Potboiler: 粗制滥造的作品
<p><span word="Potboiler">Potboiler</span>: 粗制滥造的作品</p><p>对作家而言，最痛苦的事莫过于读者认为他的文章是<span word="potboiler">potboiler</span>（为混饭吃而粗制滥造的文学作品），更通俗一点，“某本小说被认为写得很‘烂’”。文章“烂”怎么会和<span word="boiler">boiler</span>（锅炉）、<span word="pot">pot</span>（壶）扯上关系呢？ 其实，就语言习惯而言，理解这个词组并不难。先从汉语角度来考虑，我们会听到：“为了糊口，他在学术创作之余，还编写取悦市场的‘肥皂剧本’。”句中，“取悦市场的肥皂剧本”——<span word="sitcom">sitcom</span> <span word="plays">plays</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="intends">intends</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tailor">tailor</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="marker">marker</span>，就可以用<span word="pot">pot</span>-<span word="boiler">boiler</span>来代替。“糊口、谋生”既然离不开锅、碗、瓢、盆，以此为目的而创作的小说和剧本，用“炊具组合”来表达真是再形象不过了。 19世纪60年代，<span word="potboiler">potboiler</span>进入英语词汇，用以形容<span word="a">a</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="literature">literature</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="money">money</span>-<span word="makers">makers</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="works">works</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="art">art</span>（以盈利为目的，缺乏艺术价值的作品）。 另外，<span word="potboiler">potboiler</span>的动词形式是<span word="to">to</span> <span word="boil">boil</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pot">pot</span>（谋生，粗制滥造文章）。例如：<span word="He">He</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="boil">boil</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pot">pot</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="teenager">teenager</span>. （他十来岁就得挣钱糊口。）</p>
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