美国流行文化从A到Z——Mc words
<p><span word="GreysAatomy">GreysAatomy</span>(《实习医生格蕾》，后简称<span word="GA">GA</span>)是目前美国收视率最高的电视剧(写此文时是最高，目前已不是最高。)，和<span word="Desperate">Desperate</span> <span word="Housewive">Housewive</span>(《绝望主妇》，后简称<span word="DH">DH</span>)、<span word="LOST">LOST</span>(《迷失>)一起构成了<span word="ABC">ABC</span>电视台的三大王牌剧目。除了居高不下的收视率，<span word="GA">GA</span>的影响力还集中表现在它掀起的<span word="McWords">McWords</span>热潮。毫不夸张地讲，现在<span word="Mc">Mc</span>成了全美国最流行的前缀，满口<span word="Mc">Mc</span>单词的人比比皆是。</p><p>而这种现象，无疑源自<span word="GA">GA</span>里无处不在的<span word="Mc">Mc</span>昵称。男主角<span word="Derek">Derek</span>叫<span word="McDreamy">McDreamy</span>，<span word="Derek">Derek</span>以前的朋友、后来的情敌、现在的同事<span word="Mark">Mark</span>叫<span word="McSteamy">McSteamy</span>。剧中人物很少叫他们的真名，一般都是以<span word="Mc">Mc</span>外号来称呼他们。而且好几个主要角色还有喜欢给其他人取<span word="Mc">Mc</span>外号的习惯，所以<span word="Mc">Mc</span>就随着剧集的走红而不知不觉频繁出现在大众的日常对话中。</p><p>其实<span word="Mc">Mc</span>在这些外号里没有实际的意思。<span word="Derek">Derek</span>长得帅气、梦幻，<span word="dreamy">dreamy</span>是个很恰当的形容词;<span word="Mark">Mark</span>身材很棒，又以“花心”闻名，所以<span word="steamy">steamy</span>(定义：<span word="sexually">sexually</span> <span word="exciting">exciting</span>)很好地概括了他的特点。换句话说，<span word="Derek">Derek</span>大可直接叫<span word="Dr">Dr</span>. <span word="Dreamy">Dreamy</span>，而<span word="Mark">Mark</span>也可以直接叫<span word="Dr">Dr</span>. <span word="Steamy">Steamy</span>。</p><p>那为什么要加<span word="Mc">Mc</span>呢?这个没有标准答案。我只知道，以<span word="Mc">Mc</span>打头的姓氏在英语国家和地区非常普遍。比如美国歌星<span word="MartinaMcBride">MartinaMcBride</span>. <span word="Katharine">Katharine</span> <span word="McPhee">McPhee</span>，加拿大歌星<span word="Sarah">Sarah</span> <span word="McLachlan">McLachlan</span>，英国乐队<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Beatles">Beatles</span>的成员<span word="Paul">Paul</span> <span word="McCartney">McCartney</span>，还有20世纪50年代麦卡锡主义的代表人物——美国参议员<span word="Joseph">Joseph</span> <span word="McCarthy">McCarthy</span>。甚至连虚构人物都有不少是<span word="Mc">Mc</span> -族的。比如<span word="DH">DH</span>里的<span word="Mrs">Mrs</span>. <span word="McClusky">McClusky</span>、<span word="Will">Will</span> <span word="Grace">Grace</span>(((威尔与格雷丝》)里的<span word="Jack">Jack</span> <span word="McFarland">McFarland</span>和<span word="Nip">Nip</span>/<span word="Tuck">Tuck</span>(《整容室》)里的<span word="Sean">Sean</span> <span word="McNamara">McNamara</span>等。可能一来<span word="Mc">Mc</span>姓氏很常见，二来听起来又有几分异域的味道(<span word="Mc">Mc</span>姓氏在爱尔兰和苏格兰最普遍)，所以<span word="GA">GA</span>的编剧们就给角色起了“<span word="Mc">Mc</span>+人物特点”的外号吧。</p>
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