让美国人摸不着头脑的英式英语
<p><span word="LONDON">LONDON</span> — <span word="It">It</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="insignificant">insignificant</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slide">slide</span> <span word="from">from</span> “<span word="oops">oops</span>” <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="whoops">whoops</span>.” <span word="It">It</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="blunt">blunt</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shift">shift</span> <span word="from">from</span> “<span word="restroom">restroom</span>” <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="toilet">toilet</span>.” <span word="It">It</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="adaptation">adaptation</span> <span word="from">from</span> “<span word="good">good</span> <span word="job">job</span>” <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="well">well</span> <span word="done">done</span>.” <span word="But">But</span> <span word="whatever">whatever</span> <span word="precisely">precisely</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="adjustment">adjustment</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="momentous">momentous</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="nation">nation</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1776, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p>伦敦——从英语到美语的转变，有时是“哎呦”的说法从“<span word="oops">oops</span>”变成“<span word="whoops">whoops</span>”一样不起眼，有时是把“厕所”从“<span word="restroom">restroom</span>”变成“<span word="toilet">toilet</span>”一样的天壤之别。它也可以像把“干得漂亮”的说法从“<span word="good">good</span> <span word="job">job</span>”变成“<span word="well">well</span> <span word="done">done</span>”一样，只是改编一下。但无论具体是怎样，这都是一个重大转变。一个新的国家在1776年诞生之际，一门新的语言也随之诞生了。</p><p><span word="Having">Having</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="returned">returned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="England">England</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="absence">absence</span> <span word="of">of</span> 31 <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="language">language</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>. <span word="Somewhere">Somewhere</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="interim">interim</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="letter">letter</span> <span word="aitch">aitch</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="become">become</span> “<span word="haitch">haitch</span>,” <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="result">result</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="spelling">spelling</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="name">name</span> (<span word="surname">surname</span>) <span word="was">was</span> <span word="painful">painful</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="somehow">somehow</span> <span word="morphed">morphed</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ghastly">ghastly</span> <span word="reflexive">reflexive</span> “<span word="yourself">yourself</span>,” <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span>, “<span word="And">And</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span>?”</p><p>几年前，已经成为美国人的我回到了阔别31年的英国。我打算说英国话来着。但我错了。在我离开的31年间，字母<span word="H">H</span>在某些地方的发音已经从“哎吃”(<span word="aitch">aitch</span>)变成了“嗨吃”(<span word="haitch">haitch</span>)，致使我很难读出自己的姓氏。“<span word="You">You</span>”（你）不知怎地已经演变成了可怕的反身词“<span word="yourself">yourself</span>”（你自己）。例如，“<span word="And">And</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span>?”（那你自己呢？）</p>
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