Flea market: 跳蚤市场
<p><span word="Flea">Flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>: 跳蚤市场</p><p>再来一个谜语猜猜——<span word="Where">Where</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="neat">neat</span> <span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="refuse">refuse</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="shop">shop</span>？谜底是——旧货市场。为什么干净的狗不愿到“旧货市场”去购物？那里很脏吗？呵呵，解谜的关键在于“旧货市场”可用<span word="flea">flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>（跳蚤市场）来表示，爱干净的狗当然不喜欢身上长“跳蚤”。 关于<span word="Flea">Flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>的渊源，词源学家一般持有两种观点。一种看法认为，<span word="flea">flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>源于18世纪晚期纽约曼哈顿区的一个固定市场，该市场取名为“<span word="Fly">Fly</span> <span word="Market">Market</span>”。“<span word="Fly">Fly</span>”源于荷兰语<span word="Vly">Vly</span>或<span word="Vlie">Vlie</span>（山谷），因为<span word="Vly">Vly</span>的荷兰语发音正好和英语中的<span word="flea">flea</span>相同，<span word="flea">flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>由此得名。 另一种说法认为“<span word="flea">flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>源于巴黎人的‘想当然’”——便宜市场内可能全是破烂商品，破烂商品里可能会生满跳蚤。正是由于这种“想当然”，在巴黎，有一个专门卖便宜货的地方取名为“<span word="Le">Le</span> <span word="Marche">Marche</span> <span word="aux">aux</span> <span word="Puces">Puces</span>”（字面意相当于英语的“<span word="Flea">Flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>”）。 二十世纪二十年代，<span word="flea">flea</span> <span word="market">market</span>正式进入英语词汇，指一种设在户外出售古董、旧家什和罕见货物的市场。看下面一个例子：</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="lucky">lucky</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="flea">flea</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="today">today</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worthless">worthless</span> <span word="junk">junk</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="snuff">snuff</span> <span word="bottle">bottle</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bought">bought</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="dollars">dollars</span>: <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seller">seller</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span>. 我今天去跳蚤市场，运气还真不错。在那些毫无用处的破玩意儿堆里，我找到一个中国鼻烟壶。卖东西的人根本不知道那是什么东西，仅要我五美元。。</p>
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