He is a bicycle doctor. j2m
他是单车修理工. j2m
------------------------ j2m
此句不能译作:"他是个骑单车的医生",因句中的doctor是委婉语(euphemism),j2m
是对某种职业的美称,故不作"医生"解,而是表示repair man的涵义.j2m
委婉语起源于远古,维多利来女王时代中期为其鼎盛时期,在现代英语中,j2m
其出现频率依然颇高,因为人们通过委婉语,可以用温顺悦耳的词语去谈论或j2m
叙述一些原来令人不快或逆耳之事物.为此,他们用domestic help,day help或j2m
live-in help代替mail或servant(佣人); 以custodian或superintendent替代j2m
doorkeeper,caretaker或janitor(看门人或管理人);用She has a tile loose或j2m
She has a cylinder missing去代替She is crazy或Sh is not right in the head(神经失常). j2m
j2m
委婉语多如恒河沙数,不胜枚举,在此略举数例,以见一斑: j2m
原 称 委 婉 语 j2m
无线电修理工 radio electrician radio doctor j2m
理发师 barber cosmotologist j2m
妓女 whore working girl/ street girl j2m
家庭妇女 housewife household executive j2m
收垃圾工人 garbage collector sanitary engineer j2m
老年 old age second childhood j2m
老人 old people senior citizens j2m
假牙 false teeth dentures j2m
小解 piss urinate/ number one j2m
j2m
最后请看几个委婉类例: j2m
Nowadays many weight-watchers would like to go to the gym. j2m
如今有不少胖人喜欢到健身房去锻炼. j2m
That luster has taken a fancy to Middle Eastern dancing. j2m
那个好色之徒现在开始喜欢肚皮舞. j2m
They are the culturally deprived. j2m
他们是没有学识的人. j2m
A libray of teaching materials for preventing teenage suicides j2m
will open for educators in Hong Kong this year. j2m
今年香港将为教师开设一家图书馆以提供防止青少年自杀的教学资料. j2m
j2m
值得注意的是,委婉语虽然是"古已有之,于今为烈",但决不能用得过多过滥.j2m
使用时要考虑场合和对象,如用得不得体,反而会使你"欲礼而不达",甚至令人不知所云,一头雾水.
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