叔叔，我“投降”！
<p> <span word="Cry">Cry</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span></p><p> 某日打开电视正换频道，看到电视上有两个小孩在打架，其中一个把另一个按在地上说：快叫叔叔!就饶了你!另一个挣扎了半天也起不来，只好叫叔叔!好叔叔!快饶了我吧!笑笑之余，突然想起英语中的一个表达：<span word="cry">cry</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span> 。</p><p> <span word="Cry">Cry</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span>，叫叔叔，意为投降。这个表达的来历还真与小孩打架有关。罗马帝国时期，罗马的小孩打架如果打输了，就会被对方逼着说uncle, my best uncle，(叔叔，我的好叔叔!)不说就不放开。那么，为什么要叫叔叔呢?有猜测说，打输的小孩要向打赢的小孩表示尊敬，而叔叔和父亲的地位接近，所以就要叫叔叔。</p><p> 英语中的<span word="Cry">Cry</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span>，以其叫喊之程度不同而作 <span word="Say">Say</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span>，<span word="Yell">Yell</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span> 以及<span word="Scream">Scream</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span>-叫，大喊和尖声叫喊 。语言学家芬克(<span word="Charles">Charles</span> <span word="Earle">Earle</span> <span word="Funk">Funk</span>)认为可能源于拉丁语。他说罗马时代儿童遇到困难时喊叫：<span word="Patrue">Patrue</span> <span word="mi">mi</span> <span word="Patruissime">Patruissime</span>。(<span word="Uncle">Uncle</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="uncles">uncles</span>.)可能是 <span word="Say">Say</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span> 的来源。</p><p> 1992年克林顿竞选总统时的助手卡维尔(<span word="James">James</span> <span word="Carville">Carville</span>)谈到当时的老布什总统时说：<span word="He">He</span> <span word="didnt">didnt</span> <span word="yell">yell</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span>; <span word="he">he</span> <span word="screamed">screamed</span> <span word="it">it</span>，就是说布什宣布投降也。形势不利，还是叫声爷叔的好。</p><p> [疯狂实战]</p><p> --- <span word="Are">Are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cry">cry</span> <span word="uncle">uncle</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="punish">punish</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="more">more</span>?</p>
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