从A到Z畅谈美国流行文化：Backseat driver
<p>美国是个车轮上的国家，私家车绝对是最普及的交通工具。这点很自然地反映在了语言当中。不少跟开车有关的英文短语最早都起源于美国，其中包括<span word="backseat">backseat</span> <span word="driver">driver</span>。 也可以拼写成<span word="back">back</span> <span word="seat">seat</span> <span word="driver">driver</span>或<span word="back">back</span>-<span word="seat">seat</span> <span word="driver">driver</span>，</p><p>它于1921年12月首次出现在<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Bismarck">Bismarck</span> <span word="Trib">Trib</span>(美国北达科他州的报纸)里：<span word="A">A</span> <span word="back">back</span>-<span word="seat">seat</span> <span word="driver">driver</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pest">pest</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="sits">sits</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rear">rear</span> <span word="cushions">cushions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="aInotor">aInotor</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tells">tells</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="driver">driver</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="He">He</span> <span word="issues">issues</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="instructions">instructions</span>. <span word="gives">gives</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="advice">advice</span>. <span word="oFfers">oFfers</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cnd">cnd</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="criticism">criticism</span>. <span word="ajld">ajld</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="abit">abit</span> <span word="ofxvork">ofxvork</span>.(后座驾驶员就是坐在汽车后座上告诉驾驶员怎么开车的那个讨厌的家伙。他给出很多指令，不停地提建议，没完没了地批评司机的驾驶技术，却不做任何实际的事情。)</p><p>当时正好是汽车刚开始在美人有了当司机的切身体会，这个为日常用语。随后，它又逐渐扩画脚、横加干涉的人。</p><p>各举一例如下 <span word="Gertrude">Gertrude</span>: <span word="Whoa">Whoa</span>. <span word="slow">slow</span> <span word="down">down</span>!<span word="Are">Are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="killed">killed</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="what">what</span>? (吁!慢一点儿!你想让我们送命啊?) <span word="Malcolm">Malcolm</span>: <span word="Don">Don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="worrv">worrv</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="that">that</span>!<span word="I">I</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="doing">doing</span>.(这个不用你担心!我知道自己在干什么。) <span word="Certrude">Certrude</span>:<span word="I">I</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="If">If</span>'<span word="you">you</span> <span word="do">do</span>,<span word="you">you</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="there">there</span>. <span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="donot">donot</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="pull">pull</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="U">U</span>-<span word="turn">turn</span> ?<span word="We">We</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="fix">fix</span> <span word="this">this</span>.(我看未必。如果你真知道，在刚才那里就该左转。不如你停下，掉个头吧?还可以补救。) <span word="Malcolm">Malcolm</span>: <span word="Jesus">Jesus</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="backseac">backseac</span> <span word="driver">driver</span>. <span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="sit">sit</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="shut">shut</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hell">hell</span> <span word="up">up</span>?(天哪，你真是个典型的后座驾驶员。你为什么不好好坐在那里，安静一会儿?) <span word="Harriet">Harriet</span>: <span word="You">You</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="is">is</span>?<span word="Your">Your</span> <span word="loser">loser</span> <span word="husband">husband</span>.<span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>,<span word="come">come</span> <span word="on">on</span>.<span word="He">He</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="sush">sush</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sleazebag">sleazebag</span> .<span word="If">If</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="you">you</span> ,<span word="I">I</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="divorce">divorce</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hearbeat">hearbeat</span> . (你知道你的问题在哪里吗?你那个衰老公。说真的，他是个彻底的混球。如果我是你，我会毫不犹豫地跟他离婚。) <span word="Melanie">Melanie</span>: <span word="Stop">Stop</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="backseat">backseat</span> <span word="driver">driver</span>,<span word="my">my</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="none">none</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="business">business</span>.(你别对我的私事横加干涉!我的婚姻不心!) <span word="Harriet">Harriet</span>:<span word="Hey">Hey</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span>.(嘿，我是替你着 没什么可多说的。)<span word="Melanie">Melanie</span>:<span word="Thanks">Thanks</span>,<span word="but">but</span> <span word="no">no</span>.<span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="shoould">shoould</span> <span word="divorce">divorce</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="husband">husband</span>.<span word="You">You</span> <span word="can">can</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="cross">cross</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="line">line</span> ,<span word="period">period</span>.(谢了，不过我可以不需要任何人告诉我应该跟丈夫离婚，你绝对不尅过这个界，没什么可多说的)</p>
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