Show or not?
By Aki
Picture by Zhu Lijun
Translated by Shmily

大家好! 感谢你们长期以来的支持. 应广大读者的要求, 从本期起《文化冲突》栏目将提供文章的中文概述. 中英对照, 方便读者阅读与理解. 希望大家喜欢! 如果您有任何意见或建议, 欢迎发邮件到我们的邮箱common-talk@fj172.com.



Once last year, my family invited our neighbors, Michael's family, for dinner since they were soon moving to another city. While talking at the table, we mentioned the trip which Michael's older daughter, Nicky had just returned from. Nicky was also present having dinner with us. She had gone to England a couple of months ago by herself for a short-term trip for study and relaxation. After Nicky's excited description of what she saw and experienced in London, her father said he was so happy to see his daughter being so independent and capable of solving the many problems that she had encountered. Also, he highly appreciated Nicky's braveness and optimistic attitude when she faced those difficulties.

From the look on their faces, Michael and his wife were so proud of their daughter and hoped to share this with us. Nicky was also proud of her family. Their confident smiles and shining eyes will never fade from my mind, and left me much to think of.

After dinner that night, I just couldn't stop remembering the scenes how my parents acted when other people talked about or appreciated something I had done. In my memory, in front of others they never appeared to be proud of my achievements, and always included something I didn't do well. Although I could recognize that they were actually happy to hear other people's appreciation, I can never agree with the attitude that they showed in that kind of situation. However, the explanations given by my mum were all about the customs that most people hold which don't allow us to show our pride in front of others. Rather than being understood properly, we will only be regarded as proud people.

To talk and act ambiguously is always seen by Chinese people as a moderate way to get along with people. But in contrast, most western people directly show their thoughts and even emotions in public. When asked about the feeling they hold for something, most western people will just give a direct answer, which is very different from the way Chinese do. People in China generally take more things into account whenever they want to say something before others even though it does not really matter. Seeking for a more in-depth cause, we can find that the perspectives that most westerners hold for social relationships are quite different from the Chinese ones. The interaction between people in the western world is more based on sharing and giving, while in China it is more likely to be based upon protection and competition.


去年, 我家邀请邻居麦可一家共进晚餐. 席间, 我们谈起了麦可的长女妮基刚刚结束的旅行. 几个月前, 妮基曾独自一人到英国学习、休假. 她兴致勃勃地和我们分享了她在伦敦的所见所闻. 麦可为女儿能够自立、独立解决问题感到欣慰, 同时, 他也对妮基在面对真正的困难时表现出的勇敢乐观态度赞叹有加. 麦可夫妇的脸上溢满了骄傲, 妮基也很自豪. 他们眼中闪烁的自信笑容给我留下了深刻的印象.

我不禁回想起别人谈论或表扬我时父母的表现. 我记得, 在人前, 父母从未因我所取得的成就表露出一丝的自豪, 却总提起那些我没能做好的事. 尽管他们很高兴能听到对我的赞许, 我却无法认同他们表现出的态度. 然而母亲解释说, 中国人的传统就是不在人前沾沾自喜, 否则只会被认作自大而不被理解.

中国人总认为中庸的言谈举止才是合适的处世方式. 相反, 大多数西方人即便是在公共场合也会直接表露自己的所思所感. 当问到对某事的看法时, 西方人会明确表明自己的态度. 中国人则会比较谨慎. 可见, 中西方对人际关系的看法截然不同. 西方社会人与人之间的交往偏重分享和给予, 而国人更倾向于自我保护和竞争意识.

 

 

Take care
By The Chef

衣食住行,学英语要从身边的小事开始. 本栏目将带给您最实用的日常口语.

● I am not feeling well today. 我今天不舒服.
● I am feeling a bit below/under par. 我今天感到有点不舒服.
● I feel under the weather. 我生病了.
● I am not quite myself. 我状态不好.
● I've got a bad flu. 我得了严重流感.
● soar throat 喉咙痛
● running nose 流鼻涕

 

 

Hot Word
Collected by Jianjiang

● barometer
Retail sales, an important barometer of the nation's consumer demand, stood at 1.03 trillion yuan (US$124.3 billion) during the January-February period.
国家消费需求正持续增长. 今年1至2月, 反映消费需求的晴雨表-全国消费品零售总额达到10, 313亿元, 比上年同期增长13.6%.
barometer, 晴雨表. 原意是"气压计". Opinion polls serve as a barometer of the public mood. 民意调查是公众情绪的晴雨表.

● chattering
The possible presidential match-up has the chattering classes so prematurely worked up that they are having a hard time letting go.
希拉里和赖斯? 这样的"对抗"太有吸引力了! 难怪总有喋喋不休的好事者把2008年美国总统的可能候选人炒得沸沸扬扬, 久久无法平息.
chattering, 喋喋不休的, 饶舌的. 动词是chatter. Who chatters to you, will chatter of you. 那些和你一起八卦的人也会在背后说你的是非.

● output
OPEC has agreed to lift production ceilings by an extra 500,000 barrels of oil a day to help cool prices. OPEC also held out the prospect of a further boost to output.
为平抑日益高涨的油价, 欧佩克将该组织的原油日产限额从目前的2700万桶提高到2750万桶. 此外, 欧佩克还有可能根据未来需要, 再将其日产量提高50万桶.
output, 产量. put out就是动词"生产".

● chemistry
Technology appears to be taking the place of old-fashioned chemistry: loveless singletons can now pick up and let go of potential partners without so much as an awkward silence.
英国有家婚介所开通了"远程观察"的手机服务, 新科技将取代老式的意气相投. 单身贵族们可以更自由地挑选或远离可能的恋人, 而不必经受令人尴尬的沉默.
chemistry, 意气相投. 相互吸引是否也算一种"化学反应"?

● transplant
"Letter from An Unknown Woman" is adapted from a novel of the same name written by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig. Xu Jinglei transplants the story to the background of Beijing in the 1940s.
茨威格的小说《一个陌生女人的来信》把单恋的极致刻画得细腻生动. 故事被徐静蕾移植到上世纪40年代的北平, 电影票房喜人.
transplant, 移植. 也可以用在医学手术中, a heart transplant.



● striker
Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina's all-time scoring leader and a former Fiorentina and AS Roma star, announced he was retiring from soccer. "I'm retiring for good," the 36-year-old striker said.
笑别江湖终有日. 继巴乔和雷东多之后, 潘帕斯战神巴蒂也向喜爱他的球迷告别了. 这位36岁的前锋宣布结束自己的职业生涯.
striker, 前锋. 足球中的前锋也可以用forward表示.

 

 

Cartoon English
By Bo & Bob

 

 

怎样表示不满
By Suky

讲英语难, 用英语吵架更难. 很多人一生气, 所有的英文都忘光了,英文骂不过人家就用中文骂, 反正对方听得懂听不懂都无关紧要, 重要的是让他知道你很凶, 而且你正在骂他就行了. 这期我们就来看看如何用英语表示不满.

1. I'm so fed up with your BS. Cut the crap.
我受够了你的废话, 少说废话.
美女是不喜欢说 shit 这个不雅的字的, 所以她们就说 shoot, 或是BS(=Bull shit) 来表示她们还是很有气质的. 当你听到对方废话连篇, 讲个不停, 你就可以说Cut the crap. 相当于中文的废话少说.

2. Hey Wise up
放聪明点, 好吗?
当别人做了什么蠢事, 你可以说Don't be stupid. 或是 Don't be silly.但这是非常不礼貌的说法. 比较客气的说法是Wise up!
你也可以用尖酸刻薄的语气说Wise up, please. 然后故意把 please 的尾音拉得长长的. 也有人会说Hey! Grow up. 意思就是你长大一点好不好? 例如大学毕业了还没学会独立, 你就可以说 Hey! Grow up. 这跟 wise up 是不是也差不多呢?

3. Put up or shut up.
要嘛你就去做, 不然就给我闭嘴.
有些人就是只会出意见, 此时就可以说Put up or shut up. 要注意的是, put up 字典上是查不到"自己去做"的意思, 但是见怪不怪, 很多笔记本上的用法都是字典上查不到的. 比方说今天你在写电脑程序, 有人明明不懂却喜欢在一旁指挥你, 这时你就可以毫不客气地说Put up or shut up.这句话让我想到一句成语 Walk the walk, talk the talk. 也是"说到就要做到",有点像是中文里知行要合一的意思, 或是只说 Walk the talk 也可以.

4. You eat with that mouth?
你是用这张嘴吃饭的吗?
别人对你说脏话, 你就回敬他这一句, 言下之意, 就是你的嘴那么脏, 你还用这张嘴吃饭?

5. You are dead meat.
你死定了.
说你完蛋了, 可以说 You are dead. 或是说 You are dead meat.意思都是一样的. 跟别人说过不准碰你的东西, 但有人就是老爱用你的东西, 下次要是再被你抓到, 你就可以说 You are dead meat.或者也可以说You are a dead man!

 

 

田径之光
By Ivan

厦门国际马拉松赛已画上圆满的句号, 在回味奔跑的激情四射之余, 我们也来了解一些跟长跑乃至田径有关的词语.

Marathon, 马拉松.
想必大家小时候都听过关于马拉松的故事--马拉松比赛距离为42, 195米, 这是为纪念当年雅典战争徒步传递信息的斐里辟得斯而设立的.

track, 跑道.
我们拥有的可是世界上最美丽的跑道. track line, 跑道线. 如果是室内跑道, 就用indoor track.

get on your marks, 各就各位.
拖长了声调的"各就各位--"后, 紧接的便是"预备"get set. 而最扣人心弦的, 莫过于那一声短促有力的"跑"go.

finish, 终点.
finish tape, 终点线. 如果是100m这样的短跑项目, 肉眼看来, 那些飞人们几乎是同时到达终点close finish.

hurdle, 跨栏.
备受国人关注的110米栏是110 m hurdle, 这项运动深入人心, 当然要归功于刘翔.

cut in, 向内抢道.
这是长跑运动员的一个必备技巧. 短跑中就不需要了, 因为短跑都是分道跑run in lanes. lane指"跑道道次", inside/outside lane分别表示里圈和外道.

lap, 圈数.
小学数学常见"甲超过乙一圈时……"的麻烦应用题. "超过一圈"用英文表示是steel a lap. steel做动词是"使坚硬、坚强"的意思.

baton, 接力棒.
而接力比赛是relay, 4 x 100 m relay. 至关重要的最后一棒, 我们叫他anchor, 原意是"靠山、台柱".

 

 

英国剑桥大学
Cambridge



1209年, 一群学者因与牛津当局意见不和, 逃往剑桥避难, 加上伊里主教休包沿创立第一所学院彼得屋(Peter House), 剑桥大学便有了最初的基业. 到了16世纪末, 剑桥已拥有十几所学院.



位于伦敦北面50哩以外的这所举世闻名的大学没有围墙, 整个校园郁郁葱葱、气韵自华. 南北走向的剑河(Cam River)微微弯曲, 穿城而过, 垂柳沿岸, 一派田园情调. 坐着手撑的平底小船(Punt), 慢慢欣赏大学城的景点, 已成为剑桥的传统和特色. 当年的才子徐志摩在"再别康桥(剑桥)"一诗中吟出了"在康河(剑河)的柔波里, 我甘愿作一条水草".



剑桥几乎所有著名的古老学院都坐落于剑河旁边, 其中气势最宏伟壮观的建筑, 是国王学院的教堂(King's College Chapel). 它耸入云霄的尖塔早已成为大学和小城的地标. 国王学院的北边, 就是最负盛名的三圣学院(Trinity College). 这是早期出过牛顿(Isaac Newton)、培根(Lord Francis Bacon)、罗素(Bertrand Russell)的殿堂. 三圣学院的上方是闻名的圣约翰学院(St. John's College). 它的左边有一座建于1821年的景致如画的叹息桥(Bridge of Signs). 当世界各地的游客来到皇后学院(Queen's College), 一定不愿意错过跨越剑河的牛顿数学桥(Newton's Mathematics Bridge). 相传它是由数学天才牛顿当年根据自己的精确计算建造的. 最早的数学桥没有使用一根钉子. 后人为了整修拆了重建, 却再也无法恢复原状. 今日数学桥上的钉子, 似乎提醒人们发现地心引力的天才牛顿, 并不是代代都会出现的人物.



本栏目特约协办:
厦门友好国际·留学游学
国家教育部批准国有留学服务机构
厦门湖滨北路118号振兴大厦20楼
Tel: 5151212
www.xmfsc.org.cn

 

 

Tongue Twister
Translated by Lily Yang

Love's a feeling you feel when you feel.
You're going to feel the feeling you've never felt before.
大意: 爱是一种感觉; 爱是你所感受到的; 爱是你从未经历过的.