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戏言中英双关妙语

(2008-02-16 22:02:17) 下一个
戏言中英双关妙语

尹文张贴 @ 2008-01-16 19:19:47

http://blog.wenxuecity.com/blogview.php?date=200801&postID=23255

说到文字幽默大师,纪晓岚是很多人的最爱。我们就用大师的双关语作为开篇。

晓岚的幽默乾隆爷爱自不用说,连太监们也喜欢,有事没事常要缠着纪大人讲故事。晓岚无奈有时只得耐住性子给太监们讲故事。一次,太监们又缠上纪大人。纪大人躲不开,就只能讲一个,于是,就开始说: "从前宫里有个太监,......"。然后停顿下来,故作深沉地看着这群听众......。太监们等急了,就催问: 下边呢? 纪大人就说: 下边没了! 众太监更是要追问: 下边怎么没了? 纪大人反问: 是啊,你们下边怎么没了? 众太监顿时醒悟,群起要揍打纪晓岚......。

双关语,顾名思义,讲究的就是一词双义或多义。好的双关语,除了字面意思外,还要有与当时景物相关的第二层意思,而这二层意思最好还得有这样的效果: 要让人的思维从左脑到右脑转一圈之后,然后才猛然喷笑。这纪昀不愧是高手啊,这"下边没了"可以是故事下边没了,也可以是太监下边......,嗨,这大家肯定都明白......。

美国人的日常会话里,那双关语更是随处可见。今天,一位男同事来了跟另一位MM同事说,昨天他请假在家耽误了工作,所以今天他要do a lot of makeup(有点不好意思);MM同事安慰他说: Oh, Ed. You don't have to do any makeup. You look very pretty already. 这里,make up的意思可以是"把落下的工作赶出来",也可以是靓女化妆。MM同事用这双关语,既安慰了男同事不用着急,又揶揄了一把缓和了气氛--典型的美国幽默。

还是今天,共和党候选人Mitt Romney赢了Michigan的Primary,一扫往日的颓废,重新恢复信心,义气分发,斗志昂扬。美国侯选人,个个中山狼,得志便猖狂。今天Romney枪口瞄准了民主党,号召选民千万不能选Obama或Clinton。他在批评对手的经济政策时说: "Obama and Clinton, all they have been talking about is: 'It's time for change. American people need changes'. But what I want to tell folks is this: if you'll vote for either one of them, you'll only get what's left in your pocket--changes". 这一例是美国政治人物的幽默,changes可以是美国民众寻求的政治改变(相当于中国的改革),但也可以是人们钱包里的零钱、小钱。

第三例: 在教室里老师Norman正在循循善诱轻声细语启发小学生思考:

Teacher: Jason, please tell us: what are the three words that we use most in the classroom?
Jason: I don't know, Miss Norman
Teacher: That's correct. Very good, Jason.

你说Jason是答对了还是答错了? 他是知道教室里用的最多的是哪三个字还是不知道? 这老师也糊涂,Jason说了三个词没错,但你能确定他说的是问题的答案还是他根本就不知道答案!

有点乱吧? 这就是双关语的妙用。双关语,英文简称pun,全名是paronomasia。它专门利用近音词同音异义词等造成错觉,让人认错词会错义,从而产生幽默。Puns是英美幽默的主要来源之一,我们再简单列出数例:

1. Did you know that John was once injured all on his left-side? He is all right now.
你说这John他左边全部受伤后是康复了呢还是只剩下右边了?

2. A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.
这是怎么回事? 牙医和美容师打得又是咬又是掐? 还是牙医和美容师是专门为人护理牙齿和手指甲的?

3. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
当她第一次看到头上有白头发,她是认为她将不久于人世? 还是要去把白发染了?(这pun只在口语中体现)

4. Adolescence─when a lad forsakes his bosom buddy for a bosomed buddy.
青春时期--少年丢弃玩伴、追求异性的时候。

5. Two banks with different rates have a conflict of interest.
两家银行利息不同,就一定有利益冲突?

6. An elevator operator kept calling every boy as 'Son'. Once a rude teenager tried to talk him back and said, "Do remember that I am NOT your son and YOU are NOT my father." The operator calmly said, "I brought you up, didn't
I?"
你说这开电梯的究竟是不是那孩子他爹?

7. 一位母亲写道: My daughter told me that Saudi Arabia is free of mental illness because there are nomad ( no mad) people there. My husband was once on a trip to that country to find some prospects for oil, but he got pretty
sick there and I sent him a 'Get Well Soon' card.
沙特阿拉伯真是个好地方吗? 又有石油又没有精神病?

英文的puns大家一定见过不少,有好的不妨拿出来与大家分享。

最后我们还是用一个打油对来作结束语,里面有个pun,大家一定能看出来:
妓女罢工时,
抗战胜利日




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