从A到Z畅谈美国流行文化：Call a spade a spade
<p>一些原本很“纯洁”的单词或短语到 了今天有可能成为“禁忌”，比如我在“时尚英语”系列第一册 里介绍过的<span word="cock">cock</span>(以前是“公鸡”，现在专指“男性生殖器”)。 <span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span>虽然还没到“禁忌”的程度，但我们同样要谨 慎对待，以免惹来不必要的麻烦。 <span word="spade">spade</span>的本义是“铲”，所以<span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span>按字面理 解就是“把铲叫成铲”，引申为“实话实说、不拐弯抹角、不用 委婉语”的意思。它最早出现在16世纪，在之后的几百年里一 直颇为流行。</p><p><span word="Oscar">Oscar</span> <span word="Wilde">Wilde</span>的名剧<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Importance">Importance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Being">Being</span> <span word="Earnest">Earnest</span> (((不可儿戏》)里就有相关对话： <span word="Cecily">Cecily</span>：<span word="wll">wll</span>"<span word="nI">nI</span> <span word="seea">seea</span> <span word="spa">spa</span>(<span word="lc">lc</span>.<span word="I">I</span> <span word="c">c</span>:<span word="illita">illita</span>。1)<span word="a">a</span>(<span word="l">l</span>(我看到铲子，就叫它铲子，不用拐弯抹角)<span word="Gwendolen">Gwendolen</span>：<span word="I">I</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="glad">glad</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span> .<span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="obvious">obvious</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="socialspheres">socialspheres</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="beenwidely">beenwidely</span> <span word="differert">differert</span>。20世纪初，<span word="spade">spade</span>渐渐演变成描述黑人的贬义词，效果类似<span word="N">N</span>-<span word="Word">Word</span>，这种用法来源于手帕的的另一种含义--扑克牌中的“黑桃”花色(另外三种花色分别为： <span word="club">club</span>-草/梅花，<span word="diamond">diamond</span>-方块/片，<span word="heart">heart</span>-红桃/心)。 有了这层“黑色”的关系，<span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span>听起来就像是“把 黑鬼叫成黑鬼，不要使用委婉语”，有浓重的种族歧视色彩。不 少人因此开始回避这句话。 需要强调的是，<span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span>在<span word="spade">spade</span>有“黑鬼”的意 思之前早就已经成为固定用语，所以<span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spade">spade</span>被扣上“种 族歧视”的罪名是很冤枉的。</p>
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