幽默。

我們先來欣賞電影的序幕，聽聽主題曲 , 看你能否抵擋女主角的攝人魅力。

知多一點點

相關網誌: 看《英女皇》學英語(一), 看頒獎禮學英語(一)

這陣子不知怎的, 每天洗澡後總覺渾身痕癢難當, 弄得Bella 忙個不停抓癢癢。這讓我想起一句英語慣用語 You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours。你替我的背抓癢, 我也替抓你的, 這樣互惠互利, 禮尚往來, 不就是廣東話的「你識做時我識做」麼？

I've got absolutely no idea what's wrong with me! I have a really bad itch all over my body after shower every day. It's been like this for quite some time already. I can't help but keep scratching. All that scratching reminds me of the English idiom "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." You help me kill the nasty itch on my back and I'll return you the favour by doing the same to you. Isn't it wonderful?

至於「禮尚往來」的英文諺語是One good turn deserves another. 讓我們看看以下的例子, 用英語學習如何才算「識做」。

English proverb "One good turn deserves another." also fits the context here. Let's learn how to do somebody a favour in English in the following example.

David: (Rubbing his hands with/ in glee) I've fixed the bike for you. You know what they say? One good turn deserves another.

Betty:  Thanks, David. I owe you one. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. It's time to return the favour. Come to my room, I'll let you use my computer tonight.

David 替 Betty 修理好電腦, 笑吟吟地搓搓雙手, 問Betty 知道禮尚往來是什麼意思, 明顯有事相求。Betty 也不笨, 連忙向David 道謝, 說欠他一個人情, 知道「你識做時我識做」, 是還人情的時候了, 邀請David 到她房間讓他用電腦。

詞語配對表

相類網誌：「人靠衣裝」、「不要以貌取人」英文怎樣說?

所謂「白手興家」﹐就是只憑雙手﹐不靠別人﹐由貧變富﹐英文是 to go from rags to riches 或者 to rise from poverty﹐而「白手興家的故事」就是 a rags-to-riches story。

Rag =「爛布」(破布)
e.g. I'll keep this rag for cleaning the car. 呢條爛布我留嚟抹車。

Rags =「襤褸的衣衫」
e.g. The old lady dressed in rags. 那老太太衣衫襤褸。
e.g. The family lives on public assistance. Their children's clothes are in rags. 那家人靠綜援為生, 孩子們的衣服都破破爛爛。

To go from rags to riches/ to rise from poverty  =  白手興家
e.g. (1) Guru is a movie in which a poor villager goes from rags to riches due to his sheer determination and personal drive, despite being faced with many business barriers. 電影The Guru講述一名窮村民﹐如何全憑自己的意志和幹勁﹐在商場上排除萬難﹐白手興家。
(BBC News,  http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/films/bollywood/2006/12/guru_preview.shtml, 21 March 2008)

e.g. (2) Li Ka-shing rose from poverty to industrialist and billionaire. 李嘉誠白手興家﹐成為擁有百億身家的企業家。

Bella

說起fight,有一句英文諺語是He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day., 意思是'it can be a good and acceptable decision to leave a difficult situation'。常言道：留得青山在，哪怕無柴燒。正所謂「好漢不吃眼前虧」，有時退一步的確會海濶天空，養精蓄銳，時機一到，自能東山再起，不是嗎？

另外，Live to fight another day用來鼓勵別人一時失敗了不用氣餒，只要留有力氣，他朝定能再戰江湖。

例(1): 我們今次雖然輸了, 但是留得青山在, 下次定能捲土重來。We didn't win this time, but we live to fight another day.

說話內容要是跟「作戰」無關,我們還可以說Where there's life, there's hope. (= So long as someone or something ailing is alive, there is hope for recovery)

我們今天動起來﹐談談打架吧。先談 fight 字﹐英語中有兩個意思﹐一是吵架(quarrel/ argument/ row)﹐一是打架﹐為免誤會﹐選字時要小心。

「佢撩我隻抽」﹐英文怎樣說?

「撩交嗌」或「撩交打」﹐英文是to pick a fight with somebody, 「隻抽」是to fight one-on-one﹐而「佢撩我隻抽」就是He challenges me to a one-on-one fight.

e.g. (1) The boy said he started chasing after Kodjo, and his friends joined in, even though he himself was expecting it to be a one-on-one fight and had not asked them to help. (BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7292802.stm, 12 March 2008.) 該男孩稱, 是他先追著Kodjo, 只打算跟他來一場單打獨鬥(「隻揪」), 並沒叫朋友幫忙, 他的朋友後來卻加入了。

至於「拳架」、「赤手空拳打交」﹐英文的說法是to have a fist-fight (= with fists only, no weapson is used)。

e.g. (2) A man whose friend died after the pair had a fist fight outside a pub has been jailed for 15 months. (BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/5180014.stm, 14 July 2006.) 一名男子與友人於酒吧外拳架, 友人事後身亡, 男子因此被囚15 個月。

「蘇州過後無艇搭」

曾經試過以下的經驗沒有？看中了一雙鞋子，非常滿意，卻想：總會有更好的選擇，再走走看看吧，總可以回來再買。可是，當走遍整個商場後，試盡各種鞋款，還是覺得你最好。你急步回到第一間鞋店，店員惋惜的告訴你：「你遲來一步了！剛才有位有心人，珍而重之把它買了回家了。」最後，店員還幸災樂禍的拋下一句：「你早早喜歡的話，為何不拿定主意買它回家？早告訴你：好貨難求。」

人其實相當愚蠢。未見過、未試過的總想去試，心想自己還有更好的選擇，不懂珍惜擁有的，哪知握在手裡的，原來是最好的、最適合自己的。可是，到他恍然大悟的時候，「蘇州過後無艇搭」，普通話是「過了這個村，沒這個店」，英文是Opportunity only knocks once (but not twice)/ Opportunity never knocks twice at any man's door，機會可一不可再。

機會這回事，從來都是稍縱即逝。Here today, gone tomorrow. Nothing is always there for you if you don't treasure it and try hard to keep it.

可是，人總是貪心的動物。有人會想：為了一棵樹，放棄一個森林, 划不來；然而對方也不笨，心想： 天涯何處無芳草，There are plenty more fish/ other fish in the sea, 你放棄，是你「走寶」了。

《伊索寓言》（Aesop's Fables) 中有一個故事，用來說明何謂「貪字得個貧」最好不過：

The Dog and the Meat

A dog with a fine slab of meat in his mouth crossed a bridge over a river and saw his reflection （倒影）in the water. Thinking it to be another dog with a larger piece of meat he let go his own and dived at the other dog to take it. He surfaced with nothing and his dinner washed away in the current （付諸流水）.

The moral of the story is: Be satisfied with what you have or you may lose it

為了鏡花水月而不惜放棄手中最好、最寶貴的東西，到頭來落得一場空，後悔莫及，抱憾終生。何苦？只不過因為「隔離飯香」，The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)。不是人人能夠明白珍惜眼前所有，不要冒險犯難的道理。A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

After all, it's all a matter of choice.

相類網誌：「鬚根」的兩文三語怎樣說?

昨晚新聞報導, 一名清潔工人工作時, 發現一具連有臍帶的初生男嬰屍體遭棄置在垃圾收集站。 這究竟是什麼世代, 居然有如此駭人的聽聞!

警方今早帶同嗅探犬搜索至附近一幢大廈,暫時未有進一步的發現。

橙色的詞語英文該怎樣說?

(閱讀全文)

「鬚根」的兩文三語怎樣說?  

多年前做傳譯工作時, 遇到這樣的內容:

「他5 呎8吋高, 瘦身材, 黑色短髮, 圓面, 黑皮膚, 好多鬚根。」

譯: He's 5 foot 8, of thin build with short black hair, a round face, dark complexion ... and... and... very unshaven.

「咁佢多啲鬚根定甲君多啲鬚根?」

譯:  ...  ...  ...  (良久) Who looks more unshaven, he or Mr A?

哈哈, 有驚無險, 總算過關。

(閱讀全文)

像熱鍋上的螞蟻, 急得團團轉, 坐立不安。英文該怎說?

怎麼了? 不是說熱鍋上的螞蟻? 怎麼變了「屋頂上的肥貓」? 原來英語裡也有一句話形容人急得像熱鍋上的螞蟻﹐那就是"like a cat on a hot tin roof" (或較舊的說法是"like a cat on hot bricks")。只是「螞蟻」變成「貓」, 「熱鍋」變成「熱屋頂」或「熱磚」, 但結果都是熱得跳了起來, 坐立不安, 急得跳來彈去。 

If you say someone is like a cat on a hot tin roof/hot bricks, you mean he or she is restless and in a state of extreme nervous anxiety.

e.g. I certainly remember those days of job-hunting. I was like a cat on a hot tin roof. If the telephone rang, I would jump in the air. If the postman arrived late, I couldn't relax until he had delivered the post and I had checked every item.

下回再談。

(閱讀全文)

今天來談談中英成語/諺語的對照。

你知道idiom 和 proverb 兩個字的分別嗎? Idioms 和 proverbs 都是日常生活中常用的熟語、慣用語﹐不過idioms 的真義不同於字面意思，而proverbs 則沒有隱意，是簡單淺白、精闢凝練的前人智慧。

e.g. 'Kill the goose that lays the golden egg' has a hidden meaning of 'destroying something that makes a lot of money' --> Idiom

e.g. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. --> Proverb (no hidden meaning)

人們經常說「先敬羅衣後敬人」、「人靠衣裝﹐佛靠金妝」﹐英文是什麼呢?

(閱讀全文)