美国流行文化从A到Z——THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE
<p>在“时尚英语”系列第一册里，我曾经介绍过<span word="Dear">Dear</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="letter">letter</span>，即女人写给自己丈夫或男朋友的分手信。先简单重述一下它的来源：第二次世界大战期间，很多士兵妻子因为无法忍受常年提心吊胆的日子，写信给丈夫提出分手。这样的分手信往往以<span word="Dear">Dear</span> <span word="John">John</span>开头(<span word="John">John</span>相当于“张三李四”，不代表具体名字)，所以<span word="Dear">Dear</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="letter">letter</span>的叫法就流行了起来。</p><p>其实这个典故还带出另外一个常见的短语：<span word="that">that</span>，<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span>。当时，那些士兵收到家里人的来信，都会读给自己的战友听(他们没什么消遣，读信就算是一大乐事了)。有一位名字正好叫<span word="John">John</span>的可怜家伙，一次照例给大伙儿分享自己收到的信。可是读完“<span word="Dear">Dear</span> <span word="John">John</span>”之后，他突然不出声了，战友问他怎么回事，他回答道：“<span word="That">That</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span>!”(她就写了这么多，没别的了!)之后又有其他几位士兵陆续收到这样的信件，于是大家逐渐摸出了规律：原来，只有称呼、没有内容的信就是分手信。至于为什么不写具体内容，可能是因为妻子想显示自己的“决绝”，也有可能是她不太忍心抛弃在前线出生入死的丈夫，不知如何下笔。</p><p>无论是哪种原因，分手信要传达的信息都是一样的：我们之间结束了。因此，<span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span>自然而然地引申出<span word="that">that</span>‘ <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span>.<span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="over">over</span>(结束了)或<span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span>(就这么多了，到此为止)的意思。 已故著名美国歌星<span word="Ricky">Ricky</span> <span word="Nelson">Nelson</span>曾经是20世纪50年代和60年代的风云人物。他有不少家喻户晓的代表作，其中一首就叫<span word="That">That</span>'<span word="S">S</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span> 歌里唱到<span word="She">She</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="thinking">thinking</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="you">you</span>(她没有说“我爱你”或“我在想你”)<span word="She">She</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="sincerely">sincerely</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="miss">miss</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="dearly">dearly</span> . (她没有用“诚挚的”或“我非常想念你”署名)<span word="And">And</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="goodbuy">goodbuy</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="friend">friend</span>.(最后，只有一句再见，我的朋友)和80代的风云人物。</p>
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