1. It's cool:cool 是青少年(teen-agers) 常用的字,(有時也用 debonaire)- N, W* d! d F9 ^+ n" U
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其真正意思是指可以接受的好事;或是情況可以控制;或是保持冷靜、文雅、禮貌、外表不錯,能夠合乎年輕人的標準。(可指人或事物)也就是 something good or acceptable;situation is under control;being calm, gentle, courteous or good-looking;meet teen's standard. 所以可以說:
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( R9 V# i: v' Z$ y/ D% n0 ~That's cool;he is cool;this is cool.& l. v3 o4 ^& W+ W- A. r6 P. L' K
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Skydiving (或surfing) is cool.(跳傘或衝浪運動很不錯)4 ^3 H0 H7 j1 ?5 ~, a) }8 F
* b; }$ E7 [+ \2 f- \* S主詞可用任何人稱的單複數 (I, we, they 等),動詞可用 verb to be 的任何時態 (is, was, were, will be, have been等)。因此,也可以說:5 X6 F4 n- y$ x' g) K4 B/ o" Y
, b: o: O0 S5 T; `3 r- GShe (He) was cool in the past.
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That's a cool T-shirt.(好看的運動衫)
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3 Q8 l* F. j3 K0 w |; SHe (she) is a cool person.(文雅禮貌的人)3 Q# h8 F9 `& ]* p
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但是如果說:Are you cool?又是指「你冷嗎?」(cool = cold),可見 cool 當口頭禪或俚語時,多半不用在問句。假如說:
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She looks as cool as a cucumber. 又是恭維語,是說她很 calm and charming; not
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emotional. 但為何用黃瓜 (cucumber) 代表,則不得而知。
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(註:許多華人把 cool 譯成「很酷」)
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2. Are you trippin'?:trippin' 這個字,是由動詞 trip 演變而來。(動詞時態是:tripped, tripping)年輕人用省略符號 (apostrophe ) 代替 g,表示是 slang,或口頭禪。這個字是現在分詞當形容詞用,是指行為異乎尋常,也許受到吸毒或喝酒的影響,而顯得神魂顛倒、奇形怪狀(to get high on drug such as LSD),也就是說:要不是受到藥、酒的影響,你為什 顯得這樣古怪呢?(Are you under any influence of drug or alcoholic? Why are you so crazy and bizarre?) 所以可以說:
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They are trippin'. (= tripping). K3 d, [- r. \( _% U$ _
( Z" Q$ I; Y2 U' J$ w7 A( wShe (he) is trippin'.9 m9 d; R( `; h* v! H
: n& s4 M P$ [* Q$ K' J( U* ]7 O# y- lMr. A must be trippin'.1 [9 g0 M$ K3 r% [( \8 i
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通常只用在年輕人身上,而且不是恭維語。
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7 V/ L: m% ~6 x- w& w4 b' c5 D2 E3. He is a nerd:nerd 是指一些年輕人,每天只懂讀書、考試,但對生活上的其他事情,都很生疏。 (A person always buries his nose in books, but not good at social situations.)由於美國十分重視多方面發展的教育 (well-rounded),所以許多老外認為 nerd 雖然學識不錯,但很乏味;有IQ,但缺乏EQ,只是社會上無足輕重的「書蟲」或「蠢貨」而已。(IQ = Intelligence Quotient ; EQ = Emotional Quotient) nerd 可用複數,動詞也能用其他時態。因此可以說:
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3 v6 ]$ k8 P; h( eHe used to be a nerd in high school. (過去他在高中時是位書獃子)% |" j) ~% Q. S8 W! \# a+ N
6 {$ V. r% A7 c4 SMany Chinese students are(或 have been)considered nerds.) O! |; I3 V. r) [, m9 T' a" K* S
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至於 geek 這個字,雖然與 nerd 相似,年輕人也常用,但 geek 是指在某一方面有很高的 IQ。我們可以說:$ l8 Y) g) G7 H3 d
% r% R0 k& J; ^: I! e7 p" A6 t5 K* e3 ]He is a computer geek. (意思是:雖然他是書獃子,但電腦很棒)8 a1 @6 D1 L0 p1 U. C
( h$ I, ]& J7 X! a0 f另外,年輕人還用 jerk 這個字,通常是指沒有社交技巧,頭腦簡單或古怪,令人討厭的傢伙(annoying person),如果你不喜歡一個人,就可以說:
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4 _7 y( g! y* d% p q6 C4 nI don't like him because he is a jerk.
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也可以用複數:
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3 z7 ]+ [& c3 ~% {! U- vMany jerks are working in our company.( B! g( O$ e% S0 ~7 r+ G5 s
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主詞也可以用其他人稱,動詞也可用其他時態:
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They are jerks; He was a jerk in the past; Mr. A has been jerk for years.
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(註:有時年輕人也用 dork 這個字,但不如 jerk 流行)
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0 f: n3 G9 r: q7 _5 t: Z- G3 t0 O4. Yo baby:Yo baby 是許多年輕的黑人男子對女子的招呼語,也有人用「Yo baby, yo baby
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yo」,由於女子很漂亮,很吸引人,他想與她交談。(He thinks she is pretty and attractive, so he wants to speak to her.),也就是找話題,想要「打開話匣」。(to use as a form of opening line or pick-up line or to begin a greeting; try to know her or date her) 如果說:
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Yo baby, are you trippin'? 意思是:漂亮的姑娘,你的樣子有點怪裡怪氣,有什麼心事嗎?# n( |2 g+ U# T; z
; D0 S, w( o6 p1 m4 u# [- p「Yo baby" 後面可跟任何可以「打開話匣」的句子。諸如:6 A3 r- E/ p" A6 @
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May I help you with something? I think I have met you somewhere before.2 T; g, s% @# Z& o B- M
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同理,如果年輕女子看到帥哥,有吸引力,很想與他交談,那麼就用:「Hey, hey, hey" 後跟任何可以「打開話匣」的句子。諸如:
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8 H# x ~8 q% rHey, hey, hey, what's going on?「what is going on?」就是年輕黑人打招呼的用語 (a form of greeting or open statement) 或 Hey, hey, hey, are you going to the movie?(帥哥,你是去看電影嗎?)
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: r- G: |- O! v5 E2 T2 {8 O+ p5. Catch you later!這是年輕人說「再會」的口語。(a form to say「good鄉bye」) 也就是說:現在沒有時間與你交談,以後再談吧!(I don't have time to talk with you now, but we can talk later.) 因此,catch 就是 talk 或 contact 的意思。catch 後面,也可用其他人稱代名詞(him, her, them 等)3 j8 y3 `. t3 B" x
5 v1 ?& o5 ] C, u有時年輕小伙子也用:I am off. 意思就是:I am leaving now; I'll talk to you again.
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* W1 a$ q9 |* `3 o' O(我要走了,再談吧!) |
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