关于“好坏参半”的表达
<p> 关于“好坏参半”的表达 </p><p>“十一”黄金周刚过，公司上班、同学见面，第一句问话往往是“嗨，假期咋样？” 恐怕居半数人的回答是：“还行，不好也不坏”。这“不好也不坏”如何用英语来表达？“<span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="so">so</span>”? 或许，我们还可改用其它说法，比如：“<span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="vicar">vicar</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>”。 <span word="Vicar">Vicar</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>直译为“助理牧师的鸡蛋”，其渊源确实与助理牧师有关。1895年，“<span word="Punch">Punch</span>”（《笨拙》）杂志刊登了一幅题为“<span word="True">True</span> <span word="Humility">Humility</span>”（《真正的谦虚》）的漫画，漫画中，胆小的助理牧师与主教共餐时，虽分得一只坏鸡蛋却不敢要求更换，硬说该蛋也有部分是极好的。当然，“坏了一半的鸡蛋”等于“鸡蛋全坏”，《笨拙》意在讽刺那些畏怯权贵的胆小鬼。不过，随着时间的推移，<span word="Vicar">Vicar</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>竟真的贬义褒用，用来指“好坏参半”的事物。 值得一提的是，较之<span word="Vicar">Vicar</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>，日常生活中人们更常用<span word="curate">curate</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>（<span word="vicar">vicar</span>和<span word="curate">curate</span>近义，都指“助理牧师”），看例句：</p><p> <span word="A">A</span>: <span word="Ah">Ah</span> <span word="Tom">Tom</span>, <span word="how">how</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="holiday">holiday</span>?（嗨，汤姆，假期过的如何？）</p><p> <span word="B">B</span>: <span word="Somewhat">Somewhat</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="curate">curate</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="egg">egg</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="afraid">afraid</span>; <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hotel">hotel</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="lovely">lovely</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="rained">rained</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span>.（还凑合，旅馆不错，不过，整个假期一直下雨。）</p>
页:
[1]