|
|
|
一名中国留学生初到美国,在机场找厕所,问老外:「Where is W.C.?」老外听不懂。一名中国太太到医院生产,洋护士问她:「Did you have a bowel movement?」她却听不懂。还有人学了几十年的英语,还不晓得英语里的「大便」、「小便」、「放屁」真正应该怎么说…… _6 T- s1 t% a- q, E5 A" T& U+ j3 q
$ G1 Q3 D! P; s% S; ]至于性毛病,更是老中难于启齿、欲语还羞的尴尬。见到洋医生,窘迫万分,不知如何开口才是,真有「犹抱琵琶半遮面」的感受。 1 g5 F0 h6 b# L0 D. z& Y( m
- z9 Z" P5 O/ }4 U6 @7 U* i
以下为一些「禁忌」(taboo)的美语之整理。毕竟这些都是咱们日常生活的一部分,说不定有一天这些「禁忌」之语还能「派上用场」呢! ( [# ^0 K- n: i) v8 N
7 j4 P) [% W/ M3 J
厕所 ' k0 ^- ?9 l1 O3 g% x0 {0 V
在美国一般都叫rest room或bath room(男女厕均可)或分别叫做 men‘s room 或 ladies‘ room(=powder room),不过在飞机上,则叫 lavatory,在军中又叫 latrine。至于 W.C.(water closet)仍是过去英国人用的,在美国,几乎没有人使用。 ! F9 z# `' i* H& k P1 u5 J7 _( A
" B' f* a, E p1 p 解小便
8 R+ e+ l0 X+ z/ w0 F+ o: ~ 最普通的说法是 to urinate(名词是 urination),如果去看病,护士为了化验小便,就会给你一个杯子说:「Will (could) you urinate in this cup?」医生或许也会问:「Do you have trouble urinating?」=Do you have difficulty voiding?(小便有困难吗?) 1 P2 L1 E8 x r0 M# S* F
' {% n# V6 y# g* E; Q8 A: F
此外,还有其他的说法:to piss = to take a piss = to take a leak = to void = to empty。 例如:
8 l# D U1 N& i1 H" q S1 }0 G* \
- `3 H2 i3 j3 q; a) B( a( ] * I need to piss = I have to take a leak.
* D$ E7 A' H. t8 E; \* R. w% e * How often do you get up at night to void?(晚上起床小便几次?) 3 C) U8 l8 E* o2 b3 ?2 v
1 P6 S. i, A; R: m" Q4 S, ] 此外,john(j 小写时,不是男人名字)是 bath room 或 toilet 的意思(也叫 outhouse),这通常是指在户外工作场地所使用的临时或流动性厕所(有时前面也加 portable 一字)。不过也有老外把家里的厕所叫做 john。 例如:
8 r L2 _7 B) k( i$ R
/ L: G9 I- d/ D * There are several (portable) johns in the construction site.(在建筑场地有几个临时厕所。) . G" Q7 P, B2 p4 T7 i* x) C8 L
* He went to the john a few minutes ago.(他在几分钟前上了厕所。)
) b. F, _, A8 T# d1 T) ^, B- v * The manual labours have to use (portable) johns during their working hours.(劳动者在工作时间内需要使用流动性厕所。)
" l& M* D+ t2 M8 Z* Y1 w+ ^9 s
; D& _( Z( Z7 `: L; c 不过,小孩多半用 to pee 。例如: 3 Y6 B% \0 k! N* g) Q( h. z/ k
5 Y7 h! E5 {: Q4 z * The boy needs to pee.
2 I5 A+ r$ b) ?
' |# L- f/ ^! w U 然而,「小便检查」又叫做 urine test,因为这里的 urine 是化验的样品(specimen)。 例如: $ @6 E) n j- [( U
' O/ B& X4 R. y/ Z( g" }; G; T* Do I need a urine test? / g4 C9 S- K) J+ k1 n7 Z; W
% g7 j! k+ g+ E* s
注意:to piss off 是片语,又是指对人生气或对事物的不满。不过这是不礼貌的片语,少用为妙。 例如: 8 T& z% l" x5 Z2 j
" n- i0 i, V ^5 A3 ~
* He pissed me off. = He made me angry. 6 q/ b- b7 p. Y/ n- }) b# q; h
* He always pisses off (at) the society.(对社会不满) , [9 i. ^- V. k
9 z3 I4 A( k6 I8 i/ S* r1 ]; D3 c
如果「小便」有毛病,也可以告诉医生说: % y* y. M" v0 X( d. h2 N
* My urine is cloudy and it smells strong.(有浊尿,味道很重)
" z4 O x. \& U+ ~6 w/ a/ ]# q * I have pus (或air)in urine.(尿有泡沫) (pus = cloudy; air = bubble)
" A2 k; ]* O- w7 `3 V * I dribble a little urine after I have finished urinating.(小便后还会滴滴答答。)(即失禁毛病) 6 d* O: U: h. O0 q( d6 w7 q7 V
* I am passing less urine than usual.(小便的量比平时少) 0 o9 L% s$ N' H$ U* h; j
& X2 T8 {. T! u. [# r4 Q
2 y- u/ H$ c7 ]9 a2 E
解大便 1 u0 A; q: ~5 Z5 I5 F
一般是用 to make(或 have)a bowel movement 或 to take a shit。如果看病,医生常问:「Do you have regular bowel movement?」(大便正常吗?)(说得斯文些,就是「大肠在转动」)
6 L& M9 ]# |( L3 b$ ?% c: V# i& h9 e
此外,还有其他的说法: to defecate =to discharge excrement(或 feces)=to take feces (或 faeces)。 例如: ! ^- [2 W; C" ?% F
9 _, U' t+ v, w% k
* The patient needs to take a shit. (=to make a bowel movement)
3 e3 n6 K- s$ f! O% S _- `' V/ I9 `# `
不过,小孩多半是用 to make a poo poo 或 to make a BM. 。 例如: ! c: ~4 W) Q& P5 R* P) g
- E" x1 z% q6 O4 o1 @: {
* The boy had a stinky BM.(大便奇臭。)
" v& `# j1 U0 @: h$ Q7 j1 R8 k# K; o- X- y$ l' ~7 h
但是「大便检查」倒叫做 stool exam,因为 stool 也是一种化验的样品。 例如:
6 r2 N& ~$ H& k6 W* k% h n: |2 B; L
* x4 J, p. s; d; I8 j+ q- } * The doctor has to exam his stool.(医生要检查他的大便。) / C h2 z8 S; U. w
; T" o3 H4 H& y' j4 H6 n* ]
I; z; f {% P9 w( h
放屁 2 o( q% ?$ k: T) }% ?
在美语里最常用的是 to expel gas 或 to fart 或 to make (或 pass)gas。 例如:
8 C |- T" H! M8 Y; t1 p4 j2 y! X4 t% p: y
* 医生有时问:「How often do you expel(或 make 或 pass)gas?」(你放屁的次数很多吗?) 2 n# p" G8 |2 A
* Is the gas expelled by belching?(是否打嗝后就会放屁呢?)(动词是 belch)
4 O0 D/ b* X" O" O$ v" E0 M8 | * He said the more he ate, the more he farted.(吃的愈多,放屁也愈多。)
9 X" T5 V t9 X$ Z * He has passed more gas than usual within the last two days.(过去两天中,他放屁比平常多。) , @) a6 @ T6 j$ U) a W8 ^, v/ U
* Be careful not to fart in the public.(注意在公共场所不可放屁。)
9 v% Y/ N4 q. U% ~: R; v/ ^: U2 Y* F* H# Z3 }
至于消化不良,大便不通或拉肚子,也有不同的说法。 例如: " s& f) c" ^) C( Y
+ T7 Q( m! w/ @; \( p
* I have an upset stomach.(消化不良) = I have heartburn. = I have indigestion. 3 E: E$ ~4 w) Q( Y
# o& C( g$ B0 U. D; S
(注意:Heartburn 是指胃不舒服,不是「心痛」(heartache) ; y% E9 ^- a2 t. j L4 w* l! J$ {
* Something has upset my stomach for two weeks.(胃不舒服有两星期了。)
& L, m4 Y' `& g2 O! g( G * He has(persistent)constipation.(或 irregularity)(他经常便秘。) 或 $ B& d" B+ i! I' _, s
* He has been unusually constipated.(便秘很反常。)或
; l4 L, h: P) T" l: h8 t5 e% _) z * He is having problem with irregularity.(或 constipation); 或 " x: P3 D9 V9 t) M; w/ n1 ]8 H" v
* He has no bowel movement for the past few days.
6 |/ _' ? h2 K% }- J * He has bouts of diarrhea.=He is having trouble with diarrhea.(他拉了一阵肚子。)
5 N5 j# ~" Z- \" z( j * He can see trace of blood and pus or mucus in his stool(或 bowel movement)(大便时可看到血丝和粘膜。) |
|