现代人茶余饭后最爱聚在一起说是非,很奇怪的是每当说到某人是非时,某人就总会在附近出现,中文有句话:‘说曹操,曹操到’,英文是Speak of the devil。换着主角不是曹操而是Johnny,英文可以说:Here comes Johnny now.(钱宁他正朝这边过来),或者说:Johnny is coming now。(钱宁现正过来)如果有些麻烦人或者麻烦事正过来,可以用Here comes trouble.(烦恼正来了)。
对话
A:I can't work with Johnny anymore. He always changes his mind and doesn't produce results.
B:Calm down, Kate. A job is a job and after all he is our boss.
A:So what? I can always quit my job and study more. Johnny is really a big.....
B:Shhhh..... Here comes Johnny now.
A:Hi!
甲:我不能再和钱宁一起工作,他常常三心两意,又不能干。
乙:冷静点,凯伊。工作是工作,他毕竟是我们的老板。
甲:那又如何?我可以随时辞职去读书,钱宁真是个......
乙:嘘……钱宁正朝这边过来。
甲:嗨!
‘谁人背后无人说?’在背后说人家的不是,英文叫to speak ill of somebody behind his back,这behind one's back(背面)和to one's face(当面)相对,例如:He calls me a good-for-nothing behind my back, but never to my face(他背面说我一无是处,却从来不会当面跟我这样说)。
背后讲人坏话,英文还有一个颇有趣的说法:backbite,直译是‘在背后咬’。When you hear your friend being backbitten, what would you do?即‘听见有人说你朋友的坏话,你会怎么办?’Backbite这种行为,叫做backbiting,而从事backbiting的人自然是backbiter,例如:We don't want a backbiter in our office.(我们办公室不要搬弄是非者)。
凯伊批评老板经常改变主意,这英文可以说是He is always changing his mind。留意这个always的用法:‘be(包括is, were等be的变体)+ always + ing动词’,多用来表示烦厌。请比较以下两句:(1) He always complains to me.(他总是向我诉苦)。(2) He is always complaining to me.(他整天啰啰唆唆的向我诉苦)。第一句没有不耐烦含义,和第二句不同。
凯伊刚要叫老板做 ‘大XX’,老板就来了。 ‘一说曹操,曹操就到’的英文说法是Speak(或Talk)of the devil, and he will(或is sure to)appear.(一说魔鬼,魔鬼就现身),往往略作Speak(或Talk)of the devil
23:32 2010-5-2