从A到Z畅谈美国流行文化：grass is greener on the side
<p>喜欢比较是人的天性，不知足也是人的天性。这两种天性结合在一起，难怪我们总是觉得别人的东西(或处境)比自己的好。中文里有不少俗语来描述这种情形：这山望着那山高;隔岸风景好，邻家芳草绿;外国的月亮比较圆;吃着碗里的，想着锅里的……</p><p>英文当中也有类似的谚语：<span word="The">The</span> <span word="grass">grass</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="greener">greener</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="side">side</span>. 这句话的完整版本是：<span word="The">The</span> <span word="grass">grass</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="greener">greener</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fence">fence</span>.(篱笆那边的草总是比较绿，即“邻家芳草绿”。)虽然这个概念早在1 5世纪就由荷兰神学家<span word="Desiderius">Desiderius</span> <span word="Erasmus">Erasmus</span>提出过，但它直到20世纪50年代才通过<span word="Hugh">Hugh</span> <span word="Williams">Williams</span>和<span word="Margaret">Margaret</span> <span word="Vyner">Vyner</span>创作的戏剧<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Grass">Grass</span> <span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="Greener">Greener</span>《绿苑春浓》正式在英语里亮相。该剧后来还被改编成电影，由著名影星<span word="Cary">Cary</span> <span word="Grant">Grant</span>领衔主演。借着戏剧和电影的影响力，这句谚语很快就家喻户晓了。</p><p>为了方便，人们经常把它缩略为“<span word="The">The</span> <span word="grass">grass</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="greener">greener</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="side">side</span>.”，甚至更短的、和戏剧/电影名字一致的“<span word="The">The</span> <span word="grass">grass</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="greener">greener</span>.”。举例如下： <span word="Clifford">Clifford</span>: <span word="You">You</span> <span word="llaVc">llaVc</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="envy">envy</span> <span word="you">you</span>. <span word="you">you</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Harvard">Harvard</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="accomplish">accomplish</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> 35 <span word="than">than</span> <span word="Iwill">Iwill</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="entire">entire</span> <span word="lile">lile</span>.(你不晓得我有多羡慕你。你是哈佛的高才生，有一份好工作，35岁时达到的成就可能比我一辈子的还要多。)<span word="Jake">Jake</span>: <span word="Are">Are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="serios">serios</span> ? <span word="Ihave">Ihave</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="envied">envied</span> <span word="you">you</span>.<span word="People">People</span> <span word="expect">expect</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="much">much</span>.<span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="me">me</span>. <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="havc">havc</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="becausc">becausc</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="schoolwork">schoolwork</span>.<span word="ifI">ifI</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="B">B</span>, <span word="peoplc">peoplc</span> <span word="frcak">frcak</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="F">F</span>.<span word="Imay">Imay</span> <span word="havc">havc</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="job">job</span>.<span word="but">but</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pressure">pressure</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="me">me</span> ,<span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="inisane">inisane</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="i">i</span> <span word="am">am</span> 35.<span word="in">in</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="ways">ways</span>.1 <span word="wvish">wvish</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="couledjust">couledjust</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="regular">regular</span> <span word="guy">guy</span> ,<span word="with">with</span> <span word="nomal">nomal</span> <span word="epectations">epectations</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="normal">normal</span> <span word="lifc">lifc</span>.(你是开玩笑的吧?我一直很羡慕你才是真的。</p>
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