Irish bull: 自相矛盾的说法
<p> <span word="Irish">Irish</span> <span word="bull">bull</span>: 自相矛盾的说法</p><p> 先提个醒儿，您得思维敏捷哦！看下面的说法有无问题：“<span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="hereditary">hereditary</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="children">children</span>”。就语法而言，句子本身无可挑剔；就语义而言，这句话很值得探讨——若真的“不要孩子是他们家的一贯传统”，那么现在的“他”似乎早应该消亡了…… 这种“自相矛盾的陈述”在英语中可用“<span word="Irish">Irish</span> <span word="bull">bull</span>”来表达。现实生活中，类似不合乎逻辑、荒诞可笑的说法很多：<span word="We">We</span> <span word="ought">ought</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="goodbye">goodbye</span>. <span word="Everybody">Everybody</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="left">left</span>.（大家都走了，我们也该告别了）；<span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="comedies">comedies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="laughed">laughed</span> <span word="at">at</span>（我们的喜剧不是惹人发笑的）；<span word="With">With</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pistol">pistol</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sword">sword</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span>（他双手握枪，另一只手还拿着一把剑）…… 据说，“<span word="Irish">Irish</span> <span word="bull">bull</span>”最初特指“爱尔兰人”——自恃有文化教养的英格兰人认为爱尔兰人说话不合逻辑，而“<span word="bull">bull</span>”在古英语中指“逻辑上的错误”。不过，随着时间的推移，这种印有“民族歧视”的烙印已慢慢隐退，现代意义上的“<span word="Irish">Irish</span> <span word="bull">bull</span>”泛指任何人说法上的逻辑错误。</p>
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