美国流行文化从A到Z——It takes two to tango
<p><span word="it">it</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tango">tango</span>是个很具迷惑性的短语。它的字面意思是“探戈需要两个人来跳”，看不出任何贬义的迹象，但它的实际意思就不见得了。它既可以不带贬义，表示“某些事情需要双方合作才能完成”，接近中文里的“孤掌难鸣”;也可以带有贬义，表示“出了问题，双方都有责任”，接近中文里的“一个巴掌拍不响”。</p><p>简而言之，这个短语“亦正亦邪”。 其实，<span word="it">it</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tango">tango</span>最初充满了浪漫色彩，百分之百“正派”。1952年，美国歌星<span word="Pearl">Pearl</span> <span word="Bailey">Bailey</span>演唱的<span word="Takes">Takes</span> <span word="Two">Two</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Tango">Tango</span>大受欢迎，成为畅销金曲。歌里唱道：<span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="sail">sail</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="ship">ship</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span>(你可以独自出海)<span word="Take">Take</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nap">nap</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="nip">nip</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span> (你可以独自午睡或喝酒)<span word="You">You</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="deln">deln</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="own">own</span>(你可以独自陷入债务的深渊)<span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="lots">lots</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="thingsthat">thingsthat</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> (你可以独自做很多事)<span word="But">But</span>“<span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tango">tango</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="to">to</span>两个人来跳)<span word="cango">cango</span>(但探戈需要两个人来跳，<span word="two">two</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="feeling">feeling</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ramance">ramance</span>.(两个人才能体到浪漫的感觉)<span word="Let">Let</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tango">tango</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tango">tango</span>. <span word="do">do</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dance">dance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="love">love</span>.我们来跳探戈，跳探戈，跳这爱之舞)</p><p>可见，当时的<span word="it">it</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tango">tango</span>就表示“探戈需要两个人来跳”，完全符合它的字面意思。与此同时，它还传达了“爱情需要双方共同努力”的信息。随着歌曲的流行，这句话迅速融入了日常英语，并且跳出了爱情的框框，泛指“有些事需要双方合作才能完成”。</p>
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