从A到Z畅谈美国流行文化：Bells and whistles
<p>跟我在“时尚英语”系列第一册里介绍过的<span word="up">up</span> <span word="closeandpersonal">closeandpersonal</span>类似，是那种乍一看每个单词都认识，但合在一起就不知道是什么意思的短语，至少对于绝大多数英语单词非母语者来说是这样，我最早接触到它的时候也是丈二的和尚摸不着头脑，后来屡屡在杂志和网站上看到它，才逐渐确定它的意思和用法，简单的说，<span word="bells">bells</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="whistles">whistles</span>就是某个产品不起实际作用 、纯粹为了吸引顾客眼球而设计的“附加功能/特色”。</p><p>换句话说，它们不是“主菜”，而是附属的“甜点”。举几个例子： ' <span word="this">this</span> <span word="alarm">alarm</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="basically">basically</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="currenntly">currenntly</span> <span word="using">using</span>.<span word="only">only</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="bellls">bellls</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="whistles">whistles</span> (这个报警系统和你们正在用的那个其实没有本质区别，只是多了些吸引眼球的小功能而已。) <span word="Your">Your</span> <span word="website">website</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="designed">designed</span> <span word="specifically">specifically</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="effectiveness">effectiveness</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="increasing">increasing</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="business">business</span> ,<span word="and">and</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="bellls">bellls</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="whistles">whistles</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="look">look</span>“<span word="hip">hip</span>”<span word="or">or</span> “<span word="cool">cool</span>”<span word="So">So</span>,<span word="get">get</span> <span word="rid">rid</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="flash">flash</span> <span word="intro">intro</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="unneccssary">unneccssary</span> <span word="videos">videos</span> <span word="please">please</span> .<span word="They">They</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="slow">slow</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="site">site</span> <span word="down">down</span>. (你的网站设计应该专注于“育效”这一点，以便达成更多的交易;而不应注重一些华而不实的附加特色，使它看起来很“时尚”或者很“酷”。所以，拜托你去掉动画引子和不必要的视频。它们严重影响了网站的速度。)</p><p>也许你会觉得奇怪，<span word="bells">bells</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="whistles">whistles</span>明明是铃铛和哨子，怎么就成了产品的附加功能了呢?原来，这个短语最早出现在1 9世纪中期的时候，正是它的字面意思：铃铛和哨子。当时的科技还没那么发达，要发出响亮的声音基本上只有两种方法：摇铃或者吹哨。所以很多美国的火车头上都同时装有铃铛和哨子，配合需要可以分别发出不同类型的嘹亮信号。 由此可见，铃铛和哨子不是车的核心部分。有了可以协调、顺畅地运转;但没了它们，火车也依旧可日 <span word="gongs">gongs</span>。<span word="gong">gong</span>是“锣”，同样是发出响亮声音的工具。加长的版本 意思没有任何变化，只是语气要重一些。而且在读的时候通常 会把最后的<span word="gongs">gongs</span>部分拖长，带一点滑稽的口音，起讽刺作用。</p>
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