My stars and garters!: 哎呀! 天啊！
<p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>!: 哎呀! 天啊！</p><p>据统计，凡夫俗子平均每天会迸出至少一句惊叹语：“天啊！上帝啊！” 习惯了“<span word="My">My</span> <span word="goodness">goodness</span>”或“<span word="My">My</span> <span word="God">God</span>”，偶尔听到外国人惊呼“<span word="My">My</span> <span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>”，颇感怪异。由“星星和勋章”组合而成的“天啊”是美国用语，不过，它的原产地可是在英国。 <span word="Garter">Garter</span>原指“嘉德勋章”，是英国王室授給爵士的“最高勋位”。由于爵士们的勋章大都是“星星”形状，所以到18世纪，短语<span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>开始被人们使用，当时用来指代“各种类似的勋章”。随着时间的推移，<span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>慢慢成了“荣誉”的代名词，同时，也用来形容被授予类似荣誉的“群体”，比如：汉语中的“侯门”就可以用<span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>来表示。 到19世纪，甚至连语言学家都感到惊奇，<span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>（荣誉）竟然摇身一变，成了挂在人们口边的<span word="My">My</span> <span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>!（天啊！）。与<span word="My">My</span> <span word="goodness">goodness</span>或<span word="My">My</span> <span word="God">God</span>相比，<span word="My">My</span> <span word="stars">stars</span>（<span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>）戏谑、幽默的成分更强烈。</p><p>瞧下面这句话，选自英国讽刺大师萨克雷的<span word="The">The</span> <span word="book">book</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="snobs">snobs</span>（《势利人脸谱》）：</p><p><span word="O">O</span>! <span word="stars">stars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="garters">garters</span>! <span word="how">how</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="she">she</span>-<span word="she">she</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="solemn">solemn</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Minerva">Minerva</span>-<span word="she">she</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="chaste">chaste</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Diana">Diana</span> -<span word="that">that</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Snob">Snob</span>!（天啊，她——如智慧女神那般神圣，如月亮女神那般纯洁——如果听到有人说自己是个势力小人，会是何等惊讶！）</p>
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