美國(guó)英語(yǔ)中的非正式用語(yǔ)
來(lái)源：
小編： 224Informal Language 美語(yǔ)中的非正式用語(yǔ)
CEver go jogging in a business suit? What about going to a job interview in pajamas? Dressing appropriately is a lot like using a foreign language in the right way. It all depends on the situation. People in America use formal English for making speeches and writing business letters. But they prefer informal language when they talk to friends. Americans are fairly laid-back, both in styles of dress and in language. So to understand their culture, it pays to know something about informal language-in other words, English in blue jeans and a T-shirt.
你曾經(jīng)穿著辦公的西裝慢跑嗎？或者穿著睡衣去應(yīng)征工作？得體的穿著很像正確地使用外國(guó)語(yǔ)言，都得視情境而變化。美國(guó)人使用正式的英文作演說(shuō)和寫商務(wù)信件；但是當(dāng)他們和朋友談話的時(shí)候，則較喜歡使用非正式的語(yǔ)言。美國(guó)人不論是在穿著的風(fēng)格或是語(yǔ)言上，都是非常輕松自在的。所以要了解他們的文化，就得認(rèn)識(shí)他們的非正式用語(yǔ)，換句話說(shuō)，就像穿著牛仔褲和T恤的英文。
English, like every language, is always changing. New slang terms are created all the time. Often they're here today, gone tomorrow. For instance, if you wanted to call something exciting in the 1960s, you would say it was groovy or far out. Today you might describe it as cool or even bad. Each sub-group of American society-from teenagers to soldiers to thieves to ethnic groups-has its own slang. People who aren't a part of the "in-group" can't understand the meaning, even though the words are "English." So it's not easy for outsiders to use slang correctly.
英語(yǔ)就像每一種語(yǔ)言一樣是一直在變。新的俚語(yǔ)不斷地出現(xiàn)，常常今天還在使用的，明天就被淘汰了。例如，在一九六O年代你若要形容一件很興奮的事，你會(huì)說(shuō)很「groovy」美好的，或是「far out」走在時(shí)代尖端的。而今天會(huì)形容為「cool」很酷，甚至「bad」好菜喔。從青少年、軍人、小偷、到少數(shù)民族，美國(guó)社會(huì)中每一種附屬團(tuán)體都有自己的俚語(yǔ)。即使它們確實(shí)是英語(yǔ)，但是不屬于那個(gè)團(tuán)體的人就不會(huì)明白它的意思。因此局外人要正確地使用俚語(yǔ)實(shí)在不容易。
Like many languages, American English has numerous idioms that paint word pictures. These colorful expressions come from everyday life and add spice to language. When Americans want to make a good first impression on someone, they try to put their best foot forward. That way, they won't get off on the wrong foot in their relationship. Learning about idioms in a language and culture can be difficult, but don't get cold feet. Just be careful when using these expressions. Otherwise, you might put your foot in your mouth.
就像許多的語(yǔ)言一樣，美語(yǔ)中也有許多的成語(yǔ)，刻畫出文字的圖像。這些多樣化的表達(dá)方式來(lái)自于每天的生活，并為語(yǔ)言增添了許多風(fēng)味。當(dāng)美國(guó)人想要給某人良好的第一印象時(shí)，他們會(huì)先「伸出最好的那一只腳」（表現(xiàn)較好的一面）；如此，在他們的關(guān)系上就不會(huì)「下錯(cuò)腳」（搞砸）了。學(xué)習(xí)一個(gè)語(yǔ)言和文化中的成語(yǔ)可能相當(dāng)困難，但是也不要「讓腳發(fā)寒了」（恐懼、受挫），只要在用的時(shí)候小心一點(diǎn)就是了。否則你可能會(huì)「把腳放進(jìn)嘴巴里去了」（說(shuō)錯(cuò)話）。
Americans enjoy making things easy on themselves. Even their pronunciation is relaxed. Sounds or syllables that are not stressed are shortened or combined with other sounds. As a result, "What do you want to do?" becomes "Whaddaya wanna do?" And "I don't know" sounds like "I dunno." See if you can understand the following conversation:
Gene: Jeet yet?
Tim: No, ju?
Gene: Skoeet!
Now let's translate it into regular English:
Gene: Did you eat yet?
Tim: No, did you?
Gene: Let's go eat!
School teachers probably cringe at this kind of pronunciation. But the fact is, that's how Americans often talk in real-life situations.
美國(guó)人喜歡把事物簡(jiǎn)化，甚至連他們的發(fā)音也很輕松自在，不是重音的發(fā)音或是音節(jié)，通常會(huì)被縮短或是和其它的音相連。因此，「What do you want to do?」就變成了「Whaddaya wanna do?」而「I don't know.」聽(tīng)起來(lái)像「I dunno.」看看你能不能聽(tīng)懂以下的對(duì)話：
吉妮: Jeet yet?
提姆: No, ju?
吉妮: Skoeet!
現(xiàn)在，我們來(lái)把它翻譯成一般的英文：
吉妮: Did you eat yet? （你吃過(guò)了沒(méi)？）
提姆: No, did you? （還沒(méi)有，你呢？）
吉妮: Let's go eat! （一塊兒去吃吧！）
學(xué)校的老師們對(duì)這樣的發(fā)音恐怕是不敢恭維。不過(guò)事實(shí)上，通常美國(guó)人在實(shí)際的生活中都是這么說(shuō)話的。
There's one type of informal language that you should avoid using, however. Swearwords offend many people in America. Sometimes people say "four-letter words" to express anger or pain. Many of these "curse words" are terms from the Bible that people have misused. For example, to damn means to punish forever in Hell, so "damn" and "hell" are strong curses. Using the names of God or Jesus without respect can also bother people. And one more thing: stay away from "dirty words"-vulgar descriptions of sex or the human body. True, some people talk like this, but such "gutter language" should stay in the gutter.
然而有一種非正式的語(yǔ)言是你應(yīng)當(dāng)避免使用的。在美國(guó)咒詛罵人的話是會(huì)得罪人的。有時(shí)候人們會(huì)說(shuō)「四字經(jīng)」來(lái)表達(dá)憤怒和痛楚。很多這類咒詛的字眼是取自圣經(jīng)，但是被人誤用的。例如，「Damn」該死！指的是詛咒人在地獄里受永遠(yuǎn)的刑罰，所以「Damn」和「Hell」都是很強(qiáng)烈的詛咒。而毫不尊重地妄用上帝或耶穌的名字也會(huì)使人很不舒服。還有一件事：絕對(duì)不要講「臟話」――對(duì)性或是人體低俗的描述。沒(méi)錯(cuò)，確實(shí)有人是那么說(shuō)話的，不過(guò)這種屬于陰溝的「臟話」就讓它歸于陰溝吧。
Americans enjoy being informal. They like making themselves comfortable, whether it's wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt or using informal language. So if you want to speak real American-style English, just go casual-especially if your English teacher isn't looking.
美國(guó)人非常喜愛(ài)非正式、輕松的感覺(jué)。不論是藉由穿牛仔褲、T恤還是使用通俗的語(yǔ)言，他們都喜歡讓自己輕松自在。所以如果你想說(shuō)真正的美式英語(yǔ)，盡量隨意就是了，尤其是你的英文老師沒(méi)看著你的時(shí)候。
